Inbreeding depression and the probability of racing in the Thoroughbred horse.
Abstract: Small effective population sizes and active inbreeding can lead to inbreeding depression due to deleterious recessive mutations exposed in the homozygous state. The Thoroughbred racehorse has low levels of population genetic diversity, but the effects of genomic inbreeding in the population are unknown. Here, we quantified inbreeding based on runs of homozygosity (ROH) using 297 K SNP genotypes from 6128 horses born in Europe and Australia, of which 13.2% were unraced. We show that a 10% increase in inbreeding () is associated with a 7% lower probability of ever racing. Moreover, a ROH-based genome-wide association study identified a haplotype on ECA14 which, in its homozygous state, is linked to a 32.1% lower predicted probability of ever racing, independent of . The haplotype overlaps a candidate gene, , that is highly expressed in cartilage tissue, which when damaged is one of the most common causes of catastrophic musculoskeletal injury in racehorses. Genomics-informed breeding aiming to reduce inbreeding depression and avoid damaging haplotype carrier matings will improve population health and racehorse welfare.
Publication Date: 2022-06-29 PubMed ID: 35765835PubMed Central: PMC9240673DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0487Google Scholar: Lookup
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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.
This study investigates the influence of inbreeding on the likelihood of a Thoroughbred horse to race. Using genotypes from over 6000 horses, the researchers discovered that a 10% increase in inbreeding is associated with a 7% lower likelihood of the horse ever racing. They also identified certain genetic factors that can further reduce this probability.
Objective of the Study
- This research aims to understand the effect of inbreeding on the racing capability of Thoroughbred horses. The team sought to quantify inbreeding using runs of homozygosity (ROH), which are unbroken stretches of identical genetic sequences inherited from both parents.
Methods
- The research involved genotypes from 6128 Thoroughbred horses born in Europe and Australia.
- The researchers used these genotypes to measure inbreeding based on runs of homozygosity (ROH).
- A genome-wide association study was performed based on ROH to identify any genetic traits that might affect a horse’s likelihood of racing.
Findings
- It was found that a 10% increase in inbreeding corresponds to a 7% lower probability of a horse ever participating in a race.
- A specific genetic sequence on ECA14, when appearing in pairs (homozygous state), contributes to a 32.1% lower predicted probability of a horse ever racing, irrespective of the inbreeding level.
- This specific sequence overlaps a gene, which is highly present in the cartilage tissue. Damage to this tissue is a frequent cause of catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries in racehorses.
Conclusion and Implications
- The results of this study indicate that inbreeding decreases the probability of Thoroughbreds ever participating in racing.
- Identifying and avoiding the propagation of damaging genetic sequences, like the one found in this study, during breeding can improve the population health of Thoroughbreds and their welfare in racing.
- This insight will help in creating more informed breeding plans to reduce inbreeding depression and potential injuries among racehorses.
Cite This Article
APA
Hill EW, Stoffel MA, McGivney BA, MacHugh DE, Pemberton JM.
(2022).
Inbreeding depression and the probability of racing in the Thoroughbred horse.
Proc Biol Sci, 289(1977), 20220487.
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.0487 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Plusvital Ltd, The Highline, Dún Laoghaire Industrial Estate, Pottery Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
- UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D04 V1W8, Ireland.
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK.
- Plusvital Ltd, The Highline, Dún Laoghaire Industrial Estate, Pottery Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
- UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D04 V1W8, Ireland.
- UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D04 V1W8, Ireland.
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Genome-Wide Association Study / veterinary
- Horses / genetics
- Inbreeding
- Inbreeding Depression
- Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
- Probability
Conflict of Interest Statement
E.W.H. is chief science officer for Plusvital Ltd. B.A.M. is an employee of Plusvital Ltd. E.W.H. and D.E.M. are shareholders in Plusvital Ltd. The University of Edinburgh (M.A.S. and J.M.P.) was contracted by Plusvital Ltd to perform some aspects of the analyses. Other than the authors, the funders played no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. A patent application has been filed (patent pending; European Application no. 22176585.2), which relates to contents of the manuscript.
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Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Todd ET, Fromentier A, Sutcliffe R, Running Horse Collin Y, Perdereau A, Aury JM, Èche C, Bouchez O, Donnadieu C, Wincker P, Kalbfleisch T, Petersen JL, Orlando L. Imputed genomes of historical horses provide insights into modern breeding.. iScience 2023 Jul 21;26(7):107104.
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