Development of a method for simultaneously genotyping multiple horse coat colour loci and genetic investigation of basic colour variation in Thoroughbred and Misaki horses in Japan.
- Journal Article
Summary
The study outlines the development of a genetic testing method that can help determine horse coat colour genes, with implications for thoroughbred registration and conservation of an endangered horse breed in Japan. Through the technique, researchers also examined genetic variations in coat colour for 1111 Thoroughbred and 99 Misaki horses.
Genotyping Method Development
Researchers aimed to create a genotyping approach that could be utilized in the thoroughbred registration process. They designed a method which could genotype multiple coat colour genes simultaneously. This was achieved by using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) typing through the SNaPshot technique. This method allowed for:
- Precise detection of causal mutations
- Effective genotyping of MC1R, ASIP, and SLC45A2 at various loci such as Extension (E), Agouti (A), and Cream dilution (C)
- The potential identification of rare variants of MC1R, EDNRB and KIT at the E, Overo (O) and Sabino 1 (SB1) loci
Application and Implications of the Genotyping Method
The method was considered to provide valuable information not only for thoroughbred registration but also for the preservation of certain phenotypic characteristics (like coat colour) in endangered Misaki native horses in Japan.
Investigation of Genetic Variations in Coat Colour
The researchers examined genetic variations in five coat colour loci. The sample included 1111 thoroughbred and 99 Misaki native horses. They estimated allele frequencies at the polymorphic E and A loci, with the anticipated proportions of basic coat colours in:
- The Thoroughbred population being bay (66.2%), black (7%), and chestnut (26.8%)
- The Misaki population being bay (79.2%), black (12.9%), and chestnut (8%)
The data collected in this study is the first of its kind on genetic coat colour variation and it could have significant implications for the registration of thoroughbred horses and the management of endangered Misaki horses.
Cite This Article
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Laboratory of Racing Chemistry, Utsunomiya City, Tochigi, Japan. h-kakoi@lrc.or.jp
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Breeding
- Genetic Variation
- Genotype
- Hair Color / genetics
- Horses / genetics
- Japan
- Pigments, Biological / genetics
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Tozaki T, Ohnuma A, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Kakoi H, Hirota KI, Takahashi Y, Nagata SI. Short Insertion and Deletion Discoveries via Whole-Genome Sequencing of 101 Thoroughbred Racehorses.. Genes (Basel) 2023 Mar 3;14(3).
- Cosso G, Carcangiu V, Luridiana S, Fiori S, Columbano N, Masala G, Careddu GM, Sanna Passino E, Mura MC. Characterization of the Sarcidano Horse Coat Color Genes.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Oct 5;12(19).
- Nguyen TB, Paul RC, Okuda Y, LE TNA, Pham PTK, Kaissar KJ, Kazhmurat A, Bibigul S, Bakhtin M, Kazymbet P, Maratbek SZ, Meldebekov A, Nishibori M, Ibi T, Tsuji T, Kunieda T. Genetic characterization of Kushum horses in Kazakhstan based on haplotypes of mtDNA and Y chromosome, and genes associated with important traits of the horses.. J Equine Sci 2020 Oct;31(3):35-43.
- Nakamura K, Tozaki T, Kakoi H, Owada S, Takasu M. Variation in the MC1R, ASIP, and MATP genes responsible for coat color in Kiso horse as determined by SNaPshot™ genotyping.. J Vet Med Sci 2019 Jan 8;81(1):100-102.
- Reissmann M, Musa L, Zakizadeh S, Ludwig A. Distribution of coat-color-associated alleles in the domestic horse population and Przewalski's horse.. J Appl Genet 2016 Nov;57(4):519-525.
