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De Coster T, Zhao Y, Tšuiko O, Demyda-Peyrás S, Van Soom A, Vermeesch JR, Smits K. Genome-wide equine preimplantation genetic testing enabled by simultaneous haplotyping and copy number detection. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2003. [PMID: 38263320 PMCID: PMC10805710 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48103-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In different species, embryonic aneuploidies and genome-wide errors are a major cause of developmental failure. The increasing number of equine embryos being produced worldwide provides the opportunity to characterize and rank or select embryos based on their genetic profile prior to transfer. Here, we explored the possibility of generic, genome-wide preimplantation genetic testing concurrently for aneuploidies (PGT-A) and monogenic (PGT-M) traits and diseases in the horse, meanwhile assessing the incidence and spectrum of chromosomal and genome-wide errors in in vitro-produced equine embryos. To this end, over 70,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) positions were genotyped in 14 trophectoderm biopsies and corresponding biopsied blastocysts, and in 26 individual blastomeres from six arrested cleavage-stage embryos. Subsequently, concurrent genome-wide copy number detection and haplotyping by haplarithmisis was performed and the presence of aneuploidies and genome-wide errors and the inherited parental haplotypes for four common disease-associated genes with high carrier frequency in different horse breeds (GBE1, PLOD1, B3GALNT2, MUTYH), and for one color coat-associated gene (STX17) were compared in biopsy-blastocyst combinations. The euploid (n = 12) or fully aneuploid (n = 2) state and the inherited parental haplotypes for 42/45 loci of interest of the biopsied blastocysts were predicted by the biopsy samples in all successfully analyzed biopsy-blastocyst combinations (n = 9). Two biopsies showed a loss of maternal chromosome 28 and 31, respectively, which were confirmed in the corresponding blastocysts. In one of those biopsies, additional complex aneuploidies not present in the blastocyst were found. Five out of six arrested embryos contained chromosomal and/or genome-wide errors in most of their blastomeres, demonstrating their contribution to equine embryonic arrest in vitro. The application of the described PGT strategy would allow to select equine embryos devoid of genetic errors and pathogenetic variants, and with the variants of interest, which will improve foaling rate and horse quality. We believe this approach will be a gamechanger in horse breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- T De Coster
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Y Zhao
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - O Tšuiko
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - S Demyda-Peyrás
- Department of Genetics, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Animal Production, Veterinary School, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - A Van Soom
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - J R Vermeesch
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - K Smits
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
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2
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Atroshchenko M, Dementieva N, Shcherbakov Y, Nikolaeva O, Azovtseva A, Ryabova A, Nikitkina E, Makhmutova O, Datsyshin A, Zakharov V, Zaitsev A. The Genetic Diversity of Horse Native Breeds in Russia. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2148. [PMID: 38136970 PMCID: PMC10743158 DOI: 10.3390/genes14122148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Horses were domesticated later than other farm animals. Horse breeds have been selectively developed by humans to satisfy different needs and purposes. The factory and indigenous breeds are of particular interest, having been bred in purity for many centuries without the addition of foreign blood. Data from 31 stud farms, as well as ranches, located in fifteen regions of the Russian Federation were used in this work. DNA was sampled from 102 stallions of 11 breeds: Arabian, Akhal-Teke, Don, Orlov Trotter, Vladimir Heavy Draft, Russian Heavy Draft, Soviet Heavy Draft, Kabardin, Yakut, Tuva, and Vyatka. Data on the origin of each animal from which the material was collected were taken into account. DNA genotyping was carried out using GGP Equine 70 k ® array chips (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA). Genetic diversity of horse breeds was estimated using Admixture 1.3. and PLINK 1.9 software. FROH inbreeding was computed via the R detectRUNS package. The minimum length for ROH was set at 1 Mb to reduce the occurrence of false positives. We conducted PCA analysis using PLINK 1.9, and used the ggplot2 library in R for visualizing the results. Indigenous equine breeds, such as Vyatka, Tuva, and Yakut, are very hardy, and well adapted to local environmental and climatic conditions. They are employed as draft power, as well as for milk and meat. Both the Akhal-Teke breed and the Arabian breed have retained a minimum effective population size over many generations. We note significant accumulations of homozygosity in these breeds. In equestrian sports, performance is a top priority. ADMIXTURE and PCA analyses showed similarities between Don equine breeds and Kabardin, as well as some Arabian breed animals. Earlier research indicated the presence of thoroughbred traits in Don stallions. The Orlov Trotter breed stands out as a separate cluster in the structural and PCA analyses. Considering the small population size of this breed, our study found high FROH in all tested animals. The general reduction in the diversity of the horse breed gene pool, due to numerous crosses for breed improvement with thoroughbreds, has lead to a decline in the differences between the top sporting breeds. Our study presents new opportunities for exploring the genetic factors that influence the formation of adaptive traits in indigenous breeds, and for finding ways to preserve genetic diversity for effective population reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Atroshchenko
- All-Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding (ARRIH), Ryazan Region, Rybnovskij District, Divovo 391105, Russia; (M.A.); (O.M.); (A.D.); (V.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Natalia Dementieva
- Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, 55A, Moskovskoye Sh., Tyarlevo, St. Petersburg, Pushkin 196625, Russia; (Y.S.); (O.N.); (A.A.); (A.R.); (E.N.)
