Assessing the potential of germplasm collections for the management of genetic diversity: the case of the French National Cryobank

Through a combination of selective pressure and genetic drift, there has been a notable erosion of genetic diversity in domesticated animal populations. In response, many countries, including France, have developed gene banks in order to conserve reproductive genetic material. Cryopreserved resources can potentially be used to manage the genetic diversity of populations, but this opportunity is seldom exploited. As an initial step toward this goal, we describe here a methodology for the characterization of the genetic diversity of cryopreserved collections. Using the example of the French National Cryobank, this study employs newly proposed biodiversity metrics to conduct a detailed assessment of the status of collections for six livestock species: cattle, sheep, goat, horse, donkey, and pig.

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