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.
Lowe JE, Baldwin BH, Foote RH, Hillman RB, Kallfelz FA.Surgical thyroidectomies (Thx) were per-formed in 6 yearling grade horse colts, (3 males, 3 females). Five control colts (3 males, 2 females) were included and comparative studies were carried out for 67 weeks. The comparative measurements included rectal temperature, heart rate, feed consumption, packed cell volume, serum cholesterol, serum calcium, serum phosphorus, serum TO height, heart girth, body weight, epiphyseal plate closure and tooth eruption times. A thyroprotein supplement was fed to the Thx males during weeks 46 to 53. The Thx animals failed to grow in height, were sensi-tive to ...
van Leeuwen W.A number of findings on twin pregnancies in mares recently reported in the literature are evaluated in the present paper. From these findings it emerges that twin pregnancies in mares very rarely develop from a synchronous (less than 2 days apart) double ovulation but rather from an asynchronous (much greater than 2 days apart) double ovulation. The significance of these findings in daily practice is pointed out. Moreover, it was found that in more than 50 per cent of the cases in which twin pregnancies had been diagnosed about day 20, one embryo had died by day 36. From this fact it is conclu...
The Journal of heredityMarch 6, 1998
Volume 89, Issue 1 104-106 doi: 10.1093/jhered/89.1.104
Duffield DA, Goldie PL.In a study of 2,786 tobiano and non-tobiano horses involved in paint horse breeding programs throughout the United States, the inheritance of the tobiano color pattern gene was tracked in pedigrees using the tightly linked polymorphic albumin gene. The dominant tobiano allele (T(o)), which produces the tobiano spotting pattern in horses, was in coupling with both AIA and AIB alleles at the albumin locus. The frequency of the T(o):AIA linkage phase among all the homozygous tobiano horses in this study including offspring and parents (N = 127), was 0.08. The T(o):AIB linkage phase was the most f...
Beech J, Aguirre G, Gross S.Nuclear cataracts were found in 2 groups of related Morgan horses. The cataracts were finely reticulated central spherical translucencies that sometimes extended to the region of the posterior "Y" suture. The cataracts were not associated with other ocular defects and did not impair vision. In 1 group of 8 horses, 5 were affected; in the other group, 6 of 8 were affected. Although a pattern of inheritance could not be determined, the familial distribution of the cataracts supported the conclusion that the defect was a heritable disorder.
Nasir L, Reid SW.An evolutionary conserved 1.3 kb fragment corresponding to the horse p53 tumour suppressor gene was PCR amplified, cloned and the nucleotide sequence determined. The p53 fragment encoded exons 5 to 9 and the intervening introns. The nucleotide sequence and the predicted aminoacid sequence showed a high level of homology with human and donkey p53 sequences.
Schmid DO, Ek N, Braend M.A silent allele in the transferrin locus (Tf) was observed in a Thoroughbred mare and in five of her offspring from three different matings. Evidence for the silent allele was obtained by quantitative immunodiffusion studies.
Iqbal J, Purewal AS, Edington N.The aim of this study was to investigate the role of immediate early gene (gene63) in the pathogenesis of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) acute and latent infections in equine and murine models. EHV-1 gene63 mutant virus (g63mut) along with EHV-1 (Ab4) was used for intracerebral and intranasal infection of 3 and 17-day-old mice. Both viruses were recovered at the same frequency from tissues after infection. Two Welsh ponies were infected via the intranasal route with each of the viruses. Acute infection was monitored by virus isolation from nasal swabs and peripheral blood leukocytes. Six weeks p...
Kitchen H, Bunn HF.Studies were made of the O2 affinities of fetal and maternal haemoglobins in the horse, and correlations were found with erythrocytic levels of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate.