Study of the Genetic Origin of the Mexican Creole Donkey (Equus asinus) by Means of the Analysis of the D-Loop Region of Mitochondrial DNA

The aim of this work was to analyse the genetic origin of the Mexican Creole donkey, as well as its genetic diversity, by comparison with Spanish and African donkey populations by means of the D-loop region of mitochondrial DNA. To this end, the genomic DNA of 68 Mexican Creole donkeys from eight geographical regions in six States of the Republic of México and from a Sicilian donkey was obtained. By the polymerase chain-reaction technique (PCR) a fragment of 541 bp was amplified, corresponding to the most informative region of the mitochondrial DNA, the D-loop. The fragments were subsequently sequenced. The analysed sequences revealed 10 new Mexican haplotypes that were different from those of the Spanish and African breeds with which they were compared, showing high levels of genetic diversity. Analysis of the phylogenetic relationships in the different Creole varieties showed a tendency of origin towards Spanish breeds, mainly the Andaluza, Zamorano-Leonesa and Majorera from the Canary Islands; these in turn showed an African origin, seven Mexican haplotypes and three haplotypes similar to those analysed by Aranguren and colleagues (2004) of Spanish and African breeds being obtained. This work allows us to reach the preliminary conclusion that the origin of Mexican Creole donkey populations in the different states of the Republic of México is clearly of Iberian origin, the Spanish donkey breed Andaluza being the main one contributing to the populations of the Mexican Creole donkeys, followed by the Spanish breeds Zamorano-Leonesa and Majorera from the Canary Islands, and that the populations possess high levels of genetic diversity.