Characteristic of sheep and goats of native breeds in the Republic of Tuva as to blood group antigens
There was determined the blood-group characteristic of Tuvinian rough-wool short-fat-tailed sheep and Tuvinian rough-wool goats raised under conditions of the Republic of Tuva. The work was done in 2013-2015. The examined animals developed by the method of people’s breeding possess high livability and adaptability to severe conditions of sharply continental climate to live in. To improve native breeds, maintain their preservation and further rational use, their genetic structure including allelic status of their genes was studied. The method of immunogenetic analysis has been used due to its availability, wide polymorphism, and relatively easy definition of blood group antigens. The conducted comparative analysis of immunogenetic blood parameters in Tuvinian rough-wool short-fat-tailed sheep and Tuvinian rough-wool goats has revealed specific distinctions. In relation to goats, sheep were observed to have higher frequency of occurrence of antigens Aa, Bd, Be, Rr (p < 0.001), Ca, Da (p < 0.01), and Bg (p < 0.05). There was observed the very low frequency of occurrence of antigen Oo in sheep, which made up 0.20 ± 0.089 (p < 0.001). The antigen Ab was not revealed in goats. No significant distinctions in the frequencies of the other antigens between sheep and goats have been found. Tuvinian rough-wool short-fat-tailed sheep and Tuvinian rough-wool goats kept on pasture all year round have their own gene pool, as evidenced by the genetic similarity parameter, which is calculated by the frequency of occurrence of blood antigens, 0.5596 ± 0.133.