Genetic features of Patanwadi, Marwari and Dumba sheep breeds (India) inferred by microsatellite markers

India is rich in sheep biodiversity. Patanwadi, Marwari and Dumba are three important breeds of Gujarat. Dumba is a pastoralist breed with a majestic look, which is extensively used for crossbreeding with Patanwadi and Marwari ewes. Microsatellites were used to ascertain genetic variability, bottleneck and population structure using 20 microsatellite markers. The total number of alleles observed was 165, 181 and 160 in Patanwadi, Marwari and Dumba, respectively, depicting a wide range of variability. The overall heterozygosity, polymorphic information content (PIC) and Shannon index values were 0.62, 0.65 and 1.63, indicating high genetic diversity. The FIS estimate reflected a high rate of inbreeding. Non-significant heterozygote excess on the basis of two-phase model (TPM), along with a normal ‘L’-shaped distribution of mode-shift analysis test, indicated an absence of bottleneck. Population structure analysis revealed five different clusters and intermixing of individuals from three breeds in each cluster. The information generated from the present study will be valuable for setting conservation priority of the less-described breeds such as Dumba and will also add to the knowledge of previously characterised breeds.