DMRT3 Allele Frequencies in Batida- and Picada-Gaited Donkeys and Mules in Brazil.
Abstract: In Brazil, the production of mules with a comfortable gait primarily involves the breeding of marching saddle mules. This is achieved by crossing gaited Pêga donkeys with horses from the Mangalarga Marchador and Campolina breeds. The :g.22999655C>A SNP is implicated in regulating gait phenotypes observed in various horse breeds, including the batida (CC) and picada (CA) gaits found in these horse breeds. We aimed to determine if genotypes influenced gait type in 159 mules and 203 donkeys genotyped for the SNP by PCR-RFLP analysis. About 47% of mules had the CC-genotype, while 53% had the CA-genotype. Donkeys predominantly had the CC-genotype (97%), and none had AA. Both CC- and CA-genotypes were evenly distributed among mules with the batida or picada gaits. In donkeys, the CC-genotype frequencies were consistent regardless of gait type. However, the CA-genotype was more common in picada-gaited donkeys than in batida-gaited donkeys. The prevalence of CA mules and the rare presence of the non-reference allele in donkeys align with previous findings in Mangalarga Marchador and Campolina horses. This suggests that the non-reference allele likely originated from the mares involved in donkey crosses. Our results also imply that factors beyond this variant, such as other genes and polymorphisms, influence gait traits in equids.
Publication Date: 2023-12-12 PubMed ID: 38136866PubMed Central: PMC10741076DOI: 10.3390/ani13243829Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The study focuses on the role of the :g.22999655C>A gene variant in influencing gait types in mules and donkeys in Brazil. The researchers found that this gene variant might have a different influence on the gait of donkeys and mules, indicating the role of other genetic factors in determining animal gait.
Study Overview
- The researchers embarked on a study to determine the influence of the :g.22999655C>A SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) on the gait types (batida and picada) of mules and donkeys in Brazil.
- This particular gene variant has been associated with the gait differences observed in horses, particularly in the breeds (Mangalarga Marchador and Campolina) mated with the gaited Pêga donkeys to produce mules.
- A total of 159 mules and 203 donkeys were genotyped for this SNP through a method called PCR-RFLP analysis.
Key Findings
- The CC-genotype was most common in donkeys (97%), while mules had a roughly split distribution, with 47% having the CC-genotype and 53% the CA-genotype.
- None of the donkeys had the AA genotype, suggesting the non-reference allele might have originated from the mares rather than the donkeys.
- There was an even distribution of both CC- and CA-genotypes across mules regardless of whether they had a batida or picada gait.
- For donkeys, the CC-genotype frequencies’ consistency was unaffected by the gait type.
- The CA-genotype was more common among donkeys with a picada gait rather than a batida gait.
Significance and Implications
- The different distributions of gene variants across donkeys and mules and its correspondence (or lack thereof) with their respective gait types suggest multiple factor influence, possibly involving other genes and polymorphisms. This underscores the complexity of genetic influences on physical traits.
- This study can potentially lay groundwork for future research exploring other genetic factors influencing gait traits in equids (horses, donkeys, and mules).
Cite This Article
APA
Herman M, Caceres AM, Albuquerque ALH, Leite RO, Araújo CET, Delfiol DJZ, Curi RA, Borges AS, Oliveira-Filho JP.
(2023).
DMRT3 Allele Frequencies in Batida- and Picada-Gaited Donkeys and Mules in Brazil.
Animals (Basel), 13(24), 3829.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13243829 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Botucatu 18618-681, Brazil.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Botucatu 18618-681, Brazil.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Botucatu 18618-681, Brazil.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Botucatu 18618-681, Brazil.
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Centro Universitário Doutor Leão Sampaio (Unileão), Juazeiro do Norte 63041-140, Brazil.
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia 38405-314, Brazil.
- Department of Breeding and Animal Nutrition, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Botucatu 18618-681, Brazil.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Botucatu 18618-681, Brazil.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Botucatu 18618-681, Brazil.
Grant Funding
- 19/15076-9 / Su00e3o Paulo Research Foundation
- 19/08143-1 / Su00e3o Paulo Research Foundation
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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