| | - Yuri Shcherbakov
- Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, 55A, Moskovskoye Sh., Tyarlevo, St. Petersburg, Pushkin 196625, Russia; (Y.S.); (O.N.); (A.A.); (A.R.); (E.N.)
| | - Olga Nikolaeva
- Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, 55A, Moskovskoye Sh., Tyarlevo, St. Petersburg, Pushkin 196625, Russia; (Y.S.); (O.N.); (A.A.); (A.R.); (E.N.)
| | - Anastasiia Azovtseva
- Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, 55A, Moskovskoye Sh., Tyarlevo, St. Petersburg, Pushkin 196625, Russia; (Y.S.); (O.N.); (A.A.); (A.R.); (E.N.)
| | - Anna Ryabova
- Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, 55A, Moskovskoye Sh., Tyarlevo, St. Petersburg, Pushkin 196625, Russia; (Y.S.); (O.N.); (A.A.); (A.R.); (E.N.)
| | - Elena Nikitkina
- Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding—Branch of the L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, 55A, Moskovskoye Sh., Tyarlevo, St. Petersburg, Pushkin 196625, Russia; (Y.S.); (O.N.); (A.A.); (A.R.); (E.N.)
| | - Oksana Makhmutova
- All-Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding (ARRIH), Ryazan Region, Rybnovskij District, Divovo 391105, Russia; (M.A.); (O.M.); (A.D.); (V.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Andrey Datsyshin
- All-Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding (ARRIH), Ryazan Region, Rybnovskij District, Divovo 391105, Russia; (M.A.); (O.M.); (A.D.); (V.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Viktor Zakharov
- All-Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding (ARRIH), Ryazan Region, Rybnovskij District, Divovo 391105, Russia; (M.A.); (O.M.); (A.D.); (V.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Alexander Zaitsev
- All-Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding (ARRIH), Ryazan Region, Rybnovskij District, Divovo 391105, Russia; (M.A.); (O.M.); (A.D.); (V.Z.); (A.Z.)
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3
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Sobotková E, Kopec T, Mikule V, Kuřitková D. Influence of horse demographics, country of training and race distance on the rating of Thoroughbreds. Arch Anim Breed 2023; 66:299-313. [PMID: 38039343 PMCID: PMC10654610 DOI: 10.5194/aab-66-299-2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the research was to assess how age, sex, sire, country of foaling, country of training and race distance influenced the international racing and performance of Thoroughbreds. The research was based on performance ratings of 6216 horses assigned by the International Federation of Racing Authorities between 2004 and 2022. The most common sex was stallion (58.54 %) and more than half of the population consisted of 3- and 4-year-old horses (54.68 %). The majority of the horses had the USA as their country of foaling (25.92 %) and also as their country of training (24.87 %). The sire with the largest number of offspring in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) databases was Galileo (IRE) (193 horses). Four of the 10 most frequently represented sires belonged to the Sadler's Wells (USA) paternal line. The analysis of the statistics in the database as a whole established a significant (p < 0.001 ) influence of all observed factors. Stallions achieved a significantly higher rating (117.85) compared to geldings (117.17) and mares (117.13). The horses originating in Ireland achieved a statistically higher rating (117.99) than horses from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, a group of other countries designated "Others" and South Africa. Statistically conclusive differences were found between horses trained in Ireland (118.80) and all other countries except Great Britain and France. Five of the 10 sires with the best offspring rating belong to the Mr. Prospector (USA) paternal line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Sobotková
- Department of Animal Science, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, Brno, 613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Kopec
- Department of Animal Science, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, Brno, 613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Mikule
- Department of Animal Science, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, Brno, 613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Dana Kuřitková
- Department of Animal Science, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, Brno, 613 00, Czech Republic
