Genetics in horses encompasses the study of hereditary traits and the genetic makeup that influences various characteristics and health conditions in equine populations. This field involves the analysis of genes and their functions, inheritance patterns, and the impact of genetic variations on traits such as coat color, performance ability, and susceptibility to diseases. Research in equine genetics employs techniques such as genome mapping, sequencing, and genetic testing to identify specific genes and mutations associated with these traits. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the genetic basis of equine traits, the methodologies used in genetic research, and the implications for breeding, health management, and conservation of horse breeds.
Christen G, Gerber V, Dolf G, Burger D, Koch C.The mode of inheritance for susceptibility to equine sarcoid disease (ES) remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to analyse a large sample of the Franches-Montagnes (FM) horse population and investigate the heritability and mode of inheritance for susceptibility to ES. Horses were clinically examined for the presence of sarcoid tumours. A standardized examination protocol and client questionnaire were used and a pedigree- and subsequent segregation-analysis for the ES trait performed. To investigate the mode of inheritance, five models were evaluated and compared in a hierarchical ...
Devi KM, Ghosh SK.Manipuri pony is the geographically distant breed of horse from the five recognized horse breeds found in the Indian subcontinent. The phylogenetic relationship of Manipuri pony with the other breeds is unknown. The diversity in the mitochondrial (mt) DNA D-loop region is employed as an important tool to understand the origin and genetic diversification of domestic horses and to examine genetic relationships among breeds around the world. This study was carried out to understand the maternal lineages of Manipuri pony using the 247 bp region of the mtDNA D-loop. The dataset comprised of eleven ...
Bartolomé E, Sánchez MJ, Molina A, Schaefer AL, Cervantes I, Valera M.The aims of this study were, first, to evaluate eye temperature (ET) with infrared thermography and heart rate (HR) to measure stress in horses during show jumping competitions and their relationship with competition results, and second, to evaluate the influence of different extrinsic and intrinsic factors of the horse on the stress measurements analysed. One hundred and seventy-three Spanish Sport Horses were analysed for ET and HR, and these measurements were taken 3 h before the competition, just after and 3 h after it. Two interval measurements were also assessed for each parameter. Posit...
Esparza J.Mystery surrounds the extent to which horsepox virus may have contributed to the vaccinia virus used to eradicate smallpox. With few documented cases of horsepox in recent years it may never be solved, says José Esparza, who seeks to raise awareness of the potential historical and scientific importance of identifying new cases.
Schröttner P, Schultz J, Rudolph W, Gunzer F, Thürmer A, Fitze G, Jacobs E.We report on the isolation of Actinobacillus equuli ssp. haemolyticus from wound smears of a 2-year-old girl who was admitted to the hospital due to partial amputation of the distal phalanx of her right middle finger caused by a horse bite. A. equuli typically causes diseases in horses and only very few reports describing human infections (mostly associated with wounds) are available in the literature. Interestingly, although the bacteria could be found in consecutive samples taken at different points in time, there were no signs of advancing infection or inflammation. Moreover, the fingertip ...
Duquesne F, Hébert L, Breuil MF, Matsuda M, Laugier C, Petry S.We describe here the development of a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for Taylorella equigenitalis, the causative agent of contagious equine metritis (CEM), and Taylorella asinigenitalis, a nonpathogenic bacterium. MLST was performed on a set of 163 strains collected in several countries over 35 years (1977-2012). The MLST data were analyzed using START2, MEGA 5.05 and eBURST, and can be accessed at http://pubmlst.org/taylorella/. Our results revealed a clonal population with 39 sequence types (ST) and no common ST between the two Taylorella species. The eBURST analysis grouped the 27...
Andersson LS, Wilbe M, Viluma A, Cothran G, Ekesten B, Ewart S, Lindgren G.Equine Multiple Congenital Ocular Anomalies (MCOA) syndrome is a heritable eye disorder mainly affecting silver colored horses. Clinically, the disease manifests in two distinct classes depending on the horse genotype. Horses homozygous for the mutant allele present with a wide range of ocular defects, such as iris stromal hypoplasia, abnormal pectinate ligaments, megaloglobus, iridociliary cysts and cataracts. The phenotype of heterozygous horses is less severe and predominantly includes iridociliary cysts, which occasionally extend into the temporal retina. In order to determine the genetic ...
