Molecular Characterization of Livestock Breeds in Ethiopia: A Review

This paper is aimed to review and discuss the methods and criteria that are currently available from research and past experiences concerning the molecular characterization of livestock breeds in Ethiopia. Molecular characterization is defined as the complementary procedures used to unravel the genetic basis of phenotypes, their patterns of inheritance from one generation to the next, within-breed genetic structure and levels of variability, and relationships between breeds. It is characterized at the molecular level without any effect of environment or development or physiological state of the organism. That’s why DNA- based markers are called molecular markers. Because of the low level of polymorphism observed in proteins, and hence limited applicability in diversity studies, DNA-level polymorphisms are the choice of molecular genetic characterization. Characterization of animal genetic resources encompasses all activities associated with the identification, quantitative and qualitative description, and documentation of breed populations. Its objective is to increase knowledge of Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR), their abundance, and their potential for future uses, in wider environments. The importance of molecular characterization of animal genetic resources and its relevance is only slowly being accepted by policymakers in Ethiopia. The presence of economic crisis, fiscal constraints, rapid social change , and frequent political instabilities associated with major policy changes are the major contributing factors. The most severe issues that have limited molecular genetics advancement and conservation of AnGRs are poverty and lack of expertise or deficiency in specialized animal breeders. Thus, possible solutions and recommendations for such challenges are monetary support from the government, global initiatives, capacity-building, communication, public awareness, livestock-related policy , and motivating the role of public and private sectors.