Abstrakt

Preliminary assessment of genetic diversity at the haemoglobin locus in the Bunaji cattle.

Ukwu HO, Gwaza DS, Apav PM, Eruh SD

This study was designed to ascertain the level of genetic diversity at the haemoglobin (Hb) locus in the Bunaji cattle of Nigeria. Haemoglobin genotyping was performed on Seventy Bunaji cattle in Makurdi, Nigeria, using cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Data on Haemoglobin genotypes were subjected to chi-square test. Three haemoglobin genotypes (HbAA, HbAB and HbBB) controlled by two co-dominant haemoglobin alleles HbA and HbB were observed. The genotype frequencies were 0.50, 0.23 and 0.27 for HbAA, HbAB and HbBB respectively; genotype frequencies at haemoglobin locus in the Bunaji cattle were not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The gene frequencies of HbA and HbB were 0.61 and 0.39 respectively, with HbA being the most frequent. There was gene-controlled diversity at the haemoglobin locus in the Bunaji cattle with heterozygosity (He) value of 0.47, which is an indication of moderate level of genetic diversity at the haemoglobin locus in the Bunaji cattle in Makurdi, Nigeria.