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Home / Equine Research Bank / PLoS One / A genome-wide association study reveals loci influencing hei...
PloS one2012; 7(5); e37282; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037282

A genome-wide association study reveals loci influencing height and other conformation traits in horses.

Abstract: The molecular analysis of genes influencing human height has been notoriously difficult. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for height in humans based on tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of samples so far revealed ∼200 loci for human height explaining only 20% of the heritability. In domestic animals isolated populations with a greatly reduced genetic heterogeneity facilitate a more efficient analysis of complex traits. We performed a genome-wide association study on 1,077 Franches-Montagnes (FM) horses using ∼40,000 SNPs. Our study revealed two QTL for height at withers on chromosomes 3 and 9. The association signal on chromosome 3 is close to the LCORL/NCAPG genes. The association signal on chromosome 9 is close to the ZFAT gene. Both loci have already been shown to influence height in humans. Interestingly, there are very large intergenic regions at the association signals. The two detected QTL together explain ∼18.2% of the heritable variation of height in horses. However, another large fraction of the variance for height in horses results from ECA 1 (11.0%), although the association analysis did not reveal significantly associated SNPs on this chromosome. The QTL region on ECA 3 associated with height at withers was also significantly associated with wither height, conformation of legs, ventral border of mandible, correctness of gaits, and expression of the head. The region on ECA 9 associated with height at withers was also associated with wither height, length of croup and length of back. In addition to these two QTL regions on ECA 3 and ECA 9 we detected another QTL on ECA 6 for correctness of gaits. Our study highlights the value of domestic animal populations for the genetic analysis of complex traits.
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Publication Date: 2012-05-16 PubMed ID: 22615965PubMed Central: PMC3353922DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037282Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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.

The research paper focuses on a genome-wide association study that identifies genes influencing height and other physical characteristics in Franches-Montagnes horses. It revealed two significant genetic locations, or quantitative trait loci (QTL), linked to horse height, with these loci also demonstrated previously to affect human height.

Genome-Wide Association Study

  • The researchers performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on a population of 1,077 Franches-Montagnes horses, a breed with limited genetic diversity, which is helpful for identifying genetic traits.
  • Approximately 40,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), or variations at a single position in a DNA sequence, were examined in the study.
  • The purpose of the study was to identify genes that influence complex traits such as height in horses which can help to extend the understanding of similar genetic influences in humans.

Major Findings

  • Two Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) for height were identified on horse chromosomes 3 and 9.
  • The QTL on chromosome 3 is near the LCORL/NCAPG genes, and the QTL on chromosome 9 is near the ZFAT gene. Both these loci have previously been shown to influence height in humans.
  • Together, these two QTLs explain approximately 18.2% of the inheritable variation of height in horses, indicating they play a significant role in determining horse height.

Additional Findings

  • Apart from height, these QTLs on chromosomes 3 and 9 were also associated with various physical and behavioral traits in the horse population.
  • The QTL on chromosome 3 was uncovered to influence wither height (height at the shoulders), conformation of legs, the bottom edge of the jawbone, correctness of gaits, and the expression of the head.
  • The QTL on chromosome 9 was found to affect the length of the croup (hindquarters) and length of the back.
  • The authors also detected another QTL on chromosome 6 for correctness of gaits, highlighting the complexity of genetic influences on these traits.

Relevance of the Study

  • The paper emphasizes the importance of studying genetics in domestic animals, as this research can offer insights into the genetic determinants of complex traits.
  • The identification of QTLs associated with height and other attributes complements current understanding about these genes’ impact on similar traits in humans.
  • While a large portion of the genetic basis of height in horses and humans persists unidentified, findings like these contribute to the growing gene map involved in body size regulation.

Cite This Article

APA
Signer-Hasler H, Flury C, Haase B, Burger D, Simianer H, Leeb T, Rieder S. (2012). A genome-wide association study reveals loci influencing height and other conformation traits in horses. PLoS One, 7(5), e37282. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0037282

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 7
Issue: 5
Pages: e37282

Researcher Affiliations

Signer-Hasler, Heidi
  • School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Zollikofen, Switzerland.
Flury, Christine
    Haase, Bianca
      Burger, Dominik
        Simianer, Henner
          Leeb, Tosso
            Rieder, Stefan

              MeSH Terms

              • Animals
              • Female
              • Genome-Wide Association Study
              • Horses / anatomy & histology
              • Horses / genetics
              • Male
              • Phenotype
              • Quantitative Trait Loci

              Conflict of Interest Statement

              Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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