Jiang Z, Uboh CE, Chen J, Soma LR.Gene expression studies in equine research involve the use of whole blood samples as a vital source of RNA. To determine the optimal method for RNA isolation from equine whole blood, we compared three RNA isolation strategies using different commercially available kits to evaluate the yield and quality of equine RNA. All 3 methods produced RNA with high quality. Though it did not produce the highest yield, combining the quality, yield and the need for the downstream application in our project, LeukoLOCK™ total RNA isolation system was the best RNA extraction method.
Caffara M, Piva S, Pallaver F, Iacono E, Galuppi R.Fourteen Cryptosporidium isolates from hospitalized foals were genotyped and subtyped using PCR-RFLP analysis of the 18S rDNA. Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium horse genotype were detected in 3 and 11 stool specimens, respectively. Sequences of the gp60 gene of Cryptosporidium horse genotype allowed identification of the subtype family VIaA15G4, defining a novel microsatellite pattern within horse subtype VIa. Cryptosporidium horse genotype has only been described occasionally worldwide and this is the first time it has been identified in foals from Italy.
Hemberg E, Einarsson S, Jones B, Mikko S.The objective of this study was to investigate the presence and origin of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNLs) in the amniotic fluid of mares giving birth to healthy foals. Material from 25 mares was included. Amniotic fluid was collected during parturition before breakage of the amniotic vesicle. Manual microscopic cytologic evaluation was made on cytospin preparations after staining. PMNLs were found in all amniotic samples examined. The genomic DNA was extracted from 12 of the amniotic fluid samples and was genotyped. The results indicate that the PMNLs originate from the foetus.
Tully LJ, Murphy AM, Smith RK, Hulin-Curtis SL, Verheyen KL, Price JS.To explore whether genetic susceptibility is a potential risk factor for superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendinopathy in Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses. Objective: To identify informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that capture genetic diversity across a range of candidate genes and to investigate, in a case-control study, their association with SDF tendinopathy in UK National Hunt TB racehorses in training. Methods: Case-control candidate gene association study. Methods: This study used in silico gene assembly and DNA sequencing to screen candidate genes for SNPs. Seven candidate g...
Khanshour AM, Cothran EG.Maternal inheritance is an essential point in Arabian horse population genetics and strains classification. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing is a highly informative tool to investigate maternal lineages. We sequenced the whole mtDNA D-loop of 251 Arabian horses to study the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of Arabian populations and to examine the traditional strain classification system that depends on maternal family lines using native Arabian horses from the Middle East. Results: The variability in the upstream region of the D-loop revealed additional differences amo...
de Ruijter-Villani M, van Boxtel PR, Stout TA.Uterine-derived growth factors and cytokines play essential roles in regulating preimplantation conceptus development. In several species, fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) promotes embryogenesis, trophoblast cell migration, and adhesion. This study investigated mRNA expression for FGF2, its receptors (FGFR1-4), the activating factor FGF binding protein (FGF-BP) in equine endometrium and trophectoderm during early pregnancy and the estrous cycle, and localized FGF2 protein in both endometrium and conceptus tissues. FGF2, FGFRs1-4, and FGFBP mRNAs were expressed in endometrium throughout the es...
Ross D, Marcot JD, Betteridge KJ, Nascone-Yoder N, Bailey CS, Sears KE.Tetrapod limb development has been studied extensively for decades, yet the strength and role of developmental constraints in this process remains unresolved. Mammals exhibit a particularly wide array of limb morphologies associated with various locomotion modes and behaviors, providing a useful system for identifying periods of developmental constraint and conserved developmental mechanisms or morphologies. In this study, landmark-based geometric morphometrics are used to investigate levels and patterns of morphological diversity (disparity) among the developing forelimbs of four mammals with...
Blackmore TM, Dugdale A, Argo CM, Curtis G, Pinloche E, Harris PA, Worgan HJ, Girdwood SE, Dougal K, Newbold CJ, McEwan NR.The horse, as a hindgut fermenter, is reliant on its intestinal bacterial population for efficient diet utilisation. However, sudden disturbance of this population can result in severe colic or laminitis, both of which may require euthanasia. This study therefore aimed to determine the temporal stability of the bacterial population of faecal samples from six ponies maintained on a formulated high fibre diet. Bacterial 16S rRNA terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) analyses of 10 faecal samples collected from 6 ponies at regular intervals over 72 hour trial periods identifie...
da Piedade I, Skive B, Christensen H, Bojesen AM.We present the draft genome sequence of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus S31A1, a strain isolated from equine infectious endometritis in Denmark. Comparative analyses of this genome were done with four published reference genomes: S. zooepidemicus strains MGCS10565, ATCC 35246, and H70 and S. equi subsp. equi strain 4047.
