Topic:Coat Color

Discrepancies between Genetic and Visual Coat Color Assignment in Sarcidano Horse.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    February 6, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 4 543 doi: 10.3390/ani14040543
Mura MC, Carcangiu V, Cosso G, Columbano N, Sanna Passino E, Luridiana S.This study aimed to evaluate the discrepancies between genetic and visual coat color assignment in the Sarcidano Horse and to elucidate potential reasons. Individual DNA from 90 Sarcidano Horses was used for genetic assignment of coat color to explore the correspondence with individual forms containing phenotypical traits. The exon 1 and exon 3 have been genotyped and sequenced to obtain a picture of the coat color distribution in this breed. Surprisingly, once we compared the genetic results with the individual forms reporting the phenotypic data for each subject, a certain degree of non-co...
Population Analysis Identifies 15 Multi-Variant Dominant White Haplotypes in Horses.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    February 5, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 3 517 doi: 10.3390/ani14030517
McFadden A, Vierra M, Robilliard H, Martin K, Brooks SA, Everts RE, Lafayette C.The influence of a horse's appearance on health, sentimental and monetary value has driven the desire to understand the etiology of coat color. White markings on the coat define inclusion for multiple horse breeds, but they may disqualify a horse from registration in other breeds. In domesticated horses (), 35 alleles are associated with or cause depigmentation and white spotting. It is a common misconception among the general public that a horse can possess only two variants. To correct this misconception, we used BEAGLE 5.4-phased NGS data to identify 15 haplotypes possessing two or more ...
Spotting the Pattern: A Review on White Coat Color in the Domestic Horse.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    January 30, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 3 451 doi: 10.3390/ani14030451
McFadden A, Vierra M, Martin K, Brooks SA, Everts RE, Lafayette C.Traits such as shape, size, and color often influence the economic and sentimental value of a horse. Around the world, horses are bred and prized for the colors and markings that make their unique coat patterns stand out from the crowd. The underlying genetic mechanisms determining the color of a horse's coat can vary greatly in their complexity. For example, only two genetic markers are used to determine a horse's base coat color, whereas over 50 genetic variations have been discovered to cause white patterning in horses. Some of these white-causing mutations are benign and beautiful, while o...
Designing an early selection morphological traits index for reproductive efficiency in Pura Raza Española mares.
Journal of animal science    December 20, 2023   skad409 doi: 10.1093/jas/skad409
Perdomo-Gonzu00e1lez DI, Su00e1nchez-Guerrero MJ, Bartolomu00e9 E, Guedes Dos Santos R, Molina A, Valera M.The low rate of reproductive efficiency in horses may be linked to the equine industry's practice of maintaining breeding stock that stands out for its athletic or morphological performance but exhibits poor reproductive efficiency. In this study, the age at first foaling, age at last foaling, interval between first and second foaling, average interval between foaling, foaling number and reproductive efficiency, and their relationship with the morphological records in 19,758 Pura Raza Española (PRE) mares were analyzed. After a Partial Least Squares analysis height at withers, lateral hock an...
Genome-wide search reveals the uniqueness of DNA regions associated with coat color and innate immunity in Hokkaido Native Horse.
Animal science journal = Nihon chikusan Gakkaiho    November 20, 2023   Volume 94, Issue 1 e13884 doi: 10.1111/asj.13884
Amano T, Yokawa H, Masuda Y, Tozaki T, Kawai M, Shirai K.Hokkaido Native Horse (HKD) is a horse breed native to Hokkaido in Japan known for the traits such as coat color with no white spots and adaptability to the local cold climate. To examine whether those traits of HKD are conferred at the DNA level, we attempted to identify fixed DNA regions in HKD individuals, that is, the selection signatures of HKD. A comparison of genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism genotypes in 58 HKD individuals by principal component analysis, and cluster analysis between breeds, including HKD, and within the HKD individuals indicated the genetic independence of HK...
Effects of dietary camelina, flaxseed, and canola oil supplementation on transepidermal water loss, skin and coat health parameters, and plasma prostaglandin E2, glycosaminoglycan, and nitric oxide concentrations in healthy adult horses.
Journal of animal science    November 4, 2023   skad373 doi: 10.1093/jas/skad373
Richards T, Burron S, McCorkell TC, Trevizan L, Patterson K, Minikhiem D, Ma DWL, Pearson W, Shoveller AK.Camelina oil is derived from a low-input, high-yield crop and, in comparison to many other dietary fat sources currently used in equine diets, provides a greater amount of α-linolenic acid [ALA; (n-3)], than linoleic acid [LA; (n-6)]. However, no research exists assessing the effects of feeding camelina oil to horses in contrast to other commonly used oils. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of supplementing camelina oil to that of flaxseed and canola oil supplementation, on outcomes related to skin and coat health in horses. Thirty adult horses [23 mares, 7 geldings; 14.9 ...
