Tatyana Lupolov1, Oleg Mashner1, Petr Lyutskanov1 and Tatiana Deniskova2
1 Public Institution National Institute for Applied Research in Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, 2070, Chişinău, Moldova
2 Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry – All-Russian Institute of Animal Husbandry named after L. K. Ernst, Dubrovitsy, Russia
Lupolov, T., Mashner, O., Lyutskanov, P. & Deniskova, T. (2026). Genetic characterization of Moldavian Karakul sheep populations: Microsatellite marker analysis and similarity assessment. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 32(1), 201–209
The genetic characterization of Karakul sheep populations was conducted affording the analysis of 10 microsatellite loci in order to evaluate genetic diversity and relatedness. Animals from following districts were studied: Anenii Noi, representing the New Moldovan type, Nisporeni, classic type, and Riscani, also classic type. Allelic diversity, heterozygosity levels, and genetic distances were determined to analyze populations’ structure. This research revealed high allelic diversity (up to 15 alleles in the OarCP49 locus in the Nisporeni population), elevated heterozygosity in Riscani (Hₒ = 71.43%) and Nisporeni (Hₒ = 61.3%) populations, moderate heterozygosity in Anenii Noi population (Hₒ = 56.64%), and significant differentiation between populations. The smallest genetic distance was observed between Anenii Noi and Riscani (D = 0.132) and the largest between Anenii Noi and Nisporeni (D = 0.265) populations. Cluster analysis confirmed a close genetic relationship between Anenii Noi and Riscani populations, while Nisporeni one had formed a distinct group. These findings highlight the value of Karakul sheep as a genetic resource and provide insights for diversity conservation strategies and breeding program optimization.