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.
SASAKI MS, SASAKI M.In two tissue culture lines, HS and HF, which originated from foetal horse tissues, the changes of chromosomes were studied in the course of serial in vitro transfers. It was found that the two cell lines under consideration were characterized by specific changes in chromosome pattern different from each other. HS underwent transformation from diploidy to hyperdiploidy. HF may have been in a process of transformation from diploidy to tetraploidy. Evidence derived from this study indicates that several courses for chromosome transformation exist, and that generalizations predicting a single pat...
HABEEB AF, SMITH DB.Horse globill and its conlponent polypeptide chains obtained by fractional
precipitation and column chroinatography have been ailalyzed for their con- stituent amino acids. The principal difference between the two chains is that
the valyl-leucyl chain is rich in serine and threonine and poor in glutamic acid
and tryptophan compared to the \-alyl-glutaininyl chain.
Alberti E, Stucchi L, Stancari G, Ferro E, Ferrucci F, Zucca E.Only few data regarding normal resting blood pressure in horses and the influence of cardiac diseases on arterial blood pressure are available in literature. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the possible influence of age, sex, breed, bodyweight, and cardiac diseases and their severity on blood pressure values measured in horses with cardiac disease and in a control group. For this case-control study, indirect blood pressure measurement was performed in 60 horses with different types of cardiac disease and in 23 healthy horses (control group), by means of an ultrasonic blood-...
de Vries PJ, van der Holst W.The reliability of determination of the plasma progesterone level within approximately eighteen days after ovulation in the pregnancy diagnosis of mares is examined in the present study. Studies were done in seventy-five mares, a number of which were served or inseminated during several cycles so that a total number of eighty-seven blood samples were obtained. On the analogy of other authors, the progesterone level above which mares were believed to be pregnant and below which they were assumed to be non-pregnant, was set at 2 ng/ml. The twenty-five mares in which the level was below 2 ng/ml. ...
Horbal A, Dixon PM.A 4-year-old thoroughbred cross mare was referred to the University of Edinburgh Veterinary School Equine Hospital for treatment of a soft tissue tumor on the buccal gingival margin of the rostral right maxillary cheek teeth. The lesion was initially surgically excised and diagnosed as a fibrosarcoma via histopathology. Adjunctive treatment with intralesional cisplatin chemotherapy was begun. The tumor recurred and was repeatedly treated with intralesional cisplatin injections and additional surgical resection over the course of 14 weeks. Despite the initial poor response to treatment, no furt...
Rowlands IW.The world-wide foaling rate in the mare is low and in the Hannoverian breed has remained asymptotic at about 50 per cent for over 150 years. In an attempt to discover some of the possible reasons for this low fertility rate, the evolutionary history of the perissodactyls, the odd-toed ungulates, is reviewed here. Of the 156 genera of this order, 152 are in the fossil record; this gives them the highest extermination rate of all the mammal groups. Some of the unusual and unique features of the reproductive physiology of the mare and their possible association with low fertility are considered.
Milenkovic D, Mata X, Chadi S, Guérin G.Laminins are large heterotrimeric basement membrane glycoproteins composed of alpha, beta and gamma chains. The Laminin 5 isoform has an alpha3beta3gamma2 composition and is essential for the adhesion of basal keratinocytes to the underlying epithelial basement membrane where it is mainly located. Mutations in the genes coding for the 3 chains have been associated with a severe skin blistering disease, Herlitz's junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB), observed in different species as man, dog, cat and horse. In this study, we report the sequence of the 5.2 kb horse laminin alpha 3 cDNA (LAMA3)...
Lim QL, Tan YL, Ng WL, Yong CSY, Ismail A, Rovie-Ryan JJ, Rosli N, Annavi G.A molecular sexing method by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of a portion of the sex-determining region Y (SRY) and the zinc finger (ZF) gene, as well as six equine Y-chromosome-specific microsatellite markers, were tested in the Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus). While the microsatellite markers did not yield any male-specific amplicons for sex-typing, the SRY/ZF marker system produced reliable molecular sexing results by accurately sex-typing 31 reference Malayan tapirs, using whole blood, dried blood spot (DBS), or tissue samples as materials for DNA extraction. The marker syste...
Han X, Quan Y, Gao X, Xiang W, Zhou J.To elucidate the role of N-glycosylation in fetal donkey dermal cell (FDD)-attenuated equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), we constructed an N-glycosylation reverse-mutation molecular clone, pLGN191N236N246. This viral molecular clone was derived from the infectious clone pLGFD3-8 by site-directed mutagenesis. This clone was used to transfect fetal donkey dermal (FDD) cells. Infectious characteristics of transfectants were monitored by RT-PCR, indirect immune fluorescence and reverse transcriptase activity assay. After three passages in FDD cells, viral replications in the supernatant of cel...
