Genes in horses are segments of DNA that encode the biological instructions necessary for the development, functioning, and reproduction of equine species. These genetic sequences influence a wide range of traits, including coat color, speed, endurance, and susceptibility to diseases. Genetic research in horses focuses on identifying specific genes and genetic markers associated with these traits, as well as understanding the inheritance patterns and genetic diversity within and between horse breeds. Studies in equine genetics contribute to breeding programs, disease prevention strategies, and the overall understanding of horse biology. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the identification, function, and implications of genes in equine health and performance.
Endo A, Futagawa-Endo Y, Dicks LM.Lactobacillus equi, Lactobacillus hayakitensis, Lactobacillus johnsonii, and Weissella confusa/cibaria were the dominant species in 12 South African horses. The Bifidobacterium-group was detected in the feces of only one of the 12 horses. Sequencing of the nested-PCR amplicon identified the Bifidobacterium-group as Parascardovia denticolens. Cell numbers of L. equi, L. hayakitensis, and W. confusa/cibaria were consistent in all samples. P. denticolens, Bifidodobacterium pseudolongum, and a phylogenetic relative of Alloscardovia omnicolens were rarely detected. L. equigenerosi, a dominant speci...
Bugno M, Slota E, Witarski W, Gerber V, Klukowska-Roetzler J.The results obtained in the present study enabled the physical map of the donkey genome to be extended with markers associated with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), a major performance-limiting disease of Equidae. The equine BAC clone containing the IL4R and CLCA1 genes were localized to EAS 14q13 and EAS 6q15 respectlivy by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Identification of their locus confirmed the distribution of syntenic regions between the domestic horse and the domestic donkey within the chromosomes analysed.
Fintl C, Pearson GT, Mayhew IG, Stewart Lowden C, Hopwood PA, Palgrave CJ, Proudman CJ, Barrie Edwards G, Taylor SE, Hudson NP.Previous immunohistochemical studies targeting the receptor tyrosine kinase (c-Kit) have demonstrated an apparent reduction in the number of gastrointestinal pacemaker cells--the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC)--in horses with intestinal motility disorders. This study compared the level of transcription of the c-kit gene encoding this receptor in horses with and without such motility disorders. Transcription levels of this gene were also compared to the density of ICC immunohistochemically positive for the c-Kit antigen. Intestinal samples were collected from 18 horses with intestinal diseas...
Giesecke K, Sieme H, Distl O.Stallion fertility is of high economic importance for the horse industry. The discovery of molecular mechanisms affecting fertility will be facilitated by the horse genome assembly and the development of novel tools for analysing complex genetic traits. Genetic markers in candidate genes, such as CRISP3, SPATA1 and INHBA, in breeding stallions have been associated with pregnancy rate per oestrus in mares. This paper reviews candidate autosomal, X and Y genes for stallion fertility, including genes encoding hormones and their receptors of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, proteins of the seminal...
Barrey E, Mucher E, Jeansoule N, Larcher T, Guigand L, Herszberg B, Chaffaux S, Guérin G, Mata X, Benech P, Canale M, Alibert O, Maltere P, Gidrol X.Several cases of myopathies have been observed in the horse Norman Cob breed. Muscle histology examinations revealed that some families suffer from a polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM). It is assumed that a gene expression signature related to PSSM should be observed at the transcriptional level because the glycogen storage disease could also be linked to other dysfunctions in gene regulation. Thus, the functional genomic approach could be conducted in order to provide new knowledge about the metabolic disorders related to PSSM. We propose exploring the PSSM muscle fiber metabolic disorder...
Goodrich LR, Choi VW, Carbone BA, McIlwraith CW, Samulski RJ.Cell transplantation for the treatment of joint disease is an important clinical tool. Genetic modification of cells before transplantation has shown enhanced healing. Ex vivo genetic modification of joint tissue cells with various adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes has not been investigated. The transduction efficiencies of self-complementary AAV serotypes (1-6 and 8) were determined in joint tissue containing chondrocytes and synoviocytes isolated from equine models. When comparing scAAV serotypes for efficient transduction ex vivo, in chondrocytes versus synoviocytes, serotypes 6 and 2,...
