Evaluation of genetic variability in Chianina cattle using genealogical and molecular data: Molecular analysis

The study aimed to investigate the genetic variability in the Chianina beef breed, by analyzing the polymorphism of 19 microsatellite markers in 187 Chianina subjects. The main objective was to characterize the breed and identify genetic similarities or distances between animals from different breeding areas The results indicated a high variability among individuals of the breed, as shown by deviation from a Hardy-Weinberg proportions and by the significant deficency of heterozygotes for the majority of the 19 markers studied. The analysis of the genetic similarities between individuals from various provinces revealed three breeding areas: the first was comprised of the provinces of Florence, Terni, Arezzo and Perugia, the second consisted solely of the province of Siena, while the third area included the coastal provinces of Pisa, Livorno, and Grosseto. Alleles for each province (with the exception of Florence) were identified, thus characterizing the animals of each breeding area.