Leipig M, Abenthum K, Wollanke B, Czupalla I, Esposito I, Steiger K, Hermanns W, Herbach N.A 16-year-old Friesian gelding with relapsing colic was humanely destroyed during diagnostic laparotomy due to suspected abdominal neoplasia. On post-mortem examination, the pancreas appeared as a firm mass (20 × 8 × 8 cm). The cut surface had a lobular structure with multiple cavities. Histological examination revealed severe chronic fibrosing pancreatitis with acinar-ductal metaplasia and duct dysplasia, which was considered to be the cause of the recurrent colic. Formation of tubular complexes within a background of acinar-ductal metaplasia is similar to the regressive lesions detect...
Csellner H, Walker C, Love DN, Whalley JM.An equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) mutant was constructed by inserting a lacZ expression cassette into the intergenic region upstream of gene 62 (glycoprotein L; gL) and downstream of gene 63 (a homologue of the herpes simplex virus transcriptional activator ICP0). The recombinant lacZ62/63-EHV-1 had similar growth kinetics in cell culture to those of the parental wild type (wt) virus, with indistinguishable cytopathic effects and plaque morphology. Reverse transcriptase PCR confirmed that the lacZ insertion did not interfere with transcription of gL and immunoblot analysis indicated there was no...
Weston MC, Cunningham FM, Collins ME.CCL11 (also known as eotaxin) is a very potent and selective mediator of eosinophil migration which exerts its effects through its receptor, CCR3. In this study we report the cloning of an equine CCR3 cDNA sequence and investigation of the localization of CCR3 mRNA expression in horse tissues. Equine CCR3 displayed high levels of sequence identity with CCR3 sequences in other species. RT-PCR analysis revealed the expression of CCR3 in colon, lung and spleen of normal horses. In situ hybridisation experiments indicated that expression of CCR3 mRNA in colon was predominantly in eosinophils and t...
Larentis GR, Bastos HBA, Centeno LAM, Bueno VC, Bringel BA, Mattos RC.The present case report aimed to determine the responsiveness of the endometrium and the ovaries of an X0 mare after hormonal treatment. On transrectal palpation, the uterus was flaccid and smaller than normal, and the ovaries were small and smooth. The endometrium had normal histological architecture, with an atrophic glandular epithelium. A karyotype evaluation was performed, and 70 cells presented 63 chromosomes, lacking one sex chromosome. Circulating hormonal levels of total estrogens were 43.93 pg/mL; progesterone 0.01 ng/mL; testosterone 48 pg/mL; FSH 30.3 ng/mL; and LH 1.71 ng/mL. ...
Houghton E, Ginn A, Teale P, Dumasia MC, Copsey J.The stereochemistry of an isomer of 5-estrane-3,17 alpha-diol, the major metabolite of 19-nortestosterone in horse urine has been established by the use of methylene unit (MU) values. The empirical MU values of the bis-trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives of the eight available isomers of 5-androstane-3,17-diol and four isomers of 5-estrane-3,17 beta-diol were determined by capillary gas chromatography using three different columns. From this data the theoretical MU values for the bis-TMS derivatives of the four 5-estrane-3,17 alpha-diol isomers were predicted. Comparison of the experimentally det...
BMC research notesDecember 16, 2009
Volume 2 255 doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-2-255
Rendo F, Iriondo M, Manzano C, Estonba A.The Cantabrian Coast horse breeds of the Iberian Peninsula have mainly black or bay colored coats, but alleles responsible for a chestnut coat color run in these breeds and occasionally, chestnut horses are born. Chestnut coat color is caused by two recessive alleles, e and e(a), of the melanocortin-1 receptor gene, whereas the presence of the dominant, wild-type E allele produces black or bay coat horses. Because black or bay colored coats are considered as the purebred phenotype for most of the breeds from this region, it is important to have a fast and reliable method to detect alleles caus...
Inaba M, Goto I, Sato K, Maede Y.This report describes a unique response of the anion transporter in equine erythrocytes to the fluorescent substrate N-(2-aminoethyl sulfonate)-7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-3-diazole (NBD-taurine). Equine erythrocytes showed fluxes of NBD-taurine both inward and outward at rates considerably slower than those in human cells. These fluxes were completely abolished by a typical anion transport inhibitor, 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate. Furthermore, NBD-taurine competitively inhibited the uptake of phosphate in equine red cells with an inhibition constant of phosphate that was slightly higher ...
