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Journal of applied genetics2013; 54(3); 285-292; doi: 10.1007/s13353-013-0151-3

Genetic diversity and conservation in a small endangered horse population.

Abstract: The Old Kladruber horses arose in the 17th century as a breed used for ceremonial purposes. Currently, grey and black coat colour varieties exist as two sub-populations with different recent breeding history. As the population underwent historical bottlenecks and intensive inbreeding, loss of genetic variation is considered as the major threat. Therefore, genetic diversity in neutral and non-neutral molecular markers was examined in the current nucleus population. Fifty microsatellites, 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in immunity-related genes, three mutations in coat colour genes and one major histocompatibility (MHC-DRA) gene were studied for assessing genetic diversity after 15 years of conservation. The results were compared to values obtained in a similar study 13 years ago. The extent of genetic diversity of the current population was comparable to other breeds, despite its small size and isolation. The comparison between 1997 and 2010 did not show differences in the extent of genetic diversity and no loss of allele richness and/or heterozygosity was observed. Genetic differences identified between the black and grey sub-populations observed 13 years ago persisted. Deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium found in 19 microsatellite loci and in five SNP loci are probably due to selective breeding. No differences between neutral and immunity-related markers were found. No changes in the frequencies of markers associated with two diseases, melanoma and insect bite hypersensitivity, were observed, due probably to the short interval of time between comparisons. It, thus, seems that, despite its small size, previous bottlenecks and inbreeding, the molecular variation of Old Kladruber horses is comparable to other horse breeds and that the current breeding policy does not compromise genetic variation of this endangered population.
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Publication Date: 2013-05-07 PubMed ID: 23649723DOI: 10.1007/s13353-013-0151-3Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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 paper focuses on the genetic diversity of the Old Kladruber horses, a breed that has witnessed intensive inbreeding and historical bottlenecks which could lead to a loss of genetic variation. The researchers studied different genetic markers in the horse population to evaluate their genetic diversity after 15 years of conservation and compared these with previous studies.

Research Methodology

  • The researchers focused on the Old Kladruber horses which emerged in the 17th century and have been used for ceremonial purposes.
  • Grey and black coat colour varieties exist as two sub-populations with different breeding histories.
  • The study analyzed genetic diversity using fifty microsatellites, 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), three mutations in the coat colour genes, and one major histocompatibility (MHC-DRA) gene.
  • The findings from the current research were compared to the data gathered from a similar study conducted 13 years back.

Findings on Genetic Diversity

  • The genetic diversity of the current population is comparable to other breeds, despite its small size and isolation.
  • No significant differences in the extent of genetic diversity were observed between the studies conducted in 1997 and 2010.
  • The allele richness and heterozygosity did not demonstrate any loss.
  • However, the genetic differences that have been previously identified between black and grey sub-populations were still present.

Other Noteworthy Findings

  • Deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in 19 microsatellite loci and five SNP loci are likely due to selective breeding practices.
  • No significant differences were noted between neutral markers and those related to immunity.
  • Also, the frequencies of markers associated with diseases like melanoma and insect bite hypersensitivity did not show noticeable changes possibly due to the relatively short interval between the two studies.

Conclusions

  • The Old Kladruber horses maintain a comparable degree of genetic variation with other horse breeds, despite its small population size, previous bottlenecks, and inbreeding practices.
  • The existing breeding policy does not appear to negatively impact the genetic variation of this endangered horse population.

Cite This Article

APA
Janova E, Futas J, Klumplerova M, Putnova L, Vrtkova I, Vyskocil M, Frolkova P, Horin P. (2013). Genetic diversity and conservation in a small endangered horse population. J Appl Genet, 54(3), 285-292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13353-013-0151-3

Publication

Journal of applied genetics
ISSN: 2190-3883
NlmUniqueID: 9514582
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 54
Issue: 3
Pages: 285-292

Researcher Affiliations

Janova, Eva
  • Department of Animal Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Palackého 1-3, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic.
Futas, Jan
    Klumplerova, Marie
      Putnova, Lenka
        Vrtkova, Irena
          Vyskocil, Mirko
            Frolkova, Petra
              Horin, Petr

                MeSH Terms

                • Alleles
                • Animals
                • Breeding
                • Cell Nucleus / genetics
                • Conservation of Natural Resources
                • Endangered Species
                • Female
                • Gene Frequency
                • Genetic Variation
                • Genotype
                • Horses / genetics
                • Loss of Heterozygosity
                • Microsatellite Repeats / genetics
                • Mutation
                • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

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                Citations

                This article has been cited 6 times.
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