Nuñez CM, Adelman JS, Rubenstein DI.Adoption of nongenetic offspring occurs in a variety of species but is rare in equids. We report a case of adoption by a free-ranging, feral mare Equus caballus and compare the maternal care received by her genetic offspring (born 1995) to that of her adopted offspring (born 1996) for the first 30 weeks of development. We compare five measures of care: (1) total time spent suckling, (2) mare aggression during suckling, (3) number of mare-terminated suckling bouts, (4) contact maintenance, and (5) mare-foal distance. For most behaviors, we detected no difference in the mare's treatment of the t...
Slater J.Josh Slater looks back at the past 125 years of developments in equine infectious disease, including landmark discoveries in microbiology and genomics, and considers what the future may hold.
Kailaanmäki A, Kinnunen T, Kwok WW, Rytkönen-Nissinen M, Randell J, Virtanen T.The responses of allergen-specific CD4(+) T cells of allergic and healthy individuals are still incompletely understood. Our objective was to investigate the functional and phenotypic properties of CD4(+) T cells of horse-allergic and healthy subjects specific to the immunodominant epitope region of the major horse allergen Equ c 1. Specific T-cell lines (TCLs) and clones were generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells with Equ c 1(143-160), the peptide containing the immunodominant epitope region of Equ c 1. The frequency, proliferative response, cytokine production and HLA restriction...
Switonski M, Mankowska M, Salamon S.The melanocortin receptor gene family consists of five single-exon members, which are located on autosomes. Three genes (MC2R, MC4R and MC5R) are syntenic in the human, mouse, cattle and dog genomes, while in the pig, the syntenic group comprises MC1R, MC2R and MC5R. Two genes (MC1R and MC4R) have been extensively studied due to their function in melanogenesis (MC1R) and energy control (MC4R). Conservative organisation of these genes in five mammalian species (human, mouse, cattle, pig and dog), in terms of the encoded amino acid sequence, is higher in the case of MC4R compared to MC1R. Polymo...
Bowser JE, Elder SH, Pasquali M, Grady JG, Rashmir-Raven AM, Wills R, Swiderski CE.Hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia (HERDA) is an autosomal recessive disorder of Quarter Horses characterised by skin fragility. Horses with HERDA have a missense mutation in peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase B (PPIB), which encodes cyclophilin B and alters folding and post translational modifications of fibrillar collagen. Objective: The study aimed to test the hypothesis that tendons, ligaments and great vessels, which, like skin, are rich in fibrillar collagen, will also have abnormal biomechanical properties in horses with HERDA. Methods: Ex vivo biomechanical study comparing...
Jenner F, Närväinen J, de Ruijter-Villani M, Stout TA, van Weeren PR, Brama P.Equine embryogenesis post implantation is not well studied, and only two-dimensional illustrations are available. A thorough appreciation of the complex three-dimensional relationship between tissues and organs and their development is, however, crucial for understanding physiological and pathological mechanisms. Objective: The goals were 2-fold: 1) to establish a freely accessible online atlas as a reference tool for the scientific and pedagogic communities; and 2) to create a framework for integration of data with known spatiotemporal distribution, such as gene expression or cell lineage. Me...
Papp H, Matthijnssens J, Martella V, Ciarlet M, Bányai K.Group A rotavirus (RVA) is a major cause of diarrhea and diarrhea-related mortality in foals in parts of the world. In addition to careful horse farm management, vaccination is the only known alternative to reduce the RVA associated disease burden on horse farms. The precise evaluation of vaccine effectiveness against circulating strains needs enhanced surveillance of equine RVAs in areas where vaccine is already available or vaccine introduction is anticipated. Therefore, we undertook the overview of relevant information on epidemiology of equine RVA strains through systematic search of publi...