Bouters R, Vandeplassche M, De Moor A.The clinical, pathological and chromosomal findings in a male pseudohermaphrodite horse are reported. This animal appeared to be a female but showed strong male sexual behaviour. A small penis emerged from a rudimentary vagina. Two small testes were present in the abdomen and undifferentiated seminiferous tubules contained only supporting cells. No uterus was found. Culture of peripheral blood leucocytes revealed a 64XX/65XXY mosaicism.
Acone F, Botti M, Gazza F, Sanna M, Cappai MG, Bo Minelli L.The sensitive and autonomic innervation of the prostate was studied in some mammals (rat, rabbit, horse, donkey and bull) using gold chloride impregnation. In all the species considered the gland was supplied with conspicuous innervation located in the thickness of the capsule and in trabeculae. The autonomic innervation was constituted by ganglion cells of different sizes (small, medium and large), isolated or in groups of large ganglia also, always located along the course of nerve bundles. The sensitive nervous component, placed more frequently in the most superficial layer of the capsule, ...
Thway TM, Wolfe MW.Equids and primates are the only species known to express the placental hormone chorionic gonadotropin (CG). CG is a member of the heterodimeric glycoprotein family and is composed of an alpha subunit linked to a hormone-specific beta subunit. Previously, we have reported that epidermal growth factor (EGF) regulates the equine glycoprotein hormone alpha subunit promoter through a protein kinase C (PKC)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction pathway in trophoblasts. The current study investigates the regulatory element/factors involved in the induction of equine glycoprotei...
Driancourt MA, Mariana JC, Palmer E.In the middle of the breeding season, 16 pony mares (n = 4 per day) were slaughtered on four different days (days 6, 14, 17 and the preovulatory day) of the oestrous cycle, day 0 being the day of the last ovulation. All the ovaries were examined histologically; the number, size and atresia (defined by granulosa cell pyknosis) of all follicles larger than 1 mm in diameter were studied, using a Kryotome-video recorder-TV system. Follicular distribution of all the sizes studied (1-5 mm, 5-10 mm, greater than 10 mm in diameter) was very similar in the right and left ovaries. However, compared to t...
Colombo I, Podico G, Rudolf-Vegas A, Bauersachs S, Canisso IF.Progesterone is pivotal to maintain pregnancy in the first trimester and low concentration ( .05). Multiple ovulations were associated with greater progesterone concentration and luteal tissue area (P = .0001). There was a moderate positive association between the number of ovulations and luteal tissue area (r = 0.54; P = .0001). The lack of change in the progesterone concentration and luteal tissue area between bred and non-bred mares suggests that horse seminal plasma does not affect luteal function in mares. As all mares had progesterone above 4 ng/mL after 5-days post-ovulation; it i...
Carpenter MA, Broad TE.Transferrin, the iron transport protein of the blood, is highly polymorphic in many species, including the horse. A number of sequence polymorphisms that distinguish several of the variants of horse transferrin are reported here. Previous studies indicated that exons 12 and 15 were likely to be polymorphic. Sequencing regions of exons 12 and 15 from D and R variants revealed 10 nucleotide substitutions that encoded six amino acid replacements. The F1, F2, H2, and * variants were identical to D, and the O variant was almost identical to R, in the regions studied. The data indicated that the hor...
Caffrey CR, Ryan MF.An excretory-secretory (ES) preparation derived from adult Strongylus vulgaris in vitro was assessed for proteolytic activity using azocasein and synthetic, fluorogenic, peptide substrates. Fractionation was by molecular sieve fast protein liquid chromatography (molecular sieve FPLC) and resolution by gelatin-substrate sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (gelatin-substrate SDS-PAGE). The cysteine proteinase activator, dithiothreitol (DTT), enhanced azocaseinolysis and hydrolysis of carbobenzoxy-phenylalanyl-arginine-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin (Z-Phe-Arg-NMec) by the ES pre...
Jalali GR, Rezai A, Underwood JL, Mowbray JF, Surridge SH, Allen WR, Matthias S.We have shown that most of the IgG present on term syncytiotrophoblast, membrane, microvesicles is bound to an 80 kDa protein antigen (R80K). Methods: Microvesicles were prepared from term human placenta, and the IgG eluted at pH3. Results: When IgG antibody was eluted at pH3 and reacted with acid-treated vesicles of other placentae, the alloantibody always bound to the preparation from which it was obtained, but only to about 10% of acid-treated preparations from other placentae. A similar polymorphic protein found in association with IgG antibody was found in term horse placentae. Cross-reac...
