• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.12-23
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• 2020

Objective: The objective of a conservation program is to maintain maximum genetic diversity and preserve the viability of a breed. However, the efficiency of a program is influenced by the ability to accurately measure and predict genetic diversity. Methods: To examine this question, we conducted a simulation in which common measures (i.e. heterozygosity) and novel measures (identity-by-descent probabilities and parental genomic components) were used to estimate genetic diversity within a conserved population using double-labeled single nucleotide polymorphism markers. Results: The results showed that the accuracy and sensitivity of identity-by-state probabilities and heterozygosity were close to identity by descent (IBD) probabilities, which reflect the true genetic diversity. Expected heterozygosity most closely aligned with IBD. All common measures suggested that practices used in the current Chinese pig conservation program result in a ~5% loss in genetic diversity every 10 generations. Parental genomic components were also analyzed to monitor real-time changes in genomic components for each male and female ancestor. The analysis showed that ~7.5% of male families and ~30% of female families were lost every 5 generations. After 50 generations of simulated conservation, 4 male families lost ~50% of their initial genomic components, and the genomic components for 24.8% of the female families were lost entirely. Conclusion: In summary, compared with the true genetic diversity value obtained using double-labeled markers, expected heterozygosity appears to be the optimal indicator. Parental genomic components analysis provides a more detailed picture of genetic diversity and can be used to guide conservation management practices.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.887-894
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• 1995

Toward the development of universal, sensitive, and convenient method of DNA (or RNA) detection, two kinds of electrochemically active DNA ligands. acridine - viologen and oligonucleotide - ferrocene conjugate, were prepared. Thermodynamic and electrochemical study revealed that these probes bound strongly to DNA, and showed a typical cyclic voltammograms, indicating a potential for use as a reversible electrochemical labelling agent for DNA. Especially, using the electrochemically active oligonucleotide, we have been able to demonstrate the detection of DNA at femtomole levels by HPLC equipped with ordinary electrochemical detector (ECD). These results lead to the conclusion that the redox-active probes are very useful for the microanalysis of nucleic acid due to the stabilily of the complexes, high detection sensitivity, and wide applicability to the target structures (single- and double strands) and sequences.