Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
TRAKYA UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF NATURAL SCIENCES, cilt.27, sa.1, ss.3-13, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)
Background: Horses (Equus caballus) have been selectively bred for numerous purposes since their domestication, leading to various breeds and increased genetic diversity within the species. Aims: This study focused on the mitogenome characterization and phylogenetic relationships of Turkish feral (yilki) and domestic horse breeds. Methods: In this study, the whole mitogenomes of Turkish feral (yilki) and domestic horse breeds were first amplified using long-range polymerase chain reaction, sequenced with similar to 4000x coverage on the Illumina MiSeq platform, and their phylogenetic relationships were subsequently analyzed. Results: The mitogenomes of Turkish horses were 16657 base pairs in length, encompassing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, one origin of replication (O-L), and one non-coding control region (displacement-loop). In the mitogenomes, the ND6 gene and eight tRNAs (tRNA(Gln), tRNA(Ala), tRNA(Asn), tRNA(Cys), tRNA(Tyr), tRNA(Ser(UCN)), tRNA(Glu), and tRNA(Pro)) were encoded on the light strand (L), while the origin of replication (O-L), 12 PCGs, 14 tRNAs, and two rRNA genes were encoded on the heavy strand (H). A total of 45 gaps and 68 overlaps were identified in the intergenic regions of the assembled mitogenomes. In the Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic tree, the feral (yilki) horse clustered within haplogroup A together with breeds from North America, the Middle East, Southern Europe, and Central Asia, while the domestic horse was clustered in haplogroup B together with breeds from Southern Europe and Central Europe. Conclusion This study significantly contributes to evolutionary biology, genetic diversity, and conservation by providing the first comprehensive mitogenome data for Turkish horses, establishing a foundational resource for future comparative and evolutionary genomic research.