Digital Phenotyping Reveals Phenotype Diversity and Epistasis among White Spotting Alleles in the American Paint Horse.
Genes    October 27, 2023   Volume 14, Issue 11 2011 doi: 10.3390/genes14112011
Gossett CL, Guyer D, Hein J, Brooks SA.White spotting is an iconic feature of the American Paint Horse. The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) is dedicated to recording pedigree and performance of this stock-type breed, while preserving its distinctive coat color and conformation. Here, the depigmented proportion of the coat (% white coat) was measured using digital photograph analysis of 1195 registered American Paint Horses. Genotypes for nine white-spotting polymorphisms commonly found in Paint Horses, and two pigment-producing loci and genes, were also provided by the APHA. White-coat percent significantly increased in h...
Phenotypic and Genetic Study of the Presence of Hair Whorls in Pura Raza Español Horses.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    September 16, 2023   Volume 13, Issue 18 2943 doi: 10.3390/ani13182943
Encina A, Ligero M, Su00e1nchez-Guerrero MJ, Rodru00edguez-Sainz de Los Terreros A, Bartolomu00e9 E, Valera M.Hair whorls are a hereditary feature in horses that may be associated with temperament and coat color. Hair whorls are described as changes in the hair pattern and may take various forms, such as circular and linear whorls. We first carried out a frequency analysis of hair whorls (circular and linear). Next, a Generalized Non-Linear Model was computed to assess the significance of some potential influencing factors, and a genetic parameter estimation was performed. ENDOG software v4.8 was used to estimate the inbreeding coefficient of all the animals analyzed. It was more common to find horses...
Two Novel Variants in MITF and PAX3 Associated With Splashed White Phenotypes in Horses.
Journal of equine veterinary science    July 3, 2023   Volume 128 104875 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104875
McFadden A, Martin K, Foster G, Vierra M, Lundquist EW, Everts RE, Martin E, Volz E, McLoone K, Brooks SA, Lafayette C.Mutations causing depigmentation are relatively common in Equus caballus (horse). Over 40 alleles in multiple genes are associated with increased white spotting (as of February 2023). The splashed white phenotype, a coat spotting pattern described as appearing like the horse has been splashed with white paint, was previously associated with variants in the PAX3 and MITF genes. Both genes encode transcription factors known to control melanocyte migration and pigmentation. We report two novel mutations, a stop-gain mutation in PAX3 (XM_005610643.3:c.927C>T, ECA6:11,196,181, EquCab3.0) and a m...
Characteristic of Przewalski horses population from Askania-Nova reserve based on genetic markers.
Molecular biology reports    June 26, 2023   Volume 50, Issue 8 7121-7126 doi: 10.1007/s11033-023-08581-4
Musiau0142 AD, Ropka-Molik K, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Myu0107ka G, Bieniek A, Yasynetska N.Przewalski horses are considered the last living population of wild horses, however, they are secondarily feral offspring of herds domesticated ~ 5000 years ago by the Botai culture. After Przewalski horses were almost extinct at the beginning of the twentieth century, their population is about 2500 individuals worldwide, with one of the largest breeding centers in Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve (Ukraine). The research aimed to establish the maternal variation of Przewalski horses population maintained in Askania-Nova Reserve based on mitochondrial DNA hypervariable 1 and hypervariable 2 r...
5’UTR Variant in KIT Associated With White Spotting in Horses.
Journal of equine veterinary science    May 12, 2023   Volume 127 104563 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104563
McFadden A, Martin K, Foster G, Vierra M, Lundquist EW, Everts RE, Martin E, Volz E, McLoone K, Brooks SA, Lafayette C.Mutations in KIT, a gene that influences melanoblast migration and pigmentation, often result in mammalian white spotting. As of February 2023, over 30 KIT variants associated with white spotting were documented in Equus caballus (horse). Here we report an association of increased white spotting on the skin and coat with a variant in the 5'UTR of KIT (rs1149701677: g.79,618,649A>C). Horses possessing at least one alternate allele demonstrate phenotypic characteristics similar to other KIT mutations: clear borders around unpigmented regions on the body, face, and limbs. Using a quantitative ...
Juvenile idiopathic epilepsy in Arabian horses is not a single-gene disorder.
