Analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells gene expression in endurance horses by cDNA-AFLP technique.

The research focused on understanding stress responses in athlete horses during strenuous exercise by studying changes in gene expression. This can help design better training programs that guarantee performance without compromising the animal’s welfare.

Research method

• The research used cDNA-AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism), a genomic technique that provides a comprehensive view of gene expression. It was applied to Arab endurance horses under stressful conditions to observe modifications in the transcriptional profiles of their peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
• 49 differentially expressed transcript-derived fragments (TDFs) were cloned and sequenced.

Findings

• Out of the 49 TDFs studied, 4 showed high sequence similarity with genes associated with the response to exercise-induced stress. This was an important find as these genes had not been previously sequenced in horses.
• These four genes were isolated, cloned, and the full-length transcripts were sequenced using the RACE-PCR method.
• The mRNA sequences of these genes were submitted to the GenBank database. They were identified as Equus caballus interleukin 8 (IL8), E. caballus retinoblastoma binding protein 6 mRNA (RBBP6), E. caballus eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 gamma 3 (eIF4G3), and E. caballus heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90).

Confirmation and implications

• The patterns of these genes’ expression were then confirmed via RT-PCR in other endurance horses under stressful conditions. This supported their potential role in the stress response induced by physical exercise.
• Understanding the response of these specific genes to physical stress can help create better and high-grade training plans for athlete horses, optimizing their performance while ensuring their welfare.