Characterization of the complete mitogenomic and phylogenetic of the Columba livia breed Şebap pigeon

The initial phase of the studies focused on the conservation of gene resources involves the phenotypic and genetic characterization of existing breeds. By elucidating the differences at the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) level, a particularly suitable source for genetic analyses, it becomes feasible to calculate genetic distances between local breeds, identify potential domestication centers through evolutionary analyses, and construct phylogeny trees depicting kinship relationships between among breeds. Şanlıurfa holds significance in pigeon breeding due to its prolonged history of traditional pigeon breeding, establishing itself as one of the pigeon domestication centers. This study aims to genetically characterize Şebap pigeon breed which is specific to Şanlıurfa province in Türkiye. The mitogenome of the Şebap pigeon was analyzed by next generation sequencing and determined to be 17,232 bp in size, comprising 13 Protein-Coding Genes (PCGs), two Ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), 22 Transfer RNAs (tRNAs). The overall mitogenome composition includes 29.6% for A, 24.5% for T, 31.2% for C, and 14.7% for G, with a notable A–T richness of 54.1%. Notably, ND6 is encoded on the L strand while the others are encoded on the H strand. Our study has provided a comprehensive examination of whole mitochondrial DNA. Using this information, we have constructed a phylogenetic tree, locating the Şebap pigeon within the rock pigeon lineage.