Gene frequencies of BoLA-DRB3.2 locus in a zebu Brahman population of Martinique (FWI)

The zebu Brahman cattle of Martinique (F.W.I.) come from Indian zebu ancestors of Gir, Nelore (Ongole) and Guzerat breeds, selected in Texas (USA) and introduced in Martinique, 50 years ago. A total of 568 animals were typed for BolA-DRB3.2 alleles using PCR-RFLP technique and cloning and sequencing of new alleles. These animals from both sexes were unrelated, chosen at random in 8 different herds and reared in the same environmental conditions. Thirty-five out of the 47 official PCR-RFLP patterns and nine new ones were found in this cattle population, indicating a good genetic diversity where the heterozygosity level is 0.843. These results contribute to characterizing this zebu Brahman population and could be used for comparisons with other populations of the same breed or not to evaluate genetic distances. They also will be used as a candidate genetic system to identify possible markers of resistance or susceptibility to diseases, the BoLA molecules being highly implicated in immunological mechanisms.