Seltenhammer MH, Sundström E, Meisslitzer-Ruppitsch C, Cejka P, Kosiuk J, Neumüller J, Almeder M, Majdic O, Steinberger P, Losert UM, Stöckl J....The Grey horse phenotype, caused by a 4.6 kb duplication in Syntaxin 17, is strongly associated with high incidence of melanoma. In contrast to most human melanomas with an early onset of metastasis, the Grey horse melanomas have an extended period of benign growth, after which 50% or more eventually undergo progression and may metastasize. In efforts to define changes occurring during Grey horse melanoma progression, we established an in vitro model comprised of two cell lines, HoMel-L1 and HoMel-A1, representing a primary and a metastatic stage of the melanoma, respectively. The cell lines ...
Stock KF, Reents R.Technical advances and development in the market for genomic tools have facilitated access to whole-genome data across species. Building-up on the acquired knowledge of the genome sequences, large-scale genotyping has been optimized for broad use, so genotype information can be routinely used to predict genetic merit. Genomic selection (GS) refers to the use of aggregates of estimated marker effects as predictors which allow improved individual differentiation at young age. Realizable benefits of GS are influenced by several factors and vary in quantity and quality between species. General cha...
Peffers M, Liu X, Clegg P.Age is an important factor in the development of osteoarthritis. Microarray studies provide insight into cartilage aging but do not reveal the full transcriptomic phenotype of chondrocytes such as small noncoding RNAs, pseudogenes, and microRNAs. RNA-Seq is a powerful technique for the interrogation of large numbers of transcripts including nonprotein coding RNAs. The aim of the study was to characterise molecular mechanisms associated with age-related changes in gene signatures. Methods: RNA for gene expression analysis using RNA-Seq and real-time PCR analysis was isolated from macroscopicall...
Zhu C, Li Q, Guo W, Lu G, Yin X, Qi T, Xiang W, Ran D, Qu J.We report the complete genomic sequence of A/equine/Heilongjiang/1/2010, a strain of Florida sublineage clade 2 of H3N8 subtype equine influenza virus (EIV) isolated in northern China. This is the first announcement of a complete genomic sequence of EIV of such a clade in China.
Munsters CC, van den Broek J, van Weeren R, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.The aim of this study was to monitor the fitness level of young Friesian horses and to assess whether fitness data are predictive for final performance score and whether familial aggregation of response to training could be detected. Sixty-six young Friesian horses, the offspring of six different stallions (A, B, C, D, E and F), underwent a 7-week performance test. The horses were given a performance score for their ability for dressage (in weeks 5 and 7; 0-110 points) and were evaluated for fitness using standardised exercise tests (SETs) at the beginning (week 2, SET-I) and the end (week 6, ...
Jankunis ES, Whishaw IQ.Evidence suggests that behavioural affective reactions to sweet and bitter substances are homologous in humans, nonhuman primates, and rodents. The sweet taste of sucrose elicits facial responses that include rhythmic tongue protrusions whereas the bitter taste of quinine elicits facial responses that include gapes, featuring an opening of the mouth and protrusion of the tongue. The present study using the horse (Equus caballus) was undertaken for three reasons: (1) there is debate about the presence of a sweet receptor gene in the horse, (2) there is a need to expand the examination of facial...
Campos-Junior PH, Costa GM, de Avelar GF, Segatelli TM, Lacerda SM, Aponte PM, de França LR.Morphometry is a classical quantitative method often used in biology to provide a data basis for functional interpretations/interactions of a particular organ or system. Herein we took advantage of this valuable approach to evaluate the spermatogonial stem cell niche using the horse testis and immunocytochemical localization of GFRA1 [glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor receptor produced by Sertoli cells)] as an example. Using the NIH ImageJ free software, we describe in detail all the necessary steps to investigate this specific and crucial microenvironment. Based on several recently ...
Miró J, Gutiérrez-Reinoso M, da Silva JA, Fernandes C, Rebordão MR, Alexandre-Pires G, Catalán J, Ferreira-Dias G.Collagen fibers and inflammatory cells are the basis for jenny endometrium Kenney and Doig's classification developed for the mare. The infiltration of a large number of eosinophils in the jenny endometrium is intriguing. Eosinophil and fibroblast produced IL33, which has been related to fibrosis development and chronicity. This work on the endometrium consisted of (i) quantification of collagen type I (COL1A2), type III (COL3A1), and IL33 transcripts; (ii) histological localization and quantification of COL1 and COL3 proteins; and (iii) eosinophil and neutrophil count and correlation with col...
