Аңдатпа
Introduction Under conditions of intensive beef cattle industry development in Kazakhstan, evaluating the genetic diversity and population structure of Aberdeen Angus cattle, as well as the distribution of alleles and genotypes of functional TG5 and LEP SNPs associated with meat quality, is an urgent task. The study aimed to perform an integrated population and functional genetic analysis of Aberdeen Angus cattle using neutral STR markers and TG5 and LEP SNPs to simultaneously assess genetic diversity, population structure, and the distribution of alleles potentially associated with meat productivity traits and beef quality. Methods A total of 122 bulls from three farms were analyzed; genotyping at 15 microsatellite loci was performed using capillary electrophoresis, while the SNP loci of the TG5 and LEP genes were investigated via PCR-RFLP with validation by Sanger sequencing; statistical processing included the calculation of genetic diversity indices and F-statistics, and PCoA and STRUCTURE analyses. Results A moderate level of genetic diversity was established, with close heterozygosity values and no signs of inbreeding; interpopulation differentiation was low (mean Fst≈0.016) with a high gene flow, while cluster analysis revealed the absence of a distinct population structure and a high degree of admixture. For TG5 , a predominance of the C allele and the CC genotype was noted, whereas for the LEP gene, a more uniform distribution of genotypes with a high proportion of heterozygotes was observed. Discussion The obtained results indicate that the studied populations are characterized by moderate genetic diversity and low interpopulation differentiation, which can be applied to genetic monitoring and the enhancement of breeding programs.