Echigoya Y, Sato T, Itou T, Endo H, Sakai T.The species-specific properties of LDH isozymes are essentially determined by M (muscle) and H (heart) subunit proteins encoded by the LDHA and LDHB genes, respectively. In the present study, we molecularly characterized the full-length equine lactate dehydrogenase A (eLDHA) and B (eLDHB) cDNAs. The eLDHA cDNA consisted of a 999-bp open reading frame (ORF), while the eLDHB and newly acquired bat LDHB consisted of a 1002-bp ORF, which is 3 bp shorter than the LDHB ORF of other registered mammals. The alignment of amino acid sequences showed that eLDHA acquired positively charged His 88 and 226,...
Radcliffe CH, Flaminio MJ, Fortier LA.Mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) are often characterized using surface markers after expansion and treatment in culture. There are no studies directly comparing gene and protein markers in undifferentiated samples during the very early phases of culture. The goal of this study was to evaluate temporal gene and protein expression changes during establishment of equine MPC cultures. Bone marrow aspirate was obtained from 35 horses and processed by density gradient centrifugation. In freshly isolated bone marrow, mononuclear cells had variable expression of CD44, CD11a/CD18, CD90, and CD45RB c...
Gobeil PA, Yuan Z, Gault EA, Morgan IM, Campo MS, Nasir L.Equine sarcoids are skin tumours of horses caused by infection with BPV-1 or 2. Maintenance and replication of the viral genome depend upon the viral proteins E1 and E2. We examined the effects of an E2 specific siRNA on E2 and E1 viral gene expression, viral load and cell growth in BPV-1 transformed sarcoid-derived cells. Transfection with E2-siRNA caused a reduction in E2 and E1 mRNA expression as well as viral load, growth inhibition and decreased anchorage-independent growth. siRNA treated cells showed significantly higher apoptosis rates than control cells. Thus sequence specific targetin...
Dall'Olio S, Davoli R, Costa LN.The research focuses on the analysis of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene in horses. The study was specifically interested in the role this gene might have in behavioral trait variability due […]
Astakhova NM, Perelygin AA, Zharkikh AA, Lear TL, Coleman SJ, MacLeod JN, Brinton MA.Toll-like receptors 3, 7, and 8 (TLR3, TLR7, and TLR8) were studied in the genomes of the domestic horse and several other mammals. The messenger RNA sequences and exon/intron structures of these TLR genes were determined. An equine bacterial artificial chromosome clone containing the TLR3 gene was assigned by fluorescent in situ hybridization to the horse chromosomal location ECA27q16-q17 and this map location was confirmed using an equine radiation hybrid panel. Direct sequencing revealed 13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the coding regions of the equine TLR 3, 7, and 8 genes. Of these p...
Cappelli K, Felicetti M, Capomaccio S, Pieramati C, Silvestrelli M, Verini-Supplizi A.The stress response is a critical factor in the training of equine athletes; it is important for performance and for protection of the animal against physio-pathological disorders.In this study, the molecular mechanisms involved in the response to acute and strenuous exercise were investigated using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Results: Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect modifications in transcription levels of the genes for matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and interleukin 8 (IL-8), which were derived from previous genome-wide expression analysis. Signific...
Chiam R, Sharp E, Maan S, Rao S, Mertens P, Blacklaws B, Davis-Poynter N, Wood J, Castillo-Olivares J.African horse sickness virus (AHSV) causes a non-contagious, infectious disease in equids, with mortality rates that can exceed 90% in susceptible horse populations. AHSV vaccines play a crucial role in the control of the disease; however, there are concerns over the use of polyvalent live attenuated vaccines particularly in areas where AHSV is not endemic. Therefore, it is important to consider alternative approaches for AHSV vaccine development. We have carried out a pilot study to investigate the ability of recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccines expressing VP2, VP7 or NS3 genes...
Choi YH, Harding HD, Hartman DL, Obermiller AD, Kurosaka S, McLaughlin KJ, Hinrichs K.The reported patterns of trophectodermal expression of POU5F1 protein in blastocysts vary among species, and are possibly related to the differences in placental growth and function. This study investigated the pattern of embryonic POU5F1 expression in the horse, a species with delayed placental formation. Immature equine oocytes expressed POU5F1 protein in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Staining for POU5F1 protein in in vitro-produced (IVP) embryos decreased to day 5 of culture, then the nuclear staining increased to day 7. IVP day-7 to -11 blastocysts showed POU5F1 staining in nuclei throughout ...
