The sheep can be reproduced by natural mating as well as applied reproductive biotechnology, embryo transfer (ET). However, this method in sheep is influenced by several factors such as season, photoperiod, latitude, temperature, nutrition, and breed. In addition, there is still less research on assisted reproductive technologies in small ruminants, compared to other livestock species such as cattle and pigs. Because there has been a need for an optimization and a continuous improvement of ET techniques in small ruminants. the main objective of this study was to evaluate the conception rate obtained after ET in Mongolian sheep (Dorper breed). After embryo recover, code 1 and 2 embryos (morula or blastocyst stage) for ET in the present study were 63% (63/100) and 24% (24/100), respectively. Then Each single embryo was transferred to a synchronized recipient who prepared by estrous synchronization protocol with fluorogestone acetate-cloprostenol sodium. The results demonstrated that an average conception rate and lambing rate was 35.6% (31/87) and 33.3% (29/87), respectively. Further study is still necessary, but these results indicated that single embryo of Mongolian sheep with the present protocol was enough to conducting ET when the genetically superior sheep were necessary to be expanded.
Food and agricultural production sector, especially livestock production is vital for Mongolia’s economic and social development. Domestic sheep play key roles for Mongolians, providing food (meat, milk) and raw materials (wool, sheepskin), but genetic diversity, origin of sheep populations in Mongolia have not been well studied. Studies of population genetic diversity is important research field in conservation and restoration of animal breeds and genetic resources. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate genetic characteristics and estimate origin through the analysis of mitochondrial DNA control region D-loop and Cytochrome b of Mongolian indigenous sheep (Mongolian native, Orkhon and Altanbulag) and one Europe sheep (Suffolk). As a result of there were found, 220 SNPs (Single nucleotide polymorphism) in the D-loop region, 28 SNPs in the Cytochrome B region, furthermore, 77 Haplotypes. The nucleotide diversity was only found in D-loop region (n = 0.0184). Phylogenetic analysis showed that 3 (A, B, and C) of 5 haplogroups of sheep have been identified in our research. Haplogroup C was only found in Mongolian indigenous sheep. Haplogroup D and E were not observed. As a result of haplogroups, haplogroup A was dominant (n = 46 of 94 sheeps), followed by haplogroup B (n = 36) and haplogroup C (n = 12). Sequence analysis showed that T deletion, insertion and heteroplasmy in D-loop region occurred at a high rate in Mongolian indigenous sheep population (T insertion = 47, T deletion = 83). The heteroplasmy, which has never been found in Mongolian sheep, has been newly discovered in this study. As a result, the Mongolian sheep varieties, which mainly derived from Asia, were in hybridization with European sheep varieties.