Genetic distance between divergent white Leghorn chicken lines after three generations of selection for humoral response to sheep erythrocytes

Abstract

Divergent selection based on humoral immune response to sheep erythrocytes was practised in IWG line of white Leghorn chicken for 3 generations. Genomic DNA was isolated from 35 birds of high immune response (HSRBC) and 35 from low immune response (LSRBC) lines and genetic distance between divergent lines was estimated by RAPD-PCR employing 23 random primers. Molecular sizes of the amplicons ranged from 255-2900 bp. Band sharing frequencies (BSF) ranged from 0.40 to 1.00 in HSRBC line and 0.45 to 0.94 in LSRBC line, whereas the between line BSF ranged from 0.52 to 0.90 with different primers. The genetic distance between the divergent lines (pooled over primers) was estimated as 0.07±0.00. Divergent selection for humoral immune response created genetic distance, although low. Study demonstrates effectiveness of the approach to develop suitable germplasm for identifying genetic mechanism behind high or low generalized humoral immune response of birds. © GSP, India.