De Santis T, Casavola V, Reshkin SJ, Guerra L, Ambruosi B, Fiandanese N, Dalbies-Tran R, Goudet G, Dell'Aquila ME.The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) plays an important role in cells involved in calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis by directly sensing changes in the extracellular Ca2+ ion concentration. We previously reported the localization and quantitative expression of CASR protein in human oocytes. In this study, we examined the expression and the functional role of CASR during oocyte meiotic maturation in a large mammal animal model, the horse. As in humans, CASR protein was found to be expressed in equine oocytes and cumulus cells. Western-blot analysis revealed a single 130 kDa band in denuded...
Gu J, Orr N, Park SD, Katz LM, Sulimova G, MacHugh DE, Hill EW.Thoroughbred horses have been selected for exceptional racing performance resulting in system-wide structural and functional adaptations contributing to elite athletic phenotypes. Because selection has been recent and intense in a closed population that stems from a small number of founder animals Thoroughbreds represent a unique population within which to identify genomic contributions to exercise-related traits. Employing a population genetics-based hitchhiking mapping approach we performed a genome scan using 394 autosomal and X chromosome microsatellite loci and identified positively selec...
Young NJ, Becker DL, Fleck RA, Goodship AE, Patterson-Kane JC.Energy-storing tendons including the equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) contribute to energetic efficiency of locomotion at high-speed gaits, but consequently operate close to their physiological strain limits. Significant evidence of exercise-induced microdamage has been found in the SDFT which appears not to exhibit functional adaptation; the degenerative changes have not been repaired by the tendon fibroblasts (tenocytes), and are proposed to accumulate and predispose the tendon to rupture during normal athletic activity. The anatomically opposing common digital extensor tendon...
Haase B, Brooks SA, Tozaki T, Burger D, Poncet PA, Rieder S, Hasegawa T, Penedo C, Leeb T.White coat colour in horses is inherited as a monogenic autosomal dominant trait showing a variable expression of coat depigmentation. Mutations in the KIT gene have previously been shown to cause white coat colour phenotypes in pigs, mice and humans. We recently also demonstrated that four independent mutations in the equine KIT gene are responsible for the dominant white coat colour phenotype in various horse breeds. We have now analysed additional horse families segregating for white coat colour phenotypes and report seven new KIT mutations in independent Thoroughbred, Icelandic Horse, Germ...
Zhou M, Wang Q, Sun J, Li X, Xu L, Yang H, Shi H, Ning S, Chen L, Li Y, He T, Zheng Y.The importance of microRNAs at the post-transcriptional regulation level has recently been recognized in both animals and plants. We used the simple but effective sequential method of first Blasting known animal miRNAs against the horse genome and then using the located candidates to search for novel miRNAs by RNA folding method in the vicinity (+ -500 bp) of the candidates. Here, a total of 407 novel horse miRNA genes including 354 mature miRNAs were identified, of these, 75 miRNAs were grouped into 32 families based on seed sequence identity. MiRNA genes tend to be present as clusters in som...
Miragliotta V, Raphaël K, Ipiña Z, Lussier JG, Theoret CL.Wound healing in horses is complicated, particularly when wounds are on the limb. The objectives of this study were to clone equine thrombospondin II (THBS2) and secreted protein acidic and cysteine-rich (SPARC) cDNAs and to compare the spatiotemporal expression of mRNAs and proteins during repair of body and limb wounds. These molecules were targeted in view of their potential biological contribution to angiogenesis, which is exacerbated during the repair of limb wounds in horses. Cloning was achieved by screening size-selected cDNA libraries previously derived from 7-day-old wounds. Expressi...
Ma J, Jiang C, Lin Y, Wang X, Zhao L, Xiang W, Shao Y, Shen R, Kong X, Zhou J.To study the in vivo evolution of the attenuated Chinese equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) vaccine, viral gp90 gene variation and virus replication in immunosuppressed hosts were investigated. The results showed that after vaccination, the gp90 gene followed an evolutionary trend of declining diversity. The trend coincided with the maturation of immunity to EIAV, and eventually, the gp90 gene became highly homologous. The sequences of these predominant quasispecies were consistently detected up to 18 months after vaccination. Furthermore, after transient immune suppression with dexamethaso...
Budak MT, Orsini JA, Pollitt CC, Rubinstein NA.Gene expression in the lamellar dermis and epidermis was compared between healthy horses and horses in the developmental phase of carbohydrate overload-induced laminitis, in order to better understand the local biochemical and cellular events involved in the pathogenesis of laminitis. Methods: Six healthy adult horses, with no history or clinical evidence of laminitis. Methods: Horses were randomly divided into two groups: control (n=3) and laminitis (n=3). Control horses received no treatment and were humanely euthanatized at the same time as the laminitis group. Horses in the laminitis group...