The Journal of heredity    May 5, 2023   Volume 114, Issue 5 488-491 doi: 10.1093/jhered/esad029
Ciosek J, Kimes A, Vinardell T, Miller DC, Antczak DF, Brooks S.Valued for their temperament, beauty, athletic ability, and exhibition in the show ring, Arabian horses are an important component of the horse industry. Juvenile idiopathic epilepsy (JIE), a seizure disorder, is most often reported in Arabian foals from birth to 6 months of age. Affected foals exhibit tonic-clonic seizures lasting as long as 5 min and risking secondary complications like temporary blindness and disorientation. Some foals outgrow this condition, while others die or suffer lifelong complications if not treated. Previous work suggested a strong genetic component to JIE and propo...
Prevalence of Chronic Progressive Lymphedema in the Rhenish German Draught Horse.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    March 9, 2023   Volume 13, Issue 6 999 doi: 10.3390/ani13060999
Sievers J, Distl O.Chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) is a common disease in Rhenisch German draught horses. The objective of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of this disease and its progression with age in 493 Rhenish German draught horses from different regions in Germany. We employed generalized linear models with binomial, multinomial, and normal distributions to analyse the effects of breeding association, coat colour, sex and age within sex, time of examination, limb on which CPL was recorded, and farm-related factors on disease scores. The occurrence and severity of CPL were significantly influe...
Prevalence, differences, and potential correlation to age, sex, breed, coat color, iris color, and geographic location in naturally occurring refractive errors in the normal equine eye from Germany and North Carolina.
Veterinary ophthalmology    January 24, 2023   Volume 26, Issue 4 297-305 doi: 10.1111/vop.13061
Charnock LN, Davidson MG, Keys DA, Gilger BC, McMullen RJ.To evaluate the normal refractive state in horses in NCSU and ECMR and determine the prevalence of naturally occurring refractive errors and their association with breed, age, coat color, iris color, sex, and geographic location. Methods: Horses from NCSU (January 2009-November 2012) and ECMR (January 2013-September 2016) underwent ophthalmic examination and streak retinoscopy. Location, color, breed, sex, and iris color were recorded. Gross and net refractive values for each meridian (horizontal and vertical), spherical refraction, astigmatism for both eyes, and anisometry were recorded, and ...
Estimating Temporally Variable Selection Intensity from Ancient DNA Data.
Molecular biology and evolution    January 21, 2023   Volume 40, Issue 3 msad008 doi: 10.1093/molbev/msad008
He Z, Dai X, Lyu W, Beaumont M, Yu F.Novel technologies for recovering DNA information from archaeological and historical specimens have made available an ever-increasing amount of temporally spaced genetic samples from natural populations. These genetic time series permit the direct assessment of patterns of temporal changes in allele frequencies and hold the promise of improving power for the inference of selection. Increased time resolution can further facilitate testing hypotheses regarding the drivers of past selection events such as the incidence of plant and animal domestication. However, studying past selection processes ...
Effects of High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) on Skin Surface Temperature and Vein Diameter in Healthy Racehorses with Clipped and Non-Clipped Coat.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    January 6, 2023   Volume 13, Issue 2 216 doi: 10.3390/ani13020216
Zieliu0144ska P, Soroko-Dubrovina M, u015aniegucka K, Dudek K, u010cebulj-Kadunc N.The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the effects of high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) on skin surface temperature and vein diameter in the carpal joint region in racehorses with clipped and non-clipped treatment areas. The study included 20 Thoroughbreds split into two equal groups: clipped coat and non-clipped coat. Horses underwent thermographic examination to detect changes in skin surface temperature at the medial surface of the carpal joint, followed by ultrasonographic examination to assess changes in the diameter of the medial palmar vein before and after HILT. ...
Changes in Hair Coat Length and Diameter in Blanketed and Nonblanketed Adult Horses in the Winter.
Journal of equine veterinary science    December 9, 2022   Volume 120 104191 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104191
DeBoer M, Konop A, Fisher B.Horses are often blanketed during cold weather for numerous reasons including assisting thermoregulation, cleanliness, and anecdotally to decrease hair coat length. However, the impact of blanketing on the hair coat has yet to be evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in hair coat length and diameter over time in blanketed and nonblanketed horses during winter. In October 2019, 16 mature adult horses were blocked by breed and BCS and randomly assigned to a blanketed (n = 8) or nonblanketed (n = 8) treatment; blankets were placed. Data was collected between October 2...
Seroprevalence of Equine Influenza and Its Associated Risk Factors in Northwest Nigeria.
