Candidate genes for physical performance in the horse.
Abstract: Intense selection for speed, endurance or pulling power in the domestic horse (Equus caballus) has resulted in a number of adaptive changes in the phenotype required for elite athletic performance. To date, studies in humans have revealed a large number of genes involved in elite athletic performance, but studies in horses are rare. The horse genome assembly and bioinformation tools for genome analyses have been used to compare human performance genes with their equine orthologues, both to retrieve pathways for these genes and to investigate their chromosomal distribution. In this review, 28 candidate genes for equine performance are presented that have polymorphisms associated with human elite athletic performance and may have impact on athletic performance in horses. A significant accumulation of candidate genes was found on horse chromosomes 4 and 12. Genes involved in pathways for focal adhesion, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, and calcium signalling were over-represented. Genome-wide association studies for athletic performance in horses may benefit from the strong conserved synteny of the chromosomal arrangement of genes in humans and horses.
Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2010-11-05 PubMed ID: 21115378DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2010.09.029Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research article presents a review of 28 candidate genes that may influence athletic performance in horses, identified through their association with human elite athletic performance and the comparison of human performance genes with their horse equivalents.
Study Overview and Purpose
- The study has used the horse genome assembly and bioinformatics tools to compare the horse genes with their human counterparts, specifically focusing on genes known to influence elite athletic performance in humans.
- The aim was to identify candidate genes in horses that may play a role in their physical performance and have shown polymorphisms associated with human athletic performance.
Genetic Findings and Analysis
- In the review, 28 potential candidate genes for equine performance were identified. These genes had been previously associated with the exceptional athletic ability in humans.
- Significantly, it was found that these candidate genes predominantly accumulated on horse chromosomes 4 and 12.
- Furthermore, the study found that genes associated with specific biological mechanisms or pathways, such as focal adhesion, the regulation of actin cytoskeleton, neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, and calcium signaling, were overrepresented. These pathways are central to muscular contraction and coordination, highlighting their importance to physical performance.
Implication and Potential Applications
- The study illustrates that the strong conserved synteny, which refers to the preservation of gene order on chromosomes, between humans and horses could greatly benefit genome-wide association studies examining athletic performance in horses. This conserved synteny means many genes linked to athletic performance in humans may well be relevant to horses too.
- The findings could have implications for horse breeding programs, which may be able to apply this genomic knowledge to select for specific desirable traits related to physical performance.
- The research could also have potential applications in veterinary medicine, particularly in the context of treating fitness or performance-related issues in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Schröder W, Klostermann A, Distl O.
(2010).
Candidate genes for physical performance in the horse.
Vet J, 190(1), 39-48.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2010.09.029 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Genetic Association Studies / veterinary
- Horses / genetics
- Horses / physiology
- Humans
- Motor Activity
- Physical Exertion
- Polymorphism, Genetic
- Synteny
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Pan J, Purev C, Zhao H, Zhang Z, Wang F, Wendoule N, Qi G, Liu Y, Zhou H. Discovery of exercise-related genes and pathway analysis based on comparative genomes of Mongolian originated Abaga and Wushen horse.. Open Life Sci 2022;17(1):1269-1281.
- Maniego J, Pesko B, Habershon-Butcher J, Huggett J, Taylor P, Scarth J, Ryder E. Screening for gene doping transgenes in horses via the use of massively parallel sequencing.. Gene Ther 2022 May;29(5):236-246.
- Pira E, Vacca GM, Dettori ML, Piras G, Moro M, Paschino P, Pazzola M. Polymorphisms at Myostatin Gene (MSTN) and the Associations with Sport Performances in Anglo-Arabian Racehorses.. Animals (Basel) 2021 Mar 30;11(4).
- Salek Ardestani S, Aminafshar M, Zandi Baghche Maryam MB, Banabazi MH, Sargolzaei M, Miar Y. Whole-Genome Signatures of Selection in Sport Horses Revealed Selection Footprints Related to Musculoskeletal System Development Processes.. Animals (Basel) 2019 Dec 26;10(1).
- Jäderkvist Fegraeus K, Velie BD, Axelsson J, Ang R, Hamilton NA, Andersson L, Meadows JRS, Lindgren G. A potential regulatory region near the EDN3 gene may control both harness racing performance and coat color variation in horses.. Physiol Rep 2018 May;6(10):e13700.
- Kim HA, Kim MC, Kim NY, Ryu DY, Lee HS, Kim Y. Integrated analysis of microRNA and mRNA expressions in peripheral blood leukocytes of Warmblood horses before and after exercise.. J Vet Sci 2018 Jan 31;19(1):99-106.
- Choi JY, Jang HJ, Park JW, Oh JD, Shin D, Kim NY, Oh JH, Song KD, Cho BW. Characterization of gene expression and genetic variation of horse ERBB receptor feedback inhibitor 1 in Thoroughbreds.. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci 2018 Mar;31(3):309-315.
- Do KT, Cho HW, Badrinath N, Park JW, Choi JY, Chung YH, Lee HK, Song KD, Cho BW. Molecular Characterization and Expression Analysis of Creatine Kinase Muscle (CK-M) Gene in Horse.. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci 2015 Dec;28(12):1680-5.
- Hamilton NA, Tammen I, Raadsma HW. Multi-species comparative analysis of the equine ACE gene identifies a highly conserved potential transcription factor binding site in intron 16.. PLoS One 2013;8(2):e55434.
- Park KD, Park J, Ko J, Kim BC, Kim HS, Ahn K, Do KT, Choi H, Kim HM, Song S, Lee S, Jho S, Kong HS, Yang YM, Jhun BH, Kim C, Kim TH, Hwang S, Bhak J, Lee HK, Cho BW. Whole transcriptome analyses of six thoroughbred horses before and after exercise using RNA-Seq.. BMC Genomics 2012 Sep 12;13:473.
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