Figueiredo MD, Salter CE, Andrietti AL, Vandenplas ML, Hurley DJ, Moore JN.Quantification of gene expression using real-time reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is a reliable method to monitor cellular responses to pro-inflammatory stimuli. The main objective of this study was to validate a set of equine primer pairs that can be routinely used to monitor expression of genes that are central to inflammatory and immune responses. This paper describes the steps used to optimize and validate 29 equine primer pairs for RT-qPCR assays using SYBR Green detection. To validate these assays, monocytes were isolated from three horses and stimulated with Escherichia...
Borzacchiello G, Mogavero S, De Vita G, Roperto S, Della Salda L, Roperto F.The equine sarcoid is the most common dermatologic neoplasm reported in horses. Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1 and 2 are associated with sarcoids, in which the expression of the major transforming oncoprotein (E5) is often recorded. The transformation activity of the virus is due to the binding of the E5 to the platelet-derived growth factor beta receptor (PDGFbeta-r). In the present study, we show by Western blot in 4 sarcoid samples and 3 normal equine skin samples that the PDGFbeta-r is more phosphorylated in sarcoid tissue than in normal skin (P < .001). Furthermore, the physical i...
DiMaio Knych HK, DeStefano Shields C, Buckpitt AR, Stanley SD.Substantial gaps exist in our knowledge of the metabolic clearance of therapeutic agents in horses. Accordingly, a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase in the 2C family was cloned from an equine liver, sequenced and expressed in a baculovirus expression system. Catalytic activities of the recombinant protein were measured with a number of substrates. The protein, assigned CYP2C92, displayed optimal catalytic activity with diclofenac using molar ratios of CYP2C92 to NADPH CYP450 reductase of 1:18. Addition of cytochrome b(5) to diclofenac incubations had no significant effect on metabolic turnover. CY...
Aradaib IE.A nested reverse transcriptase (RT) polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), for rapid detection of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) in cell culture and tissue samples, was developed and evaluated. Using an outer pair of primers (P1 and P2), selected from genome segment three of AHSV serotype 6 (AHSV-6), the RT-PCR-based assay resulted in amplification of a 890 base pair (bp) primary PCR product. RNAs from the nine vaccine strains of AHSV, and a number of AHSV field isolates including the Central African isolates of AHSV-9 and AHSV-6, propagated in cell c...
González-Fernández L, Ortega-Ferrusola C, Macias-Garcia B, Salido GM, Peña FJ, Tapia JA.Protein tyrosine kinases have important roles in spermatozoa; however, little is known about the presence and regulation in these cells of their counterparts in signaling, namely, protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) and dual-specificity phosphatases (DSPs). The objectives of the present study were to identify PTPs and DSPs in boar, stallion, and dog spermatozoa; to characterize their subcellular distribution; and to investigate the roles of tyrosine phosphatases in maintenance of protein tyrosine phosphorylation level and in sperm motility. Using Western blotting with specific antibodies in b...
Giesecke K, Hamann H, Stock KF, Woehlke A, Sieme H, Distl O.Stallion fertility is an economically important trait because the use of artificial insemination is increasing in the horse industry and superior sires are used more intensely. Molecular genetic markers may be useful as early indicators for a stallion's fertility and genetic improvement programmes. The testis-specific SPATA1 protein is involved in shaping the sperm head during spermatogenesis. Thus, the spermatogenesis associated 1 (SPATA1) gene was chosen as candidate for stallion fertility, and we analysed intragenic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as genetic markers for the least squ...
Zhang YW, Davis EG, Bai J.Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has become a basic, reliable and sensitive modern technique, in both biological research and clinical diagnosis, for investigation of gene expression and validation of cDNA microarray analysis. Accurate mRNA quantification using quantitative RT-PCR commonly requires data normalization through stable housekeeping genes (HKGs). Selection of HKGs for data normalization is critical for accurate mRNA quantification. Our objective was to evaluate a set of candidate HKGs as internal controls for gene expression studies using quanti...
Ipiña Z, Lussier JG, Theoret CL.To clone full-length equine pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) complementary DNA (cDNA) and to evaluate its temporal expression during repair of wounds in horses. Methods: 4 clinically normal 2-to 3-year-old Standardbred mares. Methods: Full-length equine PEDF cDNA was cloned by screening size-selected cDNA libraries derived from biopsy specimens obtained from the wound edge 7 days after experimental creation of a 6.25-cm(2) full-thickness wound in the skin of the lateral thoracic wall. Expression was evaluated in normal skin and in biopsy specimens obtained weekly from experimentally in...