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)    November 17, 2022   Volume 11, Issue 11 1372 doi: 10.3390/pathogens11111372
Olufemi OT, Edeh ER, Isyaku MS, Haliru M, Samaila S, Mshelia PW, Owolodun OA, Newton JR, Daly JM.Equine influenza (EI) is a fast-spreading respiratory disease of equids caused by equine influenza A virus (EIV), often resulting in high morbidity and a huge economic impact on the equine industry globally. In this cross-sectional study to determine the seroprevalence of EI and its associated risk factors, sera from 830 horses bled on a single occasion in Northwest Nigeria between October 2019 and January 2020 were screened for antibodies to A/equine/Richmond/1/2007 (H3N8) using the single radial haemolysis (SRH) assay. Antibodies were detected in 71.3% (592/830, 95% CI: 68−74%) of horses (...
Risk factors for insidious uveitis in the Knabstrupper breed.
Equine veterinary journal    October 24, 2022   Volume 55, Issue 5 820-830 doi: 10.1111/evj.13879
Kingsley NB, Sandmeyer L, Parker SE, Dwyer A, Heden S, Reilly C, Hallendar-Edman A, Archer S, Bellone RR.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is the leading cause of blindness for horses; previous research implicated the leopard complex spotting allele (LP) as a genetic risk factor for insidious uveitis in the Appaloosa. There is limited information about risk in the Knabstrupper. Objective: To evaluate clinical manifestations, disease frequency and potential risk factors for ERU in Knabstrupper horses. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Ocular examinations were performed on 116 horses, and based on identified anomalies, horses were classified as suspect, ERU-affected or having no clinical signs....
Seasonal Changes in Trace-Element Content in the Coat of Hucul Horses.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 14, 2022   Volume 12, Issue 20 2770 doi: 10.3390/ani12202770
Jachimowicz-Rogowska K, Topczewska J, Krupa W, Bajcar M, Kwiecieu0144 M, Winiarska-Mieczan A.The purpose of the study was to evaluate seasonal changes in selected trace elements such as Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, and Al in the coat of healthy Hucul horses kept in south-eastern Poland in two different facilities and fed with locally sourced feed. The coat for the study was collected from 24 individuals in autumn, winter, and spring. The concentration of elements in the feed was also determined. The date of collection had a significant effect on the concentration of the micronutrients analysed in the coat of Hucul horses. The highest concentration of Zn was found in the coat taken in summer. The c...
Characterization of the Sarcidano Horse Coat Color Genes.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 5, 2022   Volume 12, Issue 19 2677 doi: 10.3390/ani12192677
Cosso G, Carcangiu V, Luridiana S, Fiori S, Columbano N, Masala G, Careddu GM, Sanna Passino E, Mura MC.The goal of this study was to contribute to the general knowledge of the Sarcidano Horse, both by the identification of the genetic basis of the coat color and by updating the exact locations of the genotyping sites, based on the current EquCab3.0 genome assembly version. One-hundred Sarcidano Horses, living in semi-feral condition, have been captured to perform health and biometric checks. From that total number, 70 individual samples of whole blood were used for DNA extraction, aimed to characterize the genetic basis of the coat color. By genotyping and sequencing analyses of the Exon 1 and...
Basal Reactivity Evaluated by Infrared Thermography in the “Caballo de Deporte Español” Horse Breed According to Its Coat Color.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    September 21, 2022   Volume 12, Issue 19 2515 doi: 10.3390/ani12192515
Bartolomu00e9 E, Perdomo-Gonzu00e1lez DI, Ripollu00e9s-Lobo M, Valera M.Horses have been valued for their diversity of coat color since prehistoric times. In particular, the pleiotropic effect that coat color genes have on behavior determines the way the horse perceives and reacts to its environment. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of coat color on basal reactivity assessed with infrared thermography as eye temperature at rest (ETR), determine their relation with the results obtained by these horses in Show Jumping competitions and to estimate the genetic parameters for this variable to test its suitability for genetic selection. A Gene...
Breed Distribution and Allele Frequencies of Base Coat Color, Dilution, and White Patterning Variants across 28 Horse Breeds.
Genes    September 13, 2022   Volume 13, Issue 9 doi: 10.3390/genes13091641
Avila F, Hughes SS, Magdesian KG, Penedo MCT, Bellone RR.Since domestication, horses have been selectively bred for various coat colors and white spotting patterns. To investigate breed distribution, allele frequencies, and potential lethal variants for recommendations on genetic testing, 29 variants within 14 genes were investigated in 11,281 horses from 28 breeds. The recessive chestnut ea allele in melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) (p.D84N) was identified in four breeds: Knabstrupper, Paint Horse, Percheron, and Quarter Horse. After filtering for relatedness, ea allele frequency in Knabstruppers was estimated at 0.035, thus illustrating the importan...
