A continent-wide high genetic load in African buffalo revealed by clines in the frequency of deleterious alleles, genetic hitchhiking and linkage disequilibrium.

ABSTRACT: A high genetic load can negatively affect population viability and increase susceptibility to diseases and other environmental stressors. Prior microsatellite studies of two African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) populations in South Africa indicated substantial genome-wide genetic load due to high-frequency occurrence of deleterious alleles. The occurrence of these alleles, which negatively affect male body condition and bovine tuberculosis resistance, throughout most of the buffalo's range were evaluated in this study. Using available microsatellite data (2-17 microsatellite loci) for 1676 animals from 34 localities (from 25°S to 5°N), we uncovered continent-wide frequency clines of microsatellite alleles associated with the aforementioned male traits. Frequencies decreased over a south-to-no

SUBMITTER: van Hooft P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8659316 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature