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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Polymorphisms of the Dopamine D4 Receptor Gene in Stabled Ho...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2013; 3(3); 663-669; doi: 10.3390/ani3030663

Polymorphisms of the Dopamine D4 Receptor Gene in Stabled Horses are Related to Differences in Behavioral Response to Frustration.

Abstract: In stabled horses, behavioral responses to frustration are often observed, especially around feeding time. These behavioral responses are a useful indicator of their welfare. In this study, we investigated the association between this behavioral indicator and DRD4 gene polymorphisms in stabled horses. Twenty one horses housed in two stables were used. The horses were observed for approximately 4 h around feeding over three or more days using focal-sampling and instantaneous-sampling. Horses were genotyped for the A-G substitution in the DRD4 gene. The effects of the A-G substitution (with or without the A allele in the DRD4 gene), the stables, and their interaction on the frequency of behavioral responses to frustration were analyzed using general linear models. The total time budget of behavioral responses to frustration was higher in horses without the A allele than in those with the A allele (P = 0.007). These results indicate that the A-G substitution of the DRD4 gene is related to frustration-related behavioral responses in stabled horses. Appropriate consideration should be made for the DRD4 gene polymorphism when the welfare of stabled horses is assessed, based on this behavioral indicator.
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Publication Date: 2013-07-26 PubMed ID: 26479526PubMed Central: PMC4494454DOI: 10.3390/ani3030663Google 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.

This research investigates the link between gene variations (polymorphisms) in the DRD4 gene in stabled horses and their behavioral responses to frustration. The results indicated a significant difference in the behavioral responses of horses depending on whether or not they carry a specific version of the gene.

About the Study

  • This research involved 21 stabled horses that were monitored for behavioral reactions to frustration, especially around feeding time. It’s common to observe such reactions in stabled horses, and these can serve as important indicators of their wellbeing.
  • The researchers used two methods of observation – focal-sampling and instantaneous-sampling – to assess the horses’ behavior over a period of 4 hours during feeding, across three or more days.
  • The horses analyzed in this study were spread across two stables.

Studying the DRD4 Gene

  • The DRD4 gene, which is tied to the dopamine receptor, was examined closely in this study. More specifically, the research focused on a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) – an A-G substitution within the gene.
  • The horses were genotyped for this A-G substitution, which essentially means that their genetic information was collected and analyzed for this specific polymorphism.

Key Findings

  • The results from the general linear models analysis showed that the presence (or absence) of the A allele in the DRD4 gene, along with the stable environment, affected the horses’ behavioral responses to frustration.
  • The total time that horses spent on frustration-related behavior was notably higher in those that didn’t have the A allele.
  • This suggests that the A-G substitution in the DRD4 gene has a significant impact on how stabled horses react behaviorally to frustration.

Implications

  • The findings suggest that when assessing the wellbeing of stabled horses, it’s important to consider the DRD4 gene polymorphism based on this behavioral indicator, as it is related to their behavioral responses to frustration.
  • This offers a potential genetic explanation for certain behavioral traits in stabled horses, which can influence welfare assessments and interventions to improve their wellbeing.

Cite This Article

APA
Ninomiya S, Anjiki A, Nishide Y, Mori M, Deguchi Y, Satoh T. (2013). Polymorphisms of the Dopamine D4 Receptor Gene in Stabled Horses are Related to Differences in Behavioral Response to Frustration. Animals (Basel), 3(3), 663-669. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani3030663

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 3
Issue: 3
Pages: 663-669

Researcher Affiliations

Ninomiya, Shigeru
  • Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido Gifu 501-1193, Japan. nino38@gifu-u.ac.jp.
Anjiki, Akiko
  • Department of Veterinary and Medicine Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan. anko_o3@yahoo.co.jp.
Nishide, Yudai
  • Locust Research Laboratory, National Institute of Agro-biological Sciences at Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8634, Japan. nishiyu0@yahoo.co.jp.
Mori, Minori
  • Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka, Iwate 020-8550, Japan. marino20961@yahoo.co.jp.
Deguchi, Yoshitaka
  • Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka, Iwate 020-8550, Japan. deguchi@iwate-u.ac.jp.
Satoh, Toshiyuki
  • Department of Veterinary and Medicine Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan. tsatoh@cc.tuat.ac.jp.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Holtby AR, McGivney BA, Browne JA, Katz LM, Murphy KJ, Hill EW. Variation in salivary cortisol responses in yearling Thoroughbred racehorses during their first year of training.. PLoS One 2023;18(4):e0284102.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284102pubmed: 37023093google scholar: lookup
  2. Cunha RZ, Felisardo LL, Salamanca G, Marchioni GG, Neto OI, Chiocchetti R. The use of cannabidiol as a novel treatment for oral stereotypic behaviour (crib-biting) in a horse.. Vet Anim Sci 2023 Mar;19:100289.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vas.2023.100289pubmed: 36824298google scholar: lookup
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