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.
Himmler A, Hauptmann R, Adolf GR, Swetly P.Using human interferon-alpha 2 (IFN-alpha 2) and IFN-beta DNA to probe an equine genomic library we isolated recombinant phages containing genes for equine interferon-alpha (EqIFN-alpha), interferon-beta (EqIFN-beta), and interferon-omega (EqIFN-omega). Sequence and hybridization analyses of these genes reveal that the equine genome contains gene families of each of these three type I interferon classes. The mature proteins of EqIFN-alpha are 71-77% homologous to human IFN-alpha polypeptides, and, when expressed in E. coli, possess antiviral activity on both equine and human cells. By contrast...
O'Banion MK, Reichmann ME, Sundberg JP.Equine papillomaviruses (EqPV) from naturally occurring cases of cutaneous papillomatosis in several ponies and one horse were isolated, cloned, and characterized. Group specific papillomavirus structural antigens were detected in sections of the papillomas by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique, and virions were observed in the in the nuclei of cells in the stratum granulosum and corneum. Negatively stained virions purified from papilloma homogenates by isopycnic CsCl centrifugation were 55 nm in diameter and had typical papillomavirus morphology. The entire viral genomes of two separate ...
Bowling AT.Preliminary evidence for the fifth autosomal linkage group in the horse, comprised of the loci for a red cell alloantigen (U) and serum protease inhibitor (Pi), was demonstrated by means of paternal half-sib groups in thoroughbred, standardbred and Arabian breeds. Recombination frequency in males was estimated to be 0.125 +/- 0.019.
Bailey E.Segregation distortion was found for a haplotype of the equine lymphocyte antigen (ELA) system in an extended family of American Standardbred horses. In one sire family, consisting of a stallion and his 17 sons and grandsons, the gene for ELA-A10 (A10) was transmitted to 57.7% of 638 offspring scored (P = 0.001). Significant segregation distortion was not seen for mares or for unrelated stallions, regardless of the ELA markers they possessed. Since the effect was seen for this one sire family and not seen for other stallions with A10, it is unlikely that the gene for A10 is the cause of this p...
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-...
Gargouri Y, Pieroni G, Rivière C, Sugihara A, Sarda L, Verger R.We report further investigations on protein inhibition of pancreatic and microbial lipases carried out with the monolayer technique. When beta-lactoglobulin A, melittin, serum albumin, myoglobin, and a protein inhibiting lipase from soybean were preincubated with a dicaprin film at a surface pressure of 35 dynes/cm, no activity was detected with horse pancreatic or Rhizopus delemar lipases. By contrast, Rhizopus arrhizus and Geotrichum candidum lipase activities were not impaired under the same conditions. Experiments using mixed lipid-protein film transfer clearly show that the inhibition of ...
Trommershausen Bowling A, Clark RS.Gene frequencies at 20 blood group and protein polymorphism loci (A, C, D, K, P, Q, U, Al, Tf, Pi, Xk, Es, Gc, PGD, CA, Cat, PGM, AP, Hb and PHI) are given for seven horse breeds in the United States (Thoroughbred, Arabian, Standardbred, Morgan, Quarter Horse, Paso Fino and Peruvian Paso). These data are used to calculate that the battery of tests is at least 96% effective for recognizing incorrect paternity in these breeds. In addition to paternity testing, these tests can be applied to studies of breed relationships.
Della-Porta AJ.There has been concern that the present nomenclature system for the members of the Reoviridae family, and particularly the Orbivirus genus, does not represent the actual relationships exhibited between the members. In order to follow the conventions established by the International Committee for the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), it is tentatively proposed that the present Reoviridae genera be upgraded in status to the following sub-families: reovirinae, orbivirinae, Fijivirinae, cypovirinae, rotavirinae, coltivirinae and phytoreovirinae. Below the sub-family level, divisions of genus (equivalent...
Kaminogawa S, McKenzie HA, Shaw DC.The amino acid sequence of equine alpha-lactalbumin has been determined with the aid of an automatic sequencer. The protein chain consists of 123 amino acids and has a Mr of 14218. Elucidation of the structure involved sequence determination of native protein (residues 1-32), cyanogen bromide fragments, and tryptic, chymotryptic and S. aureus V8 proteolytic peptides. Approximately 67% of the residues are identical with corresponding residues of bovine alpha-lactalbumin B, and there is close homology with alpha-lactalbumin of other species.
Clegg JB, Goodbourn SE, Braend M.The equine alpha globin gene complex comprises two functional alpha genes and an alpha-like pseudogene arranged in the order 5'-alpha 2-(5kb)-alpha 1-(3kb)-psi alpha-3'. A single (embryonic) zeta-like sequence lies within a 12 kb region 5' to the alpha 2 gene. We have determined the sequence of the alpha 1 gene of the BII haplotype, one of two most common haplotypes (the other being BI) which encode alpha globins with either Tyr (BI) or Phe (BII) at codon 24 in both linked alpha genes. In BI and BII the non-allelic alpha 2 and alpha 1 genes respectively code for Gln or Lys at codon 60, thus ac...
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.
Martini F, Angelaccio S, Barra D, Doonan S, Bossa F.Cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase (L-aspartate:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.1) from horse heart has five cysteine residues, two of which can be titrated with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoid acid) in the native enzyme with no impairment of catalytic activity. The rate of modification is unaffected by the presence of substrates. Reaction with N-ethylmaleimide leads to loss of catalytic activity, the rate of inactivation being increased by the presence of substrates. Peptides containing 361 amino-acid residues (about 88% of the total number in the protein) have been isolated and ali...
Gonchar MV, Lavrenova GI, Rudenskaia GN, Gaĭda AV, Stepanov VM.Using ion-exchange and affinity chromatography and isoelectrofocusing, eight forms of pepsin with pI 1.6, 1.8, 2.1, 2.3, 2.6, 2.8, 3.2 and 3.6, were isolated from horse gastric juice. The molecular weights, amino acid composition, N-terminal sequence and functional activity of these multiple forms were determined. Partial primary structure of tryptic peptides of pepsin with pI 2.3 was investigated. The analyzed partial sequences of the forms with pI 1.8, 2.1, 2.3, and 2.6 have identical structures which differ from the amino acid sequence of pepsin with pI 3.2 by four substituents. In terms of...
Bailey E, Henney PJ.The distribution of ELY-2 was compared to the distribution of blood group factors Aa, Ab, Ac, Ae, Ca, Da, Db, Dc, Dd, De, Df, Dh, Dk, Ka, Pa, Pb, X, Qa, Qc, Ua, and W in 2465 American Standardbred horses and to ELY-1 in 193 American Standardbred horses. The distribution patterns were different in each case. The segregation of ELY-2.1 and factors at the A, C, D, K, P, Q, U and T (W) blood group loci and at the ELA locus indicated that ELY-2.1 is not a product of any of those loci. No segregation data were available for the ELY-1 locus. Family studies indicated that the gene for ELY-2.1 is not s...
Bell K, Patterson S, Pollitt CC.The plasma protease inhibitor system (Pi) of Standardbred horses was studied by thin-layer, high-voltage, acid polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (pH 4.6) followed by protein staining and staining for trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibition. In addition to the eight Thoroughbred alleles (PiF, G, I, L, N, S1, S2, U), another 10 alleles, designated PiH, J, K, O, P, Q, R, V, X, Z, were postulated to account for the 98 Pi types which were observed in Standardbreds. Detailed inhibitory spectra of the 'new' alleles were determined and further exceptions to the Pi1, Pi2 classification of Juneja et al. (1...
Antczak DF.A new polymorphic locus of the horse which has several unusual properties is described. The suggested name for the locus is ELY-2. The gene product of one allele at this locus, designated ELY-2.1, has been identified with antisera raised as a result of pregnancy. Antibody to ELY-2.1 was first detected on day 55 after conception in the serum of a mare in first pregnancy. This early onset of antibody is similar to that seen for antibody to ELA antigens, and suggests that the source of the antigenic stimulus may be the tissue of the equine endometrial cups. The antisera identifying ELY-2.1 are cy...
Westermarck E, Lindberg LA, Sandholm M.A sensitive gel-diffusion assay for determination of phospholipase A was developed. PLA standards, serum, faecal and pancreas homogenate samples with PLA-activity were allowed to diffuse from wells into agar-gels containing lecithin-membranes. The turbidity cleared radially upon PLA-activity. The diameters of the cleared zones showed a linear relationship with the log of the enzyme concentration. Serum samples resulted in some turbidity within the cleared zones. This interference originating from serum lipoproteins could be abolished by hydrophobic absorption. The gel-diffusion method was comp...
Forsman C, Jonsson BH, Lindskog S.The 250 MHz 1H-NMR spectrum of horse carbonic anhydrase I (or B) (carbonate hydro-lyase, EC 4.2.1.1) was measured as a function of pH under various conditions. Eight resonances corresponding to histidine C-2 protons and four resonances corresponding to histidine C-4 protons were identified and assigned to individual histidine residues in the enzyme molecule. Substantial similarities between horse and human carbonic anhydrases I were demonstrated. While the human enzyme has three titratable histidine residues in its active site, the horse enzyme has only two, His-67 in the human enzyme being re...
The Journal of hereditySeptember 1, 1983
Volume 74, Issue 5 361-364 doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a109811
Andersson L, Sandberg K, Adalsteinsson S, Gunnarsson E.Three previously described electrophoretic phenotypes of mitochondrial glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOTM) in horse leukocytes are shown to be controlled by two codominant alleles at a single autosomal locus. The GOTM locus is linked to the serum esterase locus (Es), as no recombination between these loci was observed among 16 informative offspring in one sire family. The results assign GOTM to equine linkage group (LG) II. The hypothesis that a part of LG II (e-Es) shares homologies with mouse chromosome 8 is thus confirmed, as the murine homologue of GOTM is located within the cluster...
Seide RK, Kehoe JM.Studies of the molecular biology of lymphoid cells have markedly increased our understanding of how millions of different antibodies can be synthesized by a single animal. To date, the most detailed understanding has been achieved for the mouse, primarily because of the relatively greater experimental availability of this species. These studies, as well as those involving other species, have shown that the complete genes for antibody polypeptide chains are assembled from disparate genetic elements which are originally widely separated in the genome. The assembly process itself, together with t...
Putt W, Whitehouse DB.This paper reports genetic variation at the prealbumin (Pr), postalbumin (Pa) and transferrin (Tf) loci in Equus przewalskii found using thin layer isoelectric focusing and an amphoteric separator. The method resolves all three loci plus serum esterase (Es) on a single gel, and typing of all four loci is readily achieved. In addition to the esterase alleles previously reported by Fisher & Scott (1979), five alleles were found at the Pr locus, three at the Pa locus and six at the Tf locus. Analysis of several mating types confirms inheritance is autosomal and codominant for all four loci.
Andersson L, Juneja RK, Sandberg K.Genetic linkage between the equine loci for phosphohexose isomerase (PHI) and serum Xk protein was demonstrated by means of segregation data from three sire families. The recombination frequency was estimated from pooled data to be 0.23 +/- 0.02; a significant heterogeneity between sires for estimates of the recombination frequency was observed. No indication of linkage was detected between Xk and 14 other blood marker loci. Linkage between the Xk locus and the locus for soluble malic enzyme (ME1) has recently been reported in horses. An equine linkage group designated LG IV comprising the thr...
Bailey E.The linkage group formed by the ELA and A blood group system in horses was studied in American Standardbred horses. The distance between the ELA locus and the A blood group locus was measured as 1.61 centimorgans, observing only the haplotypes contributed by the sires. Strong linkage disequilibrium was found in pacing Standardbred horses for ELA-W1 with Aa, ELA-W5 with Ab and ELA-W10 with Ab. Linkage disequilibrium was apparent at both the population and family level. Among trotting Standardbred horses, linkage disequilibrium was found for ELA-W1 with Aa and for ELA-W10 with Ab. It was not pos...
Côté GP.The non-muscle tropomyosins (TMs), isolated from such tissues as platelets, brain and thyroid, are structurally very similar to the muscle TMs, being composed of two highly alpha-helical subunits wound around each other to form a rod-like molecule. The non-muscle TMs are shorter than the muscle TMs; sequence analysis demonstrates that each subunit of equine platelet TM consists of 247 amino acids, 37 fewer than for skeletal muscle TM. The major differences in sequence between platelet and skeletal muscle TM are found near the amino and carboxyl terminal ends of the proteins. Probably as the re...
Nes N, Lømo OM, Bjerkås I.In 4 female foals of the Norwegian horse breed, "Fjord Horse", congenital arthrogryposis of the limbs are described. The disorder was mainly limited to the hind limbs and associated with polydactylia and partly with brachygnathia superior and cleft palate. The defective foals were paternal halfsisters of 4 normal foals (1 female + 3 males), sired by the stallion "Bingo" 1804, which was phenotypically quite normal. The disorder being lethal, is possibly caused by a sex-limited or a strongly sex-influenced dominant gene.
Sugo T, Kato H, Iwanaga S, Fujii S.On incubation of purified horse plasma high-molecular-weight kininogen with purified plasma kallikrein, three new peptides, named fragment 1.2, fragment 1 and fragment 2, were released, in addition to the vasopeptide, bradykinin. Fragment 2 contained an extremely high level of histidine, in which eleven residues out of the total 48 residues were characterized. Thus the result proves the existence of the histidine-rich region in horse high-molecular-weight kininogen, which is similar to the region previously identified in bovine high-molecular-weight kininogen. Moreover, we have identified a ne...
Nic An Ultaigh S, Ryan MF.Proteinases released during the in vitro maintenance of asynchronous cultures of the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans were characterized on the basis of subunit composition, fluorogenic substrate specificity, inhibitor sensitivity and pH optima. Cysteine proteinases are present in the excretory-secretory products (ESP) as indicated by the hydrolysis of cathepsin fluorogenic substrates and confirmed by immunoblotting. Serine proteinases were predominant as indicated by substrate gel analysis and inhibitor studies. The presence of metallo-proteinases was also indicated by inhibitor st...
Sarma PN, Tang YJ, Prindiville TP, Osborne PD, Jang S, Silva J, Cohen SH.In order to determine genetic relatedness of Bacteroides fragilis isolates from different clinical sources, arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (AP-PCR) was used to compare 17 strains isolated from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and 20 strains isolated from foals with diarrhea. Three reference ATCC strains were also analyzed. Eighteen unique types were identified with a 22-mer arbitrary primer (ERIC-2) among the 20 patient isolates. Types 1 (enterotoxigenic) and 9 (nonenterotoxigenic), were each found in the stools of two patients. All other isolates showed a dis...
Armando F, Porcellato I, de Paolis L, Mecocci S, Passeri B, Ciurkiewicz M, Mechelli L, Grazia De Ciucis C, Pezzolato M, Fruscione F, Brachelente C....Vulvo-vaginal epithelial tumors are uncommon in mares, and data on the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the tumor-immune microenvironment (TIME) are still lacking. This is a study investigating the equus caballus papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) infection state as well as the EMT process and the tumor microenvironment in vulvo-vaginal preneoplastic/ benign (8/22) or malignant (14/22) epithelial lesions in mares. To do this, histopathological, immunohistochemical, transcriptomic, hybridization, and correlation analyses were carried out. Immunohistochemistry quantification showed tha...
Ma Y, Peng S, Donnelly CG, Ghosh S, Miller AD, Woolard K, Finno CJ.Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (eNAD/EDM) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder associated with vitamin E deficiency. In humans, polymorphisms in genes involved in vitamin E uptake and distribution determines individual vitamin E requirements. Objective: Genetic polymorphisms in genes involved in vitamin E metabolism would be associated with an increased risk of eNAD/EDM in Quarter Horses (QHs). Methods: Whole-genome sequencing: eNAD/EDM affected (n = 9, postmortem [PM]-confirmed) and control (n = 32) QHs. Results: eNAD/EDM affected (n = 3...
Perdomo-González DI, Id-Lahoucine S, Molina A, Cánovas A, Laseca N, Azor PJ, Valera M.Transmission Ratio Distortion (TRD) is a genetic phenomenon widely demonstrated in several livestock species, but barely in equine species. The TRD occurs when certain genotypes are over- or under-represented in the offspring of a particular mating and can be caused by a variety of factors during gamete formation or during embryonic development. For this study, 126 394 trios consisting of a stallion, mare, and offspring were genotyped using a panel of 17 neutral microsatellite markers recommended by the International Society for Animal Genetics for paternity tests and individual identification...
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...
Robles M, Rousseau-Ralliard D, Dubois C, Josse T, Nouveau É, Dahirel M, Wimel L, Couturier-Tarrade A, Chavatte-Palmer P.In horses, the prevalence of obesity is high and associated with serious metabolic pathologies. Being a broodmare has been identified as a risk factor for obesity. In other species, maternal obesity is known to affect the development of the offspring. This article is a follow-up study of previous work showing that Obese mares (O, n = 10, body condition score > 4.25 at insemination) were more insulin resistant and presented increased systemic inflammation during pregnancy compared to Normal mares (N, n = 14, body condition score < 4 at insemination). Foals born to O mares were more insulin-resi...
Herman M, Caceres AM, Albuquerque ALH, Leite RO, Araújo CET, Delfiol DJZ, Curi RA, Borges AS, Oliveira-Filho JP.In Brazil, the production of mules with a comfortable gait primarily involves the breeding of marching saddle mules. This is achieved by crossing gaited Pêga donkeys with horses from the Mangalarga Marchador and Campolina breeds. The :g.22999655C>A SNP is implicated in regulating gait phenotypes observed in various horse breeds, including the batida (CC) and picada (CA) gaits found in these horse breeds. We aimed to determine if genotypes influenced gait type in 159 mules and 203 donkeys genotyped for the SNP by PCR-RFLP analysis. About 47% of mules had the CC-genotype, while 53% had the ...
Piotrowska-Tomala KK, Jonczyk AW, Szóstek-Mioduchowska A, Hojo T, Żebrowska E, Katila T, Ferreira-Dias G, Skarzynski DJ.Intrauterine devices (IUD) are used in the veterinary practice as the non-pharmacological method of oestrus suppression in mares. When placed in the uterus, IUD create a physical contact with the endometrium that mimics the presence of an equine embryo. However, the mechanism of their action has not been fully elucidated. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of mechanical stimulation of IUD on mare`s endometrium in both in vitro and in vivo study. For this purpose, we demonstrated the effect of IUD on prostaglandin (PG) F and PGE secretion, and mRNA transcription of gen...
Smith L, Moran AW, Al-Rammahi M, Daly K, Shirazi-Beechey SP.Studies carried out in several species have demonstrated that detection of low-calorie sweeteners in the lumen of the intestine, by the sweet receptor, T1R2-T1R3, initiates a signaling pathway leading to enhanced expression and activity of intestinal Na/glucose cotransporter 1, SGLT1. This results in an increased gut capacity to absorb glucose, sodium chloride and water, the basis for oral rehydration therapy. Horses express T1R2, T1R3 and downstream signaling elements in the intestinal tissue. As such, the potential of sweetener-stimulation of T1R2-T1R3 leading to upregulation of SGLT1 allows...
Equine asthma (EA) is a respiratory syndrome associated with the increase of different leukocyte populations in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Its pathogenetic mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between the mRNA expression of different cytokines in the BALF, different EA subtypes and lung function. Fifteen horses underwent physical examination, airway endoscopy, BALF cytology and lung function testing (8/15). One horse did not have evidence of EA and was used as healthy reference, while the others were classified as affected by neutrophilic or mi...
Moroni R, Fanelli D, Camillo F, Rota A, Cantile C, Marmorini P, Salamone G, Ori M, Panzani D.Endometritis is a major cause of subfertility in mares. Multiparous old mares are more susceptible to developing endometritis given that ageing is associated with an altered immune response and with inadequate physiological uterine clearance after breeding, which can lead to degenerative changes in the endometrium. Molecules such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as endometritis markers in the equine species. Methods: Cross-sectional. Objective: To investigate the endometrial expression of defensin-beta 4B (DEFB4B), lysozyme (LYZ) and secretory leukocyte peptidase inhibitor (...
Flack N, Hughes L, Cassens J, Enriquez M, Gebeyehu S, Alshagawi M, Hatfield J, Kauffman A, Brown B, Klaeui C, Mabrouk IF, Walls C, Yeater T, Rivas A....The Przewalski's horse ( ) is an endangered equid native to the steppes of central Asia. After becoming extinct in the wild, multiple conservation efforts convened to preserve the species including captive breeding programs, reintroduction and monitoring systems, protected lands, and cloning. Availability of a highly contiguous reference genome is essential to support these continued efforts. We used Oxford Nanopore sequencing to produce a scaffold-level 2.5 Gb nuclear assembly and 16,002 bp mitogenome from a captive Przewalski's mare. All assembly drafts were generated from 111 Gb of sequenc...
Rodríguez M, Quiroga J, Cortés B, Morán G, Henríquez C.Tamoxifen (TAM) is widely utilized in the prevention and treatment of human breast cancer and has demonstrated the potential to modulate the immune response. It has been proposed as a therapeutic tool for immune-mediated diseases. TAM has been investigated as a possible treatment for asthma-like conditions in horses, revealing specific impacts on the innate immune system. While the effects of TAM on equine neutrophils are well-documented, its influence on lymphocytes and the modulation of the immune response polarization remains unclear. This study employed peripheral blood mononuclear cells ...
Yi M, Asgenbaatar N, Wang X, Ulaangerel T, Shen Y, Wen X, Du M, Dong X, Dugarjav M, Bou G.DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are important epigenetic modification during spermatogenesis. To further evaluate the pattern of DNMTs in horse testes during development, we investigated the expression and localization of DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b at different time points. The qRT-PCR results showed that DNMT1 expression was maintained in testes tissue from 6-month-old (0.5y) to 2-year-old (2y) of age and decreased after 3-year-old (3y) (P < 0.01). The expression levels of DNMT3a and DNMT3b peaked in testes tissue at 3y (P < 0.01). At 4-year-old (4y), the expression of DNMT3a and DNMT3b was ...
Ewelina SG, Anna Z, Rafał P, Maciej W.Sarcoids are the most frequently diagnosed dermatological tumour in horses. It is a disease that can affect various species of equids, such as donkeys, mules and zebras. This type of tumour can develop in all horse breeds, regardless of age and gender. Treatment options depend on many factors, such as the type of lesion, location, extent, owner preference and financial considerations. In the present study, we investigated the TRIM29 expression, the methylation status of its first exon and its involvement in the formation of equine sarcoids. Bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) was used to determine ...
Botelho JHV, Pessoa GO, Caixeta ES, Sales G, de Oliveira KR, Nascimento Neto JDP, Ferreira RD, Palhão MP.This study aimed to evaluate the localised effects of intrauterine ozone therapy on endometrial recovery in mares with endometritis. Our investigation assessed changes in gene expression profiles of anti-inflammatory (IL-1RA and IL-10), proinflammatory (IL-R1B3i and TNFα) and pleiotropic (IL-6) cytokines, along with detailed histological measurements of epithelial and endometrial thickness and the glandular area ratio. Twenty mares were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial design based on endometritis diagnosis and treatment (control or 42 μg/mL ozone insufflation), resulting in four groups: N...
Cerveira-Pinto M, Wójtowicz A, Pires MA, Kordowitzki P, Skarzynski D, Ferreira-Dias G, Szóstek-Mioduchowska A, Amaral A.Increased synthesis and deposition of collagen (COL) in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of equine endometrium contributes to endometrosis. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are transmembrane receptors involved in the innate immune response, recognized for their role in antigen recognition and previously associated with equine endometritis. The TLRs not only recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns but also regulate inflammations, fibrosis and cancer. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between TLR expression at different stages of Kenney and Doig's (K-D) grading and COL1 exp...
Migdał A, Migdał Ł, Oczkowicz M, Tombarkiewicz B, Okólski A.Colostrum contains substances such as hormones, enzymes, polyamides, nucleic acid derivatives, and amino acid derivatives and also includes immunomodulating substances, proline-rich polypeptides, immunoglobulins (Ig) as well as bacteriostatic compounds. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of colostral Ig on the level of expression of selected Toll-like receptor genes (TLR3, TLR4, and TLR7). The experiments were conducted on 25 Polish Pony foals. Blood samples were collected according to the following scheme: before first suckling, at the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 10th, 20th, and 30th, day of ...
Cash CM, de Laat MA.The melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R) has relevance to equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), as it is the primary binding site for ACTH, which circulates at elevated concentrations in animals affected by PPID. Despite this, little is known about MC2R in equine species. The overall aim of this investigation was to determine MC2R mRNA expression in tissues relevant to PPID in healthy horses and to examine the MC2R gene sequence in a cohort of horses and ponies with and without PPID. The study found that the MC2R gene was expressed in both adrenal and pituitary gland tissues as report...
Myćka G, Ropka-Molik K, Cywińska A, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M.Among numerous genes that have been a focus of equine genetic research, the (Klotho) and (Alpha-actinin-3) genes stand out due to their significant roles in muscle function and overall health, as well as performance ability. Previous studies on Arabian horses and other mammalians have shown that both and occur in different isoforms that seem to have different roles in metabolism. The main purpose of this present study was to describe different isoforms (, , , , , ) expression levels affected by the endurance effort in Arabian horses. Methods: Blood samples were taken from a group of = 10 ...
Boozarjomehri Amnieh S, Hassanpour A, Moghaddam S, Sakhaee F, Ropka-Molik K.The gene is vital for fatty acid metabolism and is linked to environmental stress and physical exertion adaptation. The p.Asp237Ser variant (rs782885985) in is associated with increased enzyme activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. This study examined the polymorphism across six horse breeds in Iran: Arabian, Thoroughbred, KWPN, Caspian, Kurdish, and Turkmen. The goal was to identify differences in genotype distribution, potentially serving as genetic markers under selection pressure related to breed-specific traits. In a sample of 324 horses, genomic DNA was analyzed using PCR...
Finno CJ, Rogers SL, Donnelly CG, Affolter VK, Woolard K, Miller AD, Bellone RR, Petersen JL.Equine spinal neurodegenerative conditions are frequently encountered in sport and racing horses and may be career-ending diagnoses. To further define the spatial transcriptomic landscape of equine dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in healthy adult horses, we investigated gene expression differences in distinct DRG regions using the GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiling from NanoString. Four human cell markers demonstrated high fidelity for equine cells; microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), myelin basic protein (MBP), allograft inflammatory 104 factor 1/ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (IBA1/A...
Barshick MR, Ely KM, Mogge KC, Chance LM, Johnson SE.Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a sulfur-containing molecule with reported anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Exercise causes the formation of free radicals and stimulates inflammatory gene expression in leukocytes and skeletal muscle. The hypothesis that dietary supplementation with MSM alters the exercise-mediated inflammatory and oxidant response was assessed in unfit adult thoroughbred geldings. Ten geldings (6.7 ± 1.6 yr) were assigned to a diet supplemented without (CON, = 5) or with 21 g of MSM ( = 5) for 30 days. Following the supplementation period, horses performed a stan...
Fedorka CE, Scoggin KE, Coleman SJ, Hatzel JN, Burleson MD, Troedsson MHT.Alterations during the early stages of embryo development have been associated with long-term effects on the fetus, neonate, and adult, but this has not been investigated in horses. In recent years, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has gained in commercial popularity in the equine population. Research suggests an association between ICSI-produced embryos and placental malformations, but there exists little understanding of the physiology involved. Therefore, we aim to produce a complete transcriptomic analysis of chorioallantois and provide potential pathways that may be impacted follow...
Kamr AM, Bartish C, Summers J, Horton J, Hostnik LD, Orr K, Browne N, Dembek KA, Saliba C, Gomez DE, Toribio RE.Information about the association of antimicrobial peptides with hypovitaminosis D in hospitalized foals is lacking. Objective: We aimed to longitudinally determine the association of serum concentrations of vitamin D metabolites, vitamin D binding protein (DBP), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) with antimicrobial peptides (β-defensin-1 and cathelicidin-1) and the mRNA expression of the vitamin D receptor (VDR), 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1), 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1), toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), disease severity, and mortality in hospita...
Marsella R.Information on skin barrier in horses is limited. A study on the epidermal ultrastructure of normal and allergic horses documented disorganized amorphous intercellular lipids in the stratum corneum of allergic samples. These findings are similar to atopic canine and human skin. Currently, there is no published study comparing skin barrier function parameters between normal and allergic horses; thus, the functional implications of the ultrastructural changes are unknown. In normal horses, body location, gender, breed, and ambient conditions affect skin barrier parameters, such as Transepidermal...
Yokomori T, Tozaki T, Segawa T, Itou T.Previous studies have examined the relationship between hair characteristics and temperament traits in various animals. A partial genetic association has been suggested in humans because whorl formation and neurological development occur simultaneously during the fetal period. In the horse industry, anecdotal evidence suggests a link between the forehead whorl position and temperament. In our previous study, the heritability of forehead whorl positioning was h=0.653, indicating significant genetic contributions in thoroughbreds. Therefore, in this study, we designed a genome-wide association s...
Edling CE, Arevalo-Turrubiarte M, Premont A, Uribe MC, Forbes B, Kemp V, Weir J, Marr C, Lewis R, Jeevaratnam K.Athlete horses' contraction and conduction of the healthy heart influences racing performance. Gene expression patterns in the horse heart are not yet fully investigated. We aimed to evaluate the gene expression from the four chambers of the heart overall and with focus on genes involved in the electrophysiology of the heart in Thoroughbred racehorses with no clinical cardiac abnormalities. Tissue was collected from the left atrium (LA), right atrium (RA), left ventricle (LV), and right ventricle (RV). Total RNA was analysed by microarray technique. We compared gene expression in the heart cha...
