Genetic diversity of Tripureswari duck using microsatellite markers

Abstract

Tripureswari duck, a recently recognized indigenous duck breed of Tripura, represents a valuable genetic resource for rural livelihoods and sustainable poultry production. However, information on its molecular genetic diversity is limited, restricting the development of effective conservation and breeding strategies. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to characterize the genetic diversity and population structure of Tripureswari ducks using microsatellite markers. Genomic DNA from 54 birds sampled across different districts of Tripura was analyzed using 12 duck-specific microsatellite loci. All loci were polymorphic and collectively resolved 48 alleles, with the number of alleles per locus ranging from 2 to 7 (mean: 4.00 ± 0.48). The allele sizes spanned from 110 bp (CAUD008) to 307 bp (CAUD025). Average heterozygosity, polymorphic information content (PIC), effective number of alleles, and Shannon’s information index were 0.62 ± 0.04, 0.55 ± 0.04, 2.93 ± 0.31, and 1.11 ± 0.10, respectively, indicating moderate to high genetic variability within the population. The overall within-population inbreeding coefficient (FIS = 0.82 ± 0.07) and significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium across loci suggested heterozygote deficiency, likely resulting from non-random mating, selection, and inbreeding. CAUD014 had the lowest PIC value (0.366), whereas APL036 recorded the highest (0.779). Most markers exhibited moderate to high PIC values, demonstrating their effectiveness for genetic characterization studies. These findings provide the first comprehensive
microsatellite-based assessment of genetic diversity in Tripureswari ducks and establish baseline information for designing conservation, genetic improvement, and sustainable utilization programmes for this indigenous duck breed.