Raudsepp T, Otte K, Rozell B, Chowdhary BP.Three genomic subclones derived from a phage clone containing the equine IGF2 gene were used to FISH map the gene on horse (ECA) and donkey (EAS) metaphase chromosomes. The gene mapped on ECA 12q13 band and is the first locus mapped to this horse chromosome. In donkey the gene mapped very terminal on the long arm of one small submetacentric chromosome that shows almost identical DAPI-banding pattern with ECA12. This is the first locus mapped in donkey genome. Cross species chromosome painting of equine metaphase chromosomes with human Chromosome (Chr) 11-specific probe showed homoeology of thi...
Hara S, Diesterbeck US, König S, Czerny CP.The present study analyzed equine λ-light chain genes (IGLV and IGLC) transcribed in the horse breeds Rhenish-German Coldblood (RGC) and Hanoverian Warmblood (HW). Primers were generated for the major expressed IGLV subgroup 8. The significant majority of the sequences represented IGLC6/7. In RGC, IGLC1 and IGLC5 were observed in significant higher frequencies than IGLC4. In HW, significant differences were obtained for the transcription of IGLC1 and IGLC5. IGLC4 was not determined in this breed. Five allotypic IGLC1 variants, four allotypic IGLC5 variants, and three allelic as well as two al...
Heras S, Smits K, De Schauwer C, Van Soom A.Global epigenetic reprogramming is considered to be essential during embryo development to establish totipotency. In the classic model first described in the mouse, the genome-wide DNA demethylation is asymmetric between the paternal and the maternal genome. The paternal genome undergoes ten-eleven translocation (TET)-mediated active DNA demethylation, which is completed before the end of the first cell cycle. Since TET enzymes oxidize 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, the latter is postulated to be an intermediate stage toward DNA demethylation. The maternal genome, on the other ha...
Angel D, Canesin HS, Brom-de-Luna JG, Morado S, Dalvit G, Gomez D, Posada N, Pascottini OB, Urrego R, Hinrichs K, Velez IC.Effects of meiotic stage and cumulus status on development of equine oocytes after vitrification was evaluated. Immature oocytes with corona radiata (IMM); in vitro-matured oocytes with corona radiata (MAT CR+); and in vitro-matured oocytes denuded of cumulus (MAT CR-) were vitrified using the Cryotech® method. Warming medium was equilibrated either in 5% CO2 or Air. IMM oocytes underwent in vitro maturation after warming. Recovery, survival, and maturation rates, and cleavage and blastocyst rates after ICSI, were evaluated. Recovery was higher for oocytes warmed in CO2- than Air-equilibrated...
Breidenbach A, Fuhrmann H, Deegen E, Lindholm A, Sallmann HP.The enzymatic fundamentals of lipid metabolism of equine have not been thoroughly investigated at this point in time. It is still unclear why ponies in contrast to horses may become hyperlipaemic when coming negative energy balance. In this study, the activities of the triglyceride-cleaving key enzymes of ponies are large bred horses were investigated in order to obtain insight into the aetiology of the syndrome. The objective of the study was to measure the activities of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL) in ponies and horses in ex ...
Thompson RE, Meyers MA, Palmer J, Veeramachaneni DNR, Magee C, de Mestre AM, Antczak DF, Hollinshead FK.The equine chorionic girdle is comprised of specialized invasive trophoblast cells that begin formation approximately 25 days after ovulation (day 0) and invade the endometrium to become endometrial cups. These specialized trophoblast cells transition from uninucleate to differentiated binucleate trophoblast cells that secrete the glycoprotein hormone equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG; formerly known as pregnant mare serum gonadotropin or PMSG). This eCG has LH-like activity in the horse but variable LH- and FSH-like activity in other species and has been utilized for these properties both in...
Bordbari MH, Penedo MCT, Aleman M, Valberg SJ, Mickelson J, Finno CJ.In the horse, the term occipitoatlantoaxial malformation (OAAM) is used to describe a developmental defect in which the first cervical vertebra (atlas) resembles the base of the skull (occiput) and the second cervical vertebra (axis) resembles the atlas. Affected individuals demonstrate an abnormal posture and varying degrees of ataxia. The homeobox (HOX) gene cluster is involved in the development of both the axial and appendicular skeleton. Hoxd3-null mice demonstrate a strikingly similar phenotype to Arabian foals with OAAM. Whole-genome sequencing was performed in an OAAM-affected horse (O...
