PHYLOGENETIC STUDY OF THREE LINES CAVIA PORCELLUS (GUINEA PIGS) PERU, ANDINA AND INTI, "EL PRADO" FARM, UNIVERSITY OF THE ARMED FORCES – ESPE IN ECUADOR

Objective: The present study was undertaken to investigate the morphological and to establish molecular relations between three lines of guinea pigs, which are phenotypically selected and form the basis for a molecular marker-assisted breeding program for the species, in the breeding farm of El Prado. Methods: Synthetic variable was used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the study population. The DNA was extracted, amplified by PCR and then was sequenced the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene of the lines Peru, Andina and Inti. The extracted sequences were compared with others of Cavia porcellus, and other associated genes, from neighboring countries, deposited in Genbank. Results: Phenotypic analysis was prioritized desirable characteristics for the producer. The synthetic variable generated three groups of individuals. The best group comprises of guinea pig Andina line, two of Peru, and four of Inti. Molecular characterization showed that the specimens under study achieved an average of 1101.5 bp corresponding to 98.27% of the complete mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene (1120.8bp). On comparison with Genbank sequences we observed a similarity of 98% (identical pairs), and 1.92% of variability (transition and transversion). Site analysis found 85.5% of conserved sites and 14.5% of variable sites, of which 55.48% were parsimony informative. Conclusion: These results suggest that the specimen I5 (Inti) was selected for its qualitative characteristics, good weight of reproductive age and greater intra-population genetic distance. The dendrogram for intraspecific phylogenetic inference of Cavia porcellus was robust, 100% resampling under a frequency analysis of 1000 replicates. These findings not only help in design effective breeding experiments but also help in selecting animals for experiment purposes. Keywords: Cavia porcellus, Cytochrome-b, DNA, Phylogenetic analysis