Barshick MR, Gonzalez ML, Busse NI, Helsel PJ, Johnson SE.Satellite cell (SC) activation is defined as the time frame during which the stem cell becomes poised to reenter G1 of the cell cycle. The growth factors and events leading to full mitotic activation in equine SCs remain largely unknown. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) are sequentially transcribed during the muscle repair and recovery period following strenuous exercise in adult horses. Expression of IGF-I occurs within 24 h of the postexercise recovery period suggesting it may affect early SC actions. As a first step,...
Mayers J, Westcott D, Steinbach F.Using the commercially available PEPperCHIP® microarray platform, a peptide microarray was developed to identify immunodominant epitopes for the detection of antibodies against Equine arteritis virus (EAV). For this purpose, the whole EAV Bucyrus sequence was used to design a total of 1250 peptides that were synthesized and spotted onto a microarray slide. A panel of 28 serum samples representing a selection of EAV strains was tested using the microarray. Of the 1250 peptides, 97 peptides (7.76%) showed reactivity with the EAV-positive samples. No single peptide was detected by all the positi...
Rousselle JC, Gillet G, Fillion G.The solubilization of the serotonergic 5HT1 and 5HT3 sites was performed with digitonin and sodium cholate at 1% (final concentration). Two binding sites for [3H]5HT were observed on rat or horse brain synaptosomal membranes solubilized with these detergents. The corresponding dissociation constants (KD) were 1-3 nM and 13-30 nM respectively. These values were closely similar to those corresponding to 5HT1 and 5HT3 sites located in intact membranes. The solubilized sites specifically bound 5HT. The effect of GTP decreasing the binding to 5HT1 sites was lost on solubilized 5HT1 sites; it was re...
Forsell PK, Lindberg A, Karlsson S, Lindgren JA, Claesson HE.It has been demonstrated that equine neutrophils, but not eosinophils, require exogenous arachidonic acid for calcium ionophore A23187-induced leukotriene synthesis. Because cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) plays an essential role in leukotriene formation in leukocytes, we investigated the presence of a functional cPLA(2) in equine neutrophils. To determine whether cPLA(2) from neutrophils was catalytically active, we purified the enzyme >6,500 fold with 3% recovery from equine neutrophils. The full-length cDNA sequence encoded a 749-amino acid protein. The deduced amino acid sequence...
Hudgens E, Tompkins D, Boyd P, Lunney JK, Horohov D, Baldwin CL.This report describes the cloning and characterization of expressed gene sequences of bovine, equine, and swine CXCL9 from RNA obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and other tissues. The bovine coding region was 378 nucleotides in length, while the equine and swine coding regions were 381 nucleotides. Mapping showed that all three sequences were coded for in four exons in the genome, as are the human and mouse genes. The bovine, equine, and swine coding regions shared 83%, 86%, and 84% homology with human CXCL9, respectively, and all three were 74% homologous with mouse CXCL...
Frölich K, Jandowsky A.The domestic animals descend from various wild ancestors. Thus, for example, of the wolf, the dog (15 000 BC), of the Bezoar goat the goat (10 000 BC), of the Asian mouflon the sheep (10 000 BC), of the wild boar the pig (8000 BC) and of the aurochs the cattle (7000 BC). Domestication has dramatically changed our culture and led to a great diversity of animal breeds. This is a unique cultural and historical treasure, which we have to preserve for future generations. The zoological park Arc Warder is Europe's largest center for rare and endangered domestic animal breeds. Arc Ward...
Dusek J.Inbreeding was used in the regeneration process in the breeding of the Kladrub Black Horse. Inbreeding rate is realized in practice, as related to the manifestation of the selected characteristics of this unique horse population. The evaluation of the effect of inbreeding on conception rate and fertility did not demonstrate any differences between the group of inbred mares and non-inbred mares. The study was conducted in mares used for breeding for 10 years. The results provide evidence that inbreeding causes no depression in this characteristics in the Kladrub Black Horse which would otherwis...
Fousse SL, Stern JA.There have been some advances in understanding the genetic contribution to ventricular septal defects in Arabians, sudden death in racehorses, and atrial fibrillation in racehorses. No genetic analyses have been published for aortic rupture in Friesians or atrioventricular block in donkeys despite strong evidence for a genetic cause. To date, no genetic mutation has been identified for any equid cardiac disease. With the advancement of genetic tools and resources, we are moving closer to discoveries that may explain the heritable basis of inherited equid cardiac disease.
