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Journal of veterinary internal medicine2023; 37(3); 1186-1192; doi: 10.1111/jvim.16723

Evaluation of an HMGA2 variant contribution to height and basal insulin concentrations in ponies.

Abstract: The HMGA2:c.83G>A variant was identified in Welsh ponies having pleiotropic effects on height and insulin concentration. Objective: Determine whether the HMGA2:c.83G>A variant is associated with decreased height and higher basal insulin concentrations across pony breeds. Methods: Two hundred thirty-six ponies across 6 breeds. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Ponies were genotyped for the HMGA2:c.83G>A variant and phenotyped for height and basal insulin concentrations. Stepwise regression was performed for model analysis using a linear regression model for height and mixed linear model for insulin with farm as a random effect. Coefficient of determination, pairwise comparison of the estimated marginal means and partial correlation coefficients (parcor) were calculated to assess the relationship between HMGA2 genotype and height or insulin. Results: Breed and genotype accounted for 90.5% of the variation in height across breeds, and genotype explained 21% to 44% of the variation within breeds. Breed, genotype, cresty neck score, sex, age, and farm accounted for 45.5% of the variation in insulin, with genotype accounting for 7.1%. The HMGA2 A allele frequency was 62% and correlated with both height (parcor = -0.39; P 10 cm shorter than other genotypes. Compared with G/G individuals, A/A and G/A individuals had 4.3 μIU/mL (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.8-10.5) and 2.7 μIU/mL (95% CI: 1.4-5.3) higher basal insulin concentrations, respectively. Conclusions: These data demonstrate the pleiotropic effects of the HMGA2:c.83G>A variant and its role in identifying ponies at increased risk for insulin dysregulation.
© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
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Publication Date: 2023-05-06 PubMed ID: 37148171PubMed Central: PMC10229368DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16723Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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 investigates the correlation between the HMGA2:c.83G>A variant and decreased height as well as elevated basal insulin levels in different pony breeds.

Objective

The main objective of this research is to determine the connection between the HMGA2:c.83G>A variant and decreased height and increased basal insulin concentrations across various pony breeds.

Research Methods

  • The research involved a cross-sectional study of 236 ponies from 6 different breeds.
  • The ponies were genotyped for the HMGA2:c.83G>A variant and phenotyped for height and basal insulin concentrations.
  • Stepwise regression was employed for model analysis using a linear regression model for height and mixed linear model for insulin with farm as a random effect.
  • Calculations were made for the coefficient of determination, pairwise comparison of estimated marginal means, and partial correlation coefficients to assess the relationship between the HMGA2 genotype and height or insulin levels.

Results

  • Breed and genotype contributed to 90.5% of height variation across breeds, with genotype explaining 21% to 44% of the variation within breeds.
  • The variation in insulin was accounted for by breed, genotype, cresty neck score, sex, age, and farm, totaling 45.5%, with genotype contributing 7.1%.
  • The HMGA2 A allele frequency was 62% and correlated with both height and insulin levels.
  • A/A ponies were found to be >10 cm shorter than other genotypes and ponies with the A/A and G/A genotypes had higher basal insulin concentrations compared to those with the G/G genotype.

Conclusion

The findings of the research demonstrate the multifaceted effects of the HMGA2:c.83G>A variant and how it can be instrumental in identifying ponies at an increased risk for insulin dysregulation.

Cite This Article

APA
Clark BL, Bamford NJ, Stewart AJ, McCue ME, Rendahl A, Bailey SR, Bertin FR, Norton EM. (2023). Evaluation of an HMGA2 variant contribution to height and basal insulin concentrations in ponies. J Vet Intern Med, 37(3), 1186-1192. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16723

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 37
Issue: 3
Pages: 1186-1192

Researcher Affiliations

Clark, Brianna L
  • School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
Bamford, Nicholas J
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Stewart, Allison J
  • School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
McCue, Molly E
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota, USA.
Rendahl, Aaron
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota, USA.
Bailey, Simon R
  • Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Bertin, François-René
  • School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
Norton, Elaine M
  • College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Genotype
  • Horse Diseases / genetics
  • Horses
  • Insulin
  • Insulin Resistance / physiology
  • Phenotype
  • HMGA2 Protein / genetics

Grant Funding

  • University of Queensland, School of Veterinary Science Companion Animal Grant

Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Barnabé MA, Elliott J, Harris PA, Menzies-Gow NJ. Effects of pasture consumption and obesity on insulin dysregulation and adiponectin concentrations in UK native-breed ponies. Equine Vet J 2026 Jan;58(1):243-255.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.14507pubmed: 40257424google scholar: lookup
  2. Han J, Shao H, Sun M, Gao F, Hu Q, Yang G, Jafari H, Li N, Dang R. Genomic insights into the genetic diversity and genetic basis of body height in endangered Chinese Ningqiang ponies. BMC Genomics 2025 Mar 24;26(1):292.
    doi: 10.1186/s12864-025-11484-2pubmed: 40128652google scholar: lookup
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