The Journal of hereditySeptember 1, 1984
Volume 75, Issue 5 413-414 doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a109968
Sponenberg DP, Harper HT, Harper AL.A bay roan Brabant Belgian stallion (ERn/ ern) was bred to eight chestnut American Belgian mares (ern/ ern), producing 57 foals. Thirty foals were bay roan, 25 were chestnut, one was bay, and one was chestnut roan. The recombination rate was 0.035 +/- 0.024, indicating fairly close linkage between the roan (Rn) and extension (E) loci.
Bernoco D, Bailey E.Severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID) of horses is an autosomal, recessive hereditary disease occurring among Arabian horses. The genetic defect responsible for this disease was recently identified as a 5-basepair deletion in the gene encoding DNA-protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs). Horses with one copy of the gene appear normal, while horses with two copies of the gene manifest the disease. The present report describes a PCR-based test for detection of the gene defect and the results from testing 250 randomly selected Arabian horses. The frequency of SCID gene carriers was ...
Andersson LS, Lyberg K, Cothran G, Ramsey DT, Juras R, Mikko S, Ekesten B, Ewart S, Lindgren G.The syndrome Multiple Congenital Ocular Anomalies (MCOA) is the collective name ascribed to heritable congenital eye defects in horses. Individuals homozygous for the disease allele (MCOA phenotype) have a wide range of eye anomalies, while heterozygous horses (Cyst phenotype) predominantly have cysts that originate from the temporal ciliary body, iris, and/or peripheral retina. MCOA syndrome is highly prevalent in the Rocky Mountain Horse but the disease is not limited to this breed. Affected horses most often have a Silver coat color; however, a pleiotropic link between these phenotypes is y...
Pirhonen A, Linnala-Kankkunen A, Mäenpää PH.Protamine 1 and two protamine 2 variants were isolated from stallion sperm and separated by acetic acid-urea gel electrophoresis. After electroblotting onto polyvinyldifluoride filters, their amino-terminal amino acid sequences were determined by pulse-liquid peptide sequencing. The sequences of the two protamine 2 variants are homologous but slightly different in length and amino acid composition and indicate for the first time the existence of two different genes for this protamine species.
Posnett ES, Ambrosio RE.This report describes DNA probes for the identification of Babesia equi. A genomic library of B. equi was constructed in pUC13. Several clones were identified that hybridized strongly to B. equi DNA. Clone pBE33 hybridized specifically to B. equi DNA and did not hybridize to horse DNA nor to DNA from Babesia caballi, Babesia bovis or Babesia bigemina. Two subclones of pBE33 (pSB20 and pEH21) containing B. equi repetitive sequences, could detect 0.49 ng and 0.97 ng B. equi DNA, respectively.
Read JE, Cabrera-Sharp V, Kitscha P, Cartwright JE, King PJ, Fowkes RC, de Mestre AM.Equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) is a placental glycoprotein critical for early equine pregnancy and used therapeutically in a number of species to support reproductive activity. The factors in trophoblast that transcriptionally regulate eCGβ-subunit (), the gene which confers the hormones specificity for the receptor, are not known. The aim of this study was to determine if glial cells missing 1 regulates promoter activity. Here, studies of the proximal promoter identified four binding sites for glial cells missing 1 (GCM1) and western blot analysis confirmed GCM1 was expressed in equi...
Wickhorst JP, Sammra O, Hassan AA, Alssashen M, Lämmler C, Prenger-Berninghoff E, Erhard M, Metzner M, Paschertz K, Timke M, Abdulmawjood A.In the present study an Arcanobacterium hippocoleae strain isolated from a uterus swab of an apparently healthy mare could be identified by phenotypic properties, by MALDI-TOF MS analysis and genotypically by investigating the molecular targets 16S rDNA, 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region and the genes encoding the β subunit of bacterial RNA polymerase (rpoB), elongation factor tu (tuf) and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gap). The presented data are one of the few reports about the species A. hippocoleae and might help to elucidate the role this species plays in infections of ho...
