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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / A Genetic Window on Sardinian Native Horse Breeds through Un...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2020; 10(9); 1544; doi: 10.3390/ani10091544

A Genetic Window on Sardinian Native Horse Breeds through Uniparental Molecular Systems.

Abstract: Sardinia, an island located to the west of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea, boasts three native horse breeds: Giara, Sarcidano, and Sardinian Anglo-Arab. Here, we have investigated for the first time three loci of the non-recombining region of the Y chromosome (NRY) in 34 stallions from these breeds and performed a phylogenetic analysis of the maternal relationships among 178 previously published mitochondrial control regions. We found that the current NRY diversity of Sardinian horse breeds is linked to three haplotypes (HT), all identified within Sarcidano. Each breed showed a typical HT: HT1 (ancestral) was the most represented in Sarcidano, HT2 (Neapolitan/Oriental wave) in Giara, and HT3 (Thoroughbred wave) in Sardinian Anglo-Arab. The specificity of each haplotype suggests the influence of independent breeding strategies and the effect of genetic drift in each Sardinian population. The female counterpart, extended to 178 horses, showed a low genetic variability and a common maternal origin for Giara and Sarcidano. The higher variability of the Sardinian Anglo-Arab indicates multiple mare lineages in its current population. Further genetic analyses will be crucial to understand the paternal history of male horses, preserve the endangered mares' and stallions' lineages, and improve the enhancement of autochthonous genetic resources on this island.
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Publication Date: 2020-09-01 PubMed ID: 32882901PubMed Central: PMC7552234DOI: 10.3390/ani10091544Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research investigates the genetic diversity of three native horse breeds from Sardinian island by analyzing the Y chromosome and maternal relationships. This helps understand the horse breeds’ independent breeding strategies, the influence of genetic drift, and the need for further genetic analyses to preserve endangered lineages.

Overview of the Research

  • This study delves into the genetic composition of three native horse breeds from the island of Sardinia situated west of Italy. Researchers analyzed genes from the Y chromosome and maternal relationships to understand each breed’s unique characteristics. It acknowledges that independent breeding strategies and the influence of genetic drift have significantly impacted the genetic diversity of these breeds.

Methodology

  • The researchers worked with three loci (specific locations on a chromosome) from the non-recombining region of the Y chromosome. They took these samples from 34 horses representing the three native breeds – Giara, Sarcidano, and Sardinian Anglo-Arab.
  • The study also conducted a phylogenetic analysis, which is the study of the evolutionary relationships and similarities between species, of the maternal relationships among 178 previously published mitochondrial control regions. This helped them understand the female lineage of these horse breeds.

Key Findings

  • The Y-chromosome diversity of the Sardinian horse breeds is associated with three haplotypes, all found within the Sarcidano breed. Each breed had a characteristic haplotype, indicating that these horse breeds evolved due to distinct breeding strategies and the impact of genetic drift.
  • The Giara and Sarcidano breeds shared a common maternal origin as shown by the low genetic variability in the female lineage. However, the Sardinian Anglo-Arab breed showed higher variability, indicating multiple mare lineages in its current population.

Implications of the Research

  • The study highlights the importance of genetic analyses in understanding the paternal history of male horses and preserving endangered lineages.
  • The research can help in betterment of breeding strategies and conservation efforts, particularly for the native horse breeds from the Sardinian island.

Cite This Article

APA
(2020). A Genetic Window on Sardinian Native Horse Breeds through Uniparental Molecular Systems. Animals (Basel), 10(9), 1544. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10091544

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 9
PII: 1544

Researcher Affiliations

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 9 times.
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