Kulikov EE, Golomidova AK, Efimov AD, Belalov IS, Letarova MA, Zdorovenko EL, Knirel YA, Dmitrenok AS, Letarov AV.Tailed bacteriophages constitute the bulk of the intestinal viromes of vertebrate animals. However, the relationships between lytic and lysogenic lifestyles of phages in these ecosystems are not always clear and may vary between the species or even between the individuals. The human intestinal (fecal) viromes are dominated mostly by temperate phages, while in horse feces virulent phages are more prevalent. To our knowledge, all the previously reported isolates of horse fecal coliphages are virulent. Temperate coliphage Hf4s was isolated from horse feces, from the indigenous equine Escherichia ...
Brooks SA, Terry RB, Bailey E.An MspI polymorphism was identified in intron 13 of the equine homologue of proto-oncogene c-kit (KIT) by comparing DNA sequences from horses with solid coat colour and horses homozygous for the tobiano spotting (To) gene. The allele associated with solid coat colour was designated KM0, while the allele associated with the tobiano pattern created an additional MspI restriction site and was designated KM1. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) studies using DNA from hair follicles demonstrated that all 129 of 129 tobiano patterned horses possessed the KM1...
Vosgerau S, Krattenmacher N, Falker-Gieske C, Seidel A, Tetens J, Stock KF, Nolte W, Wobbe M, Blaj I, Reents R, Kühn C, von Depka Prondzinski M....Reliability of genomic predictions is influenced by the size and genetic composition of the reference population. For German Warmblood horses, compilation of a reference population has been enabled through the cooperation of five German breeding associations. In this study, preliminary data from this joint reference population were used to genetically and genomically characterize withers height and to apply single-step methodology for estimating genomic breeding values for withers height. Using data on 2113 mares and their genomic information considering about 62,000 single nucleotide polymorp...
Zeng L, Chen N, Yao Y, Dang R, Chen H, Lei C.To determine the genetic diversity and validate the pedigree record of Chinese Guanzhong horse, 67 individuals were genotyped with eight microsatellite markers. In our study, the mean observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.51 and 0.66, respectively. The mean observed number of alleles for the Guanzhong horse was 3.88. Nonetheless, the total value of F multiloci clearly indicates that about 0.5% of overall genetic variation is due to line founder differences, while differences among individuals are responsible for the remaining 99.5%. In addition, the polymorphic information content (PIC...
Saudek V, Wormald MR, Williams RJ, Boyd J, Stefani M, Ramponi G.Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of acylphosphatase were searched for signs of beta-structure, i.e. characteristic nuclear Overhauser enhancement patterns displayed in the two-dimensional spectra, typical chemical shifts, coupling constants and slow 2H-H exchange. The results provided identification of the main-chain resonances of amino acid residues involved in the beta-structure. The full sequential assignment of this region was gained by identification of some amino acid spin systems and their alignment with the primary sequence. The assignment of the side-chains was virtually completed s...
Nerren JR, Martens RJ, Payne S, Murrell J, Butler JL, Cohen ND.Although evidence exists that neutrophils play a vital role in resistance to infection with Rhodococcus equi, the means by which neutrophils exert their effects have not been clearly defined. In the present study we evaluated differences in cytokine expression by unstimulated and R. equi-stimulated neutrophils obtained from newborn foals and subsequently at 2-, 4-, and 8-weeks of age. Stimulation with virulent R. equi induced significantly (P<0.05) greater expression of IFNgamma, TNFalpha, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p40, IL-12p35, and IL-23p19 mRNA relative to expression by unstimulated neutrophils, ...
Negi NJ, Swanberg JE, Clouser JM, Harmon-Darrow C.The American agricultural industry is heavily reliant on Latina/o workers, yet there is scant understanding regarding the mental health of this population. This gap in the literature is glaring as Latina/o farmworkers are a highly vulnerable group who experience high rates of occupational risks and health hazards. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to examine individual, social and work-related correlates of depression among Latina/o horse workers. Methods: A community survey ( = 225) administered by lay health workers was implemented with Latina/o horse workers who were employed in th...
