ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:Estimating the genetic diversity and structures, both within and among chicken breeds, is critical for the identification and conservation of valuable genetic resources. In chickens, microsatellite (MS) marker polymorphisms have previously been widely used to evaluate these distinctions. Our objective was to analyze the genetic diversity and relationships among 22 chicken breeds in Asia based on allelic frequencies. METHODS:We used 469 genomic DNA samples from 22 chicken breeds from eight Asian countries (South Korea, KNG, KNB, KNR, KNW, KNY, KNO; Laos, LYO, LCH, LBB, LOU; Indonesia, INK, INS, ING; Vietnam, VTN, VNH; Mongolia, MGN; Kyrgyzstan, KGPS; Nepal, NPS; Sri Lanka, SBC) and three imported breeds (RIR, Rhode Island Red; WLG, White Leghorn; CON, Cornish). Their genetic diver