Kitamura HP, Yanase H, Kitamura H, Iwanaga T.Fibroblast-like (Type B) synoviocytes are cells in the synovial membrane that are responsible for production of both synovial fluid and the extracellular matrix in the synovial intima. Immunostaining of the horse synovial membrane for protein gene product (PGP) 9.5, which is a neuron-specific ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase, demonstrated selective localization of the immunoreactivity in a synoviocyte population different from acid phosphatase-positive Type A synoviocytes. The immunoreactive cells were lined up in the synovial intima and extended dendritic processes towards the joint cavity to f...
Pujar S, Meyers-Wallen VN.Inherited disorders of sexual development (DSD) cause sterility and infertility in horses. Mutations causing such disorders have been identified in other mammals, but there is little information on the molecular causes in horses. While the equine genome sequence has made it possible to identify candidate genes, additional tools are needed to routinely screen them for causative mutations. In this study, we designed a screening panel of polymerase chain reaction primer pairs for 15 equine genes. These are the candidate genes for testicular or ovotesticular XX DSD and XY DSD, the latter of which ...
Ding L, Wang Y, Zhang L, Luo C, Wu F, Huang Y, Zhen Y, Chen N, Wang L, Song L, Pool K, Blache D, Maloney SK, Liu D, Yang Z, Huang X, Li C, Yu X....Here, we describe the Herbivore Transcriptome Integrated Resource Database (HTIRDB, https://yanglab.hzau.edu.cn/HTIRDB#/). The HTIRDB comprises the self-generated transcriptomic data from 100 to 105 tissues from two female domestic herbivores from six species (cattle, donkey, goat, horse, rabbit, and sika deer) and two breeds of sheep, and an extra 28,710 related published datasets. The HTIRDB user-friendly interface provides tools and functionalities that facilitate the exploration of gene expression between tissues and species. The tools for comparative transcriptomics can be used to identif...
Autry JM, Karim CB, Cocco M, Carlson SF, Thomas DD, Valberg SJ.We have analyzed protein expression and enzyme activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-transporting ATPase (SERCA) in horse gluteal muscle. Horses exhibit a high incidence of recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis, with myosolic Ca2+ proposed, but yet to be established, as the underlying cause. To better assess Ca2+ regulatory mechanisms, we developed an improved protocol for isolating sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles from horse skeletal muscle, based on mechanical homogenization and optimized parameters for differential centrifugation. Immunoblotting identified the peak subcellular fract...
Kim DH, Lee HG, Sp N, Kang DY, Jang KJ, Lee HK, Cho BW, Yang YM.To understand the athletic characteristics of Thoroughbreds, high-throughput analysis has been conducted using horse muscle tissue. However, an in vitro system has been lacking for studying and validating genes from in silico data. The aim of this study is to validate genes from differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of our previous RNA-sequencing data in vitro. Also, we investigated the effects of exercise-induced stress including heat, oxidative, hypoxic and cortisol stress on horse skeletal muscle derived cells with the top six upregulated genes of DEGs. Enriched pathway analysis was conduct...
Elce YA, Orsini JA, Blikslager AT.To assess expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and -2 in naturally occurring squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) and the analogous normal tissues in horses. Methods: Tissue samples collected from 3 conjunctival, 2 vulvar, 4 preputial, and 5 penile SCCs during surgical excision in 14 horses and from corresponding body regions (conjunctiva [n = 5 horses], vulva [2], prepuce [3], and penis [3]) in 5 horses euthanized for reasons unrelated to neoplasia. Methods: Tissue samples were snap frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 degrees C until analysis. Protein was extracted from the frozen tissues,...
Vegas AR, Podico G, Canisso IF, Bollwein H, Fröhlich T, Bauersachs S, Almiñana C.During initial maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP), the equine embryo displays a series of unique events characterized by rapid blastocyst expansion, secretion of a diverse array of molecules, and transuterine migration to interact with the uterine surface. Up to date, the intricate transcriptome and proteome changes of the embryo underlying these events have not been critically studied in horses. Thus, the objective of this study was to perform an integrative transcriptomic (including mRNA, miRNAs, and other small non-coding RNAs) and proteomic analysis of embryos collected from days 10 t...
Semik-Gurgul E.Sarcoids are the most commonly diagnosed skin tumours in equines. Bovine papillomaviruses (BPVs) are the primary causative agent of sarcoids. There has been intensive research to discover the molecular mechanisms that may contribute to the aetiopathogenesis of this disease and tumour suppressors and proto-oncogenes known to play a role in human neoplastic conditions have been investigated in equine sarcoids. Current approaches include the identification of gene expression profiles, characterising sarcoid and normal skin tissues, and an assessment of epigenetic alterations such as microRNA diff...