Kakoi H, Tozaki T, Nagata S, Gawahara H, Kijima-Suda I.In order to develop a genotyping method that can be used in the registration procedure for Thoroughbreds, we developed a method for simultaneously genotyping multiple coat colour genes on the basis of single nucleotide polymorphism typing by using the SNaPshot(TM) technique. This method enabled precise and reasonable detection of causal mutations; it was effective for genotyping of MC1R, ASIP, and SLC45A2 at the Extension (E), Agouti (A), Cream dilution (C) loci, and the possibility of identification of rare variants of MC1R, EDNRB and KIT at the E, Overo (O) and Sabino 1 (SB1) loci, respectiv...
Visser MB, Pollitt CC.The role of matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) and the timeline of proteolysis during laminitis development are incompletely understood. Objective: To determine the temporal progression of selected MMPs and protease regulators during laminitis development. Methods: Five clinically normal Standardbred horses received, via nasogastric intubation, an oligofructose (OF) bolus (10 g/kg bwt). Laminitis induction proceeded for 48 h followed by euthanasia. Lamellar biopsies were obtained prior to dosing and at intervals during the treatment period for analysis (12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 h and at 48 h followin...
Donofrio G, Capocefalo A, Franceschi V, Morini G, Del Bue M, Conti V, Cavirani S, Grolli S.Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells have been shown to have multiple lineage differentiation properties and to be suitable for tissues regeneration in many degenerative processes. Their use has been proposed for the therapy of joint diseases and tendon injuries in the horse. In the present report the genetic manipulation of Equine Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells has been investigated. Results: Equine Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells were successfully virally transduced as well as transiently and stably transfected with appropriate parameters, without detrimental effect on their differentiation properties...
Ross D, Marcot JD, Betteridge KJ, Nascone-Yoder N, Bailey CS, Sears KE.Tetrapod limb development has been studied extensively for decades, yet the strength and role of developmental constraints in this process remains unresolved. Mammals exhibit a particularly wide array of limb morphologies associated with various locomotion modes and behaviors, providing a useful system for identifying periods of developmental constraint and conserved developmental mechanisms or morphologies. In this study, landmark-based geometric morphometrics are used to investigate levels and patterns of morphological diversity (disparity) among the developing forelimbs of four mammals with...
Morel MC, Newcombe JR, Swindlehurst JC.Numerous and conflicting reports exist regarding factors that may effect mare reproductive performance, in particular multiple ovulation (MO) and its consequences. Sequential ultrasonic examination was used to monitor 3075 ovulations in 1581 mainly Thoroughbred mares to ascertain: whether increasing age is associated with an increase in MO; whether this is counteracted by an increase in embryo mortality (EM) prior to Day 13; and whether this embryonic loss may be associated with small-for-age embryonic vesicles (Days 13/14). Overall ovulation rate was 1.31, MO occurring in 29.3% of cycles. MO ...
Franchini M, Akens M, Bracher V, von Fellenberg R.A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on a combination of oligonucleotide primers selected using the octamer frequency disparity method with primers specific for EHV-5 (described by other authors) recognized all of a series of gamma herpesvirus field isolates. This PCR produced only three fragments: (1) one EHV-2-specific; (2) one EHV-5-specific; and (3) a fragment that occurred alone or in combination with the other two. Cloning and sequencing of four different isolates yielding only the last PCR product showed that this corresponds to a deletion/insertion mutant of EHV-2. The fact that thi...
Ropka-Molik K, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Musiał AD, Piórkowska K, Szmatoła T.The ACTN3 gene codes for α-actinin-3, a protein localized in the Z-line in the skeletal muscle. Actinin-3 is critical in anchoring the myofibrillar actin filaments and plays a key role in muscle contraction. ACTN3 (α-actinin-3) cross-links glycogen phosphorylase (GP), which is the key enzyme catalysing glycogen metabolism. The aim of present study was to establish the expression level of the ACTN3 gene (for both isoforms separately and together in the gene expression analysis) in the gluteus medius muscle in order to verify if the α-actinin-3 gene can be related to training intensity in Ara...
