Blood proteins variation and morphogical traits study on the Iranian native population of chickens

Protein polymorphism of blood plasma and erythrocyte and morphological characteristics of Iranian indigenous chickens; Gardan Lokht, Marandy, Lary, Omumy and New Hampshire were investigated. Gardan Lokht is a nacked neck chicken possessing higher ability of egg and meat production. Lary is a fighting type chicken, whereas Marandy possessing two strains (Black and White) is almost egg type. Omumy is nondescript type of native chickens that be find all over the country. Blood samples were collected from the chickens of which are rearing in the poultry Department of Iranian Animal Sciences Reseach Institute. To investigate the genetic variation, 11 loci ( Akp, Akp-2, Alb, Amy-l, Es-l, Es-8, Es-D, Hb-l, Pas, Pa-l and Tf) controlling of 8 kinds of blood proteins were examined by starch or polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The morphological charactristics analyzed were the comb shape (the P and R loci), earlobe color, feather color (The B, E, I and S loci) and shank color (the Id locus). Gene frequencies were estimated at these 7 loci and at 11 blood proteins loci. Phenotypes and gene frequencies were compared among different groups. Out of 11 loci, only 1 locus (Alb) showed monomorphism. Es-D was first appeared as polymorphism in the White Marandy, whereas some of alleles such as TfB, PasA and the Akp-20 were fixed in some of populations (Omumy,Gardan Lokht, Black Marandy and New Hampshire). The frequencies of other loci were different among the groups, unless Hb-llocus that showed slight difference allele frequncy. Most of chickens had the single comb except omumy in which 1 rose and 2 pea were found. The frequencies of S,B, P and R alleles were lower rather than Id allele. The number of earlobe red color chicken were higher than earlob white color one. Genetic distances were calculated from the gene frequencies at 11 blood protein loci only and with 7 morphological characteristics. Genetic distances between each pair of these populations were almost small in the first situation, although they increased in the senond situation. Classifications were not same in the two situations, so that Gardan Lokht was separated from the others in blood protein loci analysis whereas White Marandy was in separate group by blood protein and morphological characteristics analysis. Although the position of omumy did not changed. The proportion of polymorphic loci and the average heterozygosity were the highest in White Marandy population (Ppoly=O.909 and H=O.2982).The present results suggest that it is difficult to declare the Gardan Lokht and two White and Black Marandy populations are finished breeds.