Maternal origin and genetic diversity of Algerian domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) from North-Western Africa based on mitochondrial DNA analysis.

Local chicken populations are a major source of food in the rural areas of Algeria. However, their origin has not been well characterized. The objectives of this study were to assess genetic diversity and maternal origin of domestic chicken from five agro-ecological regions of western Algeria: coastal (CT), inland plains (IP), highlands (HL), mountains (MT) and sahara (SH, including Oasis, Req and Erg regions). A set of 88 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequences including the hypervariable region I (HV1) were analyzed. From the 397 bp D-loop sequence, 20 variable sites that defined 13 haplotypes were identified in Algerian domestic chicken. The haplotype and nucleotide diversity were estimated as 0.597 and 0.003, respectively. Phylogenetic and network analyses indicated the presence of two clades or haplogroups (A and E). Only one clade A haplotype was observed exclusively in the population of mountains, while, Clade E haplotypes were found in almost all Algerian chicken with twelve different haplotypes. These findings suggest that Algerian chickens derived from the most ubiquitous haplogroup which have its root in the Indian subcontinent. Our results provide important information about the origin of the North-West African chicken and the historical dispersal of the first chicken populations into African continent.

The maternal origin of indigenous domestic chicken from the Middle East, the north and the horn of Africa.

BACKGROUND: Indigenous domestic chicken represents a major source of protein for agricultural communities around the world. In the Middle East and Africa, they are adapted to hot dry and semi-dry areas, in contrast to their wild ancestor, the Red junglefowl, which lives in humid and sub-humid tropical areas. Indigenous populations are declining following increased demand for poultry meat and eggs, favouring the more productive exotic commercial breeds. In this paper, using the D-loop of mitochondrial DNA as a maternally inherited genetic marker, we address the question of the origin and dispersal routes of domestic chicken of the Middle East (Iraq and Saudi Arabia), the northern part of the African continent (Algeria and Libya) and the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia). RESULTS: The analysis of the mtDNA D-loop of 706 chicken samples from Iraq (n = 107), Saudi Arabia (n = 185), Algeria (n = 88), Libya (n = 23), Ethiopia (n = 211) and Pakistan (n = 92) show the presence of five haplogroups (A, B, C, D and E), suggesting more than one maternal origin for the studied populations. Haplogroup E, which occurred in 625 samples, was the most frequent in all countries. This haplogroup most likely originates from the Indian subcontinent and probably migrated following a terrestrial route to these different countries. Haplotypes belonging to haplogroup D were present in all countries except Algeria and Libya, it is likely a legacy of the Indian Ocean maritime trading network. Haplogroup A was present in all countries and may be of commercial origin. Haplogroup B was found only in Ethiopia. Haplogroup C was only detected in the South-Western region of Saudi Arabia and in Ethiopia. CONCLUSION: The results support a major influence of the Indian subcontinent on the maternal diversity of the today's chicken populations examined here. Most of the diversity occurs within rather than between populations. This lack of phylogeographic signal agrees with both ancient and more recent trading networks having shaped the modern-day diversity of indigenous chicken across populations and countries.