Genetic relatedness among Jordanian local Awassi lines Baladi, Sagri,and Blackface and the black Najdi breed using RAPD analysis

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique was used to study the genetic relatedness among local Awassi lines Baladi, Sagri and Blackface and the black Najdi breed. Fifteen RAPD primers were initially applied and seven were chosen for further analysis, based on band pattern quality, reproducibility, and the presence of distinctive bands. Genetic distances between populations as computed from combined data for all seven primers ranged from 0.0165 (between local Awassi and Sagri Awassi) to 0.0091 (between Blackface Awassi and Sagri Awassi). Phylogenetic relationship among these lines and breeds revealed two main clusters. Blackface Awassi and black Najdi breeds are closely related whereas the local Awassi was genetically distant from the other three groups and formed a separate cluster. Further analyses revealed the existence of genetic variability among and within studied sheep lines or breeds that can be used in selection or crossbreeding programs.