Morpho-Functional Traits in Pura Raza Menorquina Horses: Genetic Parameters and Relationship with Coat Color Variables.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    September 7, 2022   Volume 12, Issue 18 2319 doi: 10.3390/ani12182319
Perdomo-Gonzu00e1lez DI, Garcu00eda de Paredes RLA, Valera M, Bartolomu00e9 E, Gu00f3mez MD.The studbook of Pura Raza Menorquina horses only permits the use of black-coated animals with a small quantity of white marks as breeding stock. Its breeding program uses linear morpho-functional traits as selection criteria. Our aim was to estimate the genetic parameters of linear morpho-functional traits, and reveal relationship of quality of black coat color (QB) and percentage of white marks (WM) with the other morphological and functional linear traits in this breed. A total of 46 linear traits were scored by four appraisers using seven classes, with a total of 772 records from 333 animal...
A KIT Variant Associated with Increased White Spotting Epistatic to MC1R Genotype in Horses (Equus caballus).
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    August 2, 2022   Volume 12, Issue 15 1958 doi: 10.3390/ani12151958
Patterson Rosa L, Martin K, Vierra M, Lundquist E, Foster G, Brooks SA, Lafayette C.Over 40 identified genetic variants contribute to white spotting in the horse. White markings and spotting are under selection for their impact on the economic value of an equine, yet many phenotypes have an unknown genetic basis. Previous studies also demonstrate an interaction between MC1R and ASIP pigmentation loci and white spotting associated with KIT and MITF. We investigated two stallions presenting with a white spotting phenotype of unknown cause. Exon sequencing of the KIT and MITF candidate genes identified a missense variant in KIT (rs1140732842, NC_009146.3:g.79566881T>C, p.T391A) ...
Roan coat color in livestock.
Animal genetics    July 10, 2022   Volume 53, Issue 5 549-556 doi: 10.1111/age.13240
Vou00df K, Blaj I, Tetens JL, Thaller G, Becker D.Since domestication, a wide variety of phenotypes including coat color variation has developed in livestock. This variation is mostly based on selective breeding. During the beginning of selective breeding, potential negative consequences did not become immediately evident due to low frequencies of homozygous animals and have been occasionally neglected. However, numerous studies of coat color genetics have been carried out over more than a century and, meanwhile, pleiotropic effects for several coat color genes, including disorders of even lethal impact, were described. Similar coat color phe...
Non-frameshift deletion on MITF is associated with a novel splashed white spotting pattern in horses (Equus caballus).
Animal genetics    June 7, 2022   Volume 53, Issue 4 538-540 doi: 10.1111/age.13225
Patterson Rosa L, Martin K, Vierra M, Foster G, Brooks SA, Lafayette C.No abstract available
A de novo missense mutation in KIT is responsible for dominant white spotting phenotype in a Standardbred horse.
Animal genetics    May 31, 2022   Volume 53, Issue 4 534-537 doi: 10.1111/age.13222
Esdaile E, Till B, Kallenberg A, Fremeux M, Bickel L, Bellone RR.No abstract available
Cortisol Concentration in Horsehair and its Relationship to Body Location, Coat Colour, and Gender.
Journal of equine veterinary science    May 13, 2022   Volume 115 104010 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104010
Lellu00e1kovu00e1 M, Leu0161kovu00e1 L, Floriu00e1n M, Mesaru010dovu00e1 L, Skurkovu00e1 L, Peu0165kovu00e1 B, Taku00e1u010dovu00e1 D....The determination of cortisol concentrations in animal hair appears to be a relatively simple and non-invasive method of assessing chronic stress. This method has advantages but it also has some drawbacks. We discovered that there are specific coat properties and individual factors in animlas that can affect corisol levels and skew the interpretation of results. We removed horsehair from 8 different areas of the body (chest, left saddle, right saddle, right thoracic fetlock, and left thoracic fetlock, the mane was also sampled at the withers, just behind the ears, and the tail strand) in 31 ho...
The origin and domestication history of domestic horses and the domestication characteristics of breeds.
Yi chuan = Hereditas    March 22, 2022   Volume 44, Issue 3 216-229 doi: 10.16288/j.yczz.21-260
Fu M, Li Y.The horse (Equus caballus) was domesticated thousands of years after dog, cattle, pig, sheep, and goat. Importantly, it represents the domestic animal that mostly impacted the development of human civilization. Its excellent loading and moving ability prompted the changes from fixed farming mode into mobile sharing mode. Accordingly, its domestication history deserves considerable attention. So far, many issues have long been controversial, due to the extinction of the closest wild relatives and the dramatic reduction of genetic diversity. With the continuous development of sequencing technolo...
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