Raudsepp T.Reproductive disorders are genetically heterogeneous and complex; available genetic tests are limited to chromosome analysis and 1 susceptibility gene. Cytogenetic analysis should be the first test to confirm or rule out chromosomal aberrations. No causative genes/mutations are known. The only available genetic test for stallion subfertility is based on a susceptibility gene FKBP6. The ongoing progress in equine genomics will improve the status of genetic testing. However, because subfertile phenotypes do not facilitate collection of large numbers of samples or pedigrees, and clinical causes o...
The Journal of heredityNovember 1, 1975
Volume 66, Issue 6 318-326 doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a108640
Gardner EJ, Shupe JL, Leone NC, Olson AE.Comparative studies are being conducted on hereditary multiple exostosis in man and the horse. In both, there is an unquestionable inheritance pattern of a typical single, dominant, autosomal gene. Those who carry the gene have a one-half chance of transmitting it to each offspring, whereas, those who do not carry the gene do not transmit this abnormality to their progeny. The lesions are clinically and histologically similar; no persistent chromosomal irregularities have been associated with the abnormality in either man or the horse and no single evidence of malignancy in either man or anima...
Reinholt BM, Bradley JS, Jacobs RD, Ealy AD, Johnson SE.Rapid morphological and gene expression changes occur during the early formation of a mammalian blastocyst. Critical to successful retention of the blastocyst and pregnancy is a functional trophectoderm (TE) that supplies the developing embryo with paracrine factors and hormones. The contribution of TE conformational changes to gene expression was examined in equine induced trophoblast (iTr) cells. Equine iTr cells were cultured as monolayers or in suspension to form spheres. The spheres are hollow and structurally reminiscent of native equine blastocysts. Total RNA was isolated from iTr monol...
Baldani CD, Hilario E, Nakaghi AC, Bertolini MC, Machado RZ.The erythrocytic-stage surface protein, Equi Merozoite Antigen 1 (EMA-1), is a major candidate for the development of a diagnostic antigen for equine piroplasmosis. In order to establish an effective diagnostic method for practical use, the gene encoding the entire EMA-1 of Theileria equi Jaboticabal strain was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as a histidine-tagged protein (His6-EMA1). The expressed EMA-1 reacted with specific antibodies in Western blot and had an apparent molecular mass of 34 kDa which was largely consistent with its theoretical value. The nucleotide sequence of the E...
Blott S, Cunningham H, Malkowski L, Brown A, Rauch C.Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) occurs in horses performing high-intensity athletic activity. The application of physics principles to derive a 'physical model', which is coherent with existing physiology and cell biology data, shows that critical parameters for capillary rupture are cell-cell adhesion and cell stiffness (cytoskeleton organisation). Specifically, length of fracture in the capillary is a ratio between the energy involved in cell-cell adhesion and the stiffness of cells suggesting that if the adhesion diminishes and/or that the stiffness of cells increases EIPH is ...
Dube S, Chionuma H, Matoq A, Alshiekh-Nasany R, Abbott L, Poiesz BJ, Dube DK.In order to better understand the training and athletic activity of horses, we must have complete understanding of the isoform diversity of various myofibrillar protein genes like tropomyosin. Tropomyosin (TPM), a coiled-coil dimeric protein, is a component of thin filament in striated muscles. In mammals, four TPM genes (TPM1, TPM2, TPM3, and TPM4) generate a multitude of TPM isoforms via alternate splicing and/or using different promoters. Unfortunately, our knowledge of TPM isoform diversity in the horse is very limited. Hence, we undertook a comprehensive exploratory study of various TPM i...
Li S, Zhao G, Han H, Li Y, Li J, Wang J, Cao G, Li X.It is important to resolve the evolutionary history of species genomes as it has affected both genome organization and chromosomal architecture. The rapid innovation in sequencing technologies and the improvement in assembly algorithms have enabled the creation of highly contiguous genomes. DNA Zoo, a global organization dedicated to animal conservation, offers more than 150 chromosome-length genome assemblies. This database has great potential in the comparative genomics field. Results: Using the donkey (Equus asinus asinus, EAS) genome provided by DNA Zoo as an example, the scaffold N50 leng...
Bai DY, Yang LH, Unerhu U, Zhao YP, Zhao QN, Hasigaowa H, Dugarjaviin M.Coat color of horse is an important basis for both species identification and individual recognition and is also one of the important references traits for breeding. Therefore, the research on the mechanism of coat fading has become an important part of horses' coat color study. It has been found that the white phenotype is closely related to the mutation of kit gene, which is located on chromosome 3. Investigated results showed that the formation of the epidermal melanoblast and melanin relies on the expression of kit gene, which determines the presence of white phenotype. Nevertheless, studi...