Firląg M, Kamaszewski M, Gaca K, Bałasińska B.Aging is a process which operates at many levels of physiological, genetic and molecular organization and leads inevitably to death. Brain macroscopic changes by MRI investigation during aging were observed in humans and dogs but chimpanzees did not display significant changes. This suggestion led to the statement that brain aging is different in various species. Although human brain changes, e.g. β-amyloid storage, neurofibrillary tangle formation, lipofuscin, are relatively well known, we are still looking for a suitable animal model to study the mechanisms of aging and neurodegenerative di...
Mason VC, Schaefer RJ, McCue ME, Leeb T, Gerber V.Severe equine asthma, also known as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), is a debilitating, performance limiting, obstructive respiratory condition in horses that is phenotypically similar to human asthma. Past genome wide association studies (GWAS) have not discovered coding variants associated with RAO, leading to the hypothesis that causative variant(s) underlying the signals are likely non-coding, regulatory variant(s). Regions of the genome containing variants that influence the number of expressed RNA molecules are expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs). Variation associated with RAO ...
Schaffartzik A, Weichel M, Crameri R, Björnsdóttir TS, Prisi C, Rhyner C, Torsteinsdóttir S, Marti E.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an allergic dermatitis of horses caused by bites of Culicoides and sometimes Simulium spp. The aim of this investigation was to identify Simulium allergens associated with IBH. A phage surface display cDNA library expressing recombinant Simulium vittatum salivary gland proteins was screened using sera of IBH-affected horses sensitized to S. vittatum salivary gland proteins as shown in immunoblot, resulting in the identification of seven cDNAs encoding IgE-binding proteins. The deduced amino acid sequences of these proteins showed sequence similarities to a...
Monego F, Maboni F, Krewer C, Vargas A, Costa M, Loreto E.This study evaluated the molecular characteristics of Rhodococcus equi isolates obtained from horses by a multiplex PCR assay that amplifies the vap gene family (vapA, -B, -C, -D, -E, -F, -G, and -H). A total of 180 R. equi isolates were studied from four different sources, namely healthy horse feces (112), soil (12), stalls (23), and clinical isolates (33) from horse-breeding farms. The technique was performed and confirmed by sequencing of amplified vap gene family controls. Thirty-two (17.8%) of the R. equi isolates were positive for the vapA gene and carried at least three other vap genes....
Zhou J, Spier SJ, Beech J, Hoffman EP.It is often suggested that polygenic or environmental factors are responsible for clinical variability between patients with identical mutations. However, most dominant diseases are caused by a change-of-function alteration in the mutant allele's protein product. All patients are heterozygous and presumably express both mutant and normal proteins from the corresponding genes. Thus, a possible molecular mechanism for clinical variability could be the difference in relative levels of mutant vs. normal mRNA in different patients with the same mutation. To investigate this hypothesis, it is necess...
Schröttner P, Schultz J, Rudolph W, Gunzer F, Thürmer A, Fitze G, Jacobs E.We report on the isolation of Actinobacillus equuli ssp. haemolyticus from wound smears of a 2-year-old girl who was admitted to the hospital due to partial amputation of the distal phalanx of her right middle finger caused by a horse bite. A. equuli typically causes diseases in horses and only very few reports describing human infections (mostly associated with wounds) are available in the literature. Interestingly, although the bacteria could be found in consecutive samples taken at different points in time, there were no signs of advancing infection or inflammation. Moreover, the fingertip ...
Warmuth VM, Campana MG, Eriksson A, Bower M, Barker G, Manica A.Animal exchange networks have been shown to play an important role in determining gene flow among domestic animal populations. The Silk Road is one of the oldest continuous exchange networks in human history, yet its effectiveness in facilitating animal exchange across large geographical distances and topographically challenging landscapes has never been explicitly studied. Horses are known to have been traded along the Silk Roads; however, extensive movement of horses in connection with other human activities may have obscured the genetic signature of the Silk Roads. To investigate the role o...
Hoyles L, Falsen E, Foster G, Rogerson F, Collins MD.A polyphasic taxonomic study was performed on a previously unidentified gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, diphtheroid-shaped organism isolated from a vaginal discharge of a horse. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated that the strain was a member of the genus Arcanobacterium, but sequence divergence values of >4% with described species of this genus (viz: Arcanobacterium haemolyticum, Arcanobacterium bernardiae, Arcanobacterium phocae, Arcanobacterium pluranimalium and Arcanobacterium pyogenes) demonstrated that the isolate represented a novel species. The unknown bacteriu...
