Signatures of selection in the genome of Swedish warmblood horses selected for sport performance.
Abstract: A growing demand for improved physical skills and mental attitude in modern sport horses has led to strong selection for performance in many warmblood studbooks. The aim of this study was to detect genomic regions with low diversity, and therefore potentially under selection, in Swedish Warmblood horses (SWB) by analysing high-density SNP data. To investigate if such signatures could be the result of selection for equestrian sport performance, we compared our SWB SNP data with those from Exmoor ponies, a horse breed not selected for sport performance traits. Results: The genomic scan for homozygous regions identified long runs of homozygosity (ROH) shared by more than 85% of the genotyped SWB individuals. Such ROH were located on ECA4, ECA6, ECA7, ECA10 and ECA17. Long ROH were instead distributed evenly across the genome of Exmoor ponies in 77% of the chromosomes. Two population differentiation tests (FST and XP-EHH) revealed signatures of selection on ECA1, ECA4, and ECA6 in SWB horses. Conclusions: Genes related to behaviour, physical abilities and fertility, appear to be targets of selection in the SWB breed. This study provides a genome-wide map of selection signatures in SWB horses, and ground for further functional studies to unravel the biological mechanisms behind complex traits in horses.
Publication Date: 2019-09-18 PubMed ID: 31533613PubMed Central: PMC6751828DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6079-1Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research explores how genes related to behaviour, physical abilities and fertility have been selected for in the breeding of Swedish Warmblood horses for sports performance.
Research Aim
- The research aimed to identify parts of the genomes in Swedish Warmblood horses (SWB) that have unusually low diversity, which might be the result of selective breeding for traits related to sports performance. By analyzing high-density SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) data, the researchers intended to locate these genomic regions.
Methodology
- The study made use of genomic scans for homozygous regions in the Swedish Warmblood horses genome. Homozygous regions are regions of the genome where the genes on both chromosomes are identical.
- The study located regions termed “runs of homozygosity” (ROH), which are long sections of the genome where the genes on both chromosomes are identical in more than 85% of the examined Swedish Warmblood horses.
- The SNP data from Swedish Warmblood horses was compared to that of Exmoor ponies, a breed not selected for sports performance, to see if these ROH might be the result of selective breeding.
Results
- The researchers found ROH on five chromosomes in the SWB horses (ECA4, ECA6, ECA7, ECA10 and ECA17).
- However, in Exmoor ponies, there were long ROH distributed fairly evenly across the genome in 77% of the chromosomes, indicating a lack of selective breeding.
- Two population differentiation tests were conducted (F and XP-EHH)–these tests look for genetic differences between populations, which can be a result of natural or artificial selection. The tests revealed signatures of selection on three chromosomes in the SWB horses (ECA1, ECA4, ECA6).
Conclusions
- From these results, it was concluded that genes related to behaviour, physical abilities and fertility appear to be the target of selection in the breeding of SWB horses.
- The study offers a map of selection signatures in SWB horses on a genome-wide level, providing a foundation for further functional studies to unravel the biological mechanisms behind complex traits in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Ablondi M, Viklund Å, Lindgren G, Eriksson S, Mikko S.
(2019).
Signatures of selection in the genome of Swedish warmblood horses selected for sport performance.
BMC Genomics, 20(1), 717.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-019-6079-1 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Dept. of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7023, S-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università degli Studi di Parma, 43126, Parma, Italy.
- Dept. of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7023, S-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Dept. of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7023, S-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Livestock Genetics, Department of Biosystems, Leuven, KU, Belgium.
- Dept. of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7023, S-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Dept. of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7023, S-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden. sofia.mikko@slu.se.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Breeding
- Female
- Genomics
- Genotyping Techniques
- Homozygote
- Horses / genetics
- Horses / physiology
- Inbreeding
- Male
- Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
- Sports
Grant Funding
- H1147215 / Stiftelsen Lantbruksforskning
- 606142 / FP7 Research for the Benefit of SMEs
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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