Kent MG, Shoffner RN, Buoen L, Weber AF.The XY sex-reversal syndrome occurs when a phenotypic mare is born that has the karyotype of a stallion. The syndrome is manifested by both genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity. The sex-reversed genetic condition occurs frequently within certain pedigrees where XY females have been found and can be readily detected by chromosome karyotyping. The phenotypic spectrum ranges from the feminine mare with a reproductive tract that is within normal limits to the greatly masculinized mare. Pedigree analysis suggests that there are two modes of inheritance: (1) an X-linked recessive or autosomal sex-...
Ma Y, Ke C, Wan Z, Li Z, Cheng X, Wang X, Zhao J, Ma Y, Ren L, Han H, Zhao Y.The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) is involved in IgG metabolism and transport in placental mammals. However, whether FcRn is responsible for IgG transfer from maternal serum to colostrum/milk is controversial. Interestingly, large domestic animals, such as cows, pigs, sheep, and horses, in which passive IgG transfer is exclusively completed via colostrum/milk, all express an FcRn α-chain that is shorter in the cytoplasmic tail (CYT) than its counterparts in humans and rodents. To address whether the length variation has any functional significance, we performed in vitro experiments using the Tr...
Jinglong X, Xiaobin L, Fang Z, Chenchen W, Kailun Y.The aim of this research was to isolate bacteria capable of biotransforming daidzein from fresh feces from pregnant horses. A Hungate anaerobic roller tube was used for anaerobic culture. Single colonies were picked at random and incubated with daidzein. High performance liquid chromatography was used to detect whether the isolated bacteria were able to biotransform the substrate. A strain capable of reducing daidzein was selected and characterized using sequence analysis of 16S rDNA, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed. The morphological physiological and biochemical characteristics of th...
Miragliotta V, Raphaël K, Ipiña Z, Lussier JG, Theoret CL.Wound healing in horses is complicated, particularly when wounds are on the limb. The objectives of this study were to clone equine thrombospondin II (THBS2) and secreted protein acidic and cysteine-rich (SPARC) cDNAs and to compare the spatiotemporal expression of mRNAs and proteins during repair of body and limb wounds. These molecules were targeted in view of their potential biological contribution to angiogenesis, which is exacerbated during the repair of limb wounds in horses. Cloning was achieved by screening size-selected cDNA libraries previously derived from 7-day-old wounds. Expressi...
Piro M, Benjouad A, Tligui NS, El Allali K, El Kohen M, Nabich A, Ouragh L.Severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID) of horses is an autosomal, recessive hereditary disease occurring among Arabian or crossbred Arabian horses. The genetic defect responsible was previously identified as a 5-base pair deletion in the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of the DNA dependant protein kinase (DNA-PKcs). This study was carried out to determine the frequency of SCID and identify horses carrying the gene for SCID among Arabian and Arabian crossbred stallions and mares in Morocco using a DNA-based test. Twenty-one horses were SCID carriers: 14 (7%) Arabians, 6 (4%) Arab-B...
Juneja RK, Gahne B, Stratil A.Pig, horse and dog plasma proteins, separated by horizontal polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (pH 9.0) and electrophoretically transferred to nitrocellulose membranes, were tested for cross-reaction with antiserum to human plasma alpha 1B-glycoprotein (alpha 1B). The results showed that one previously reported polymorphic plasma postalbumin in each of these species (pig PO2, horse Xk and dog Pa protein) was homologous to human plasma alpha 1B. In the light of the previously known genetic linkages in these species, this implied: (1) alpha 1B gene is close linked to Phi, Pgd and Hal (halothane ...
Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Ropka-Molik K, Piórkowska K, Bugno-Poniewierska M.One of the most significant reason of economic loss on race track performance is lame in performed horses. Primarily, due to the failure within proper bone maintenance during conditioning in young horses. The training overload causes bone turnover disturbances in homeostasis between bone resorption and bone formation which promote the bone loss. Within our study we investigated training induced changes in transcript abundance of genes (NFATc1, CTSK, DAP12, CLEC5A, IL6ST, VAV3) involved in osteoclastogenesis hence bone resorption, in whole blood of Arabian horses. The expression pattern of all ...