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Pozharskiy A, Abdrakhmanova A, Beishova I, Shamshidin A, Nametov A, Ulyanova T, Bekova G, Kikebayev N, Kovalchuk A, Ulyanov V, Turabayev A, Khusnitdinova M, Zhambakin K, Sapakhova Z, Shamekova M, Gritsenko D. Genetic structure and genome-wide association study of the traditional Kazakh horses. Animal 2023; 17:100926. [PMID: 37611435 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Horses are traditionally used in Kazakhstan as a source of food and as working and saddle animals as well. Here, for the first time, microarray-based medium-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping of six traditionally defined types and breeds of indigenous Kazakh horses was conducted to reveal their genetic structure and find markers associated with animal size and weight. The results showed that the predefined separation between breeds and sampled populations was not supported by the molecular data. The lack of genetic variation between breeds and populations was revealed by the principal component analysis, ADMIXTURE, and distance-based analyses, as well as the general population parameters expected and observed heterozygosity (He and Ho) and between-group fixation index (Fst). The analysis revealed that the studied types and breeds should be considered as a single breed, namely the 'Kazakh horse'. The comparison with previously published data on global horse breed diversity revealed the relatively high level of individual diversity of Kazakh horses in comparison with the well-known foreign breeds. The Mongolian and Tuva breeds were identified as the closest horse landraces, demonstrating similar patterns of internal variability. The genome-wide association analysis was performed for animal size and weight as the traits directly related with the meat productivity of horses. The analysis identified a set of 60 SNPs linked with horse genes involved in the regulation of processes of development of connective tissues and the bone system, neural system, immune system regulation, and other processes. The present study is novel and introduces Kazakh horses as a promising genetic source for horse breeding and selection both on the domestic and international levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandr Pozharskiy
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev Str. 45, 050040 Almaty, Kazakhstan; Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi Ave. 71, 050040 Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Aisha Abdrakhmanova
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev Str. 45, 050040 Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Indira Beishova
- Zhengir Khan West-Kazakhstan Agrarian Technical University, Zhengir Khan Str. 51, 090009 Oral, Kazakhstan.
| | - Alzhan Shamshidin
- Zhengir Khan West-Kazakhstan Agrarian Technical University, Zhengir Khan Str. 51, 090009 Oral, Kazakhstan
| | - Askar Nametov
- Zhengir Khan West-Kazakhstan Agrarian Technical University, Zhengir Khan Str. 51, 090009 Oral, Kazakhstan
| | - Tatyana Ulyanova
- Zhengir Khan West-Kazakhstan Agrarian Technical University, Zhengir Khan Str. 51, 090009 Oral, Kazakhstan
| | - Gulmira Bekova
- Zhengir Khan West-Kazakhstan Agrarian Technical University, Zhengir Khan Str. 51, 090009 Oral, Kazakhstan
| | - Nabidulla Kikebayev
- Zhengir Khan West-Kazakhstan Agrarian Technical University, Zhengir Khan Str. 51, 090009 Oral, Kazakhstan
| | - Alexandr Kovalchuk
- Zhengir Khan West-Kazakhstan Agrarian Technical University, Zhengir Khan Str. 51, 090009 Oral, Kazakhstan
| | - Vadim Ulyanov
- Zhengir Khan West-Kazakhstan Agrarian Technical University, Zhengir Khan Str. 51, 090009 Oral, Kazakhstan
| | - Amangeldy Turabayev
- Zhengir Khan West-Kazakhstan Agrarian Technical University, Zhengir Khan Str. 51, 090009 Oral, Kazakhstan
| | - Marina Khusnitdinova
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev Str. 45, 050040 Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Kabyl Zhambakin
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev Str. 45, 050040 Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Zagipa Sapakhova
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev Str. 45, 050040 Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Malika Shamekova
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev Str. 45, 050040 Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Dilyara Gritsenko
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev Str. 45, 050040 Almaty, Kazakhstan
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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; 26:107104. [PMID: 37416458 PMCID: PMC10319840 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Historical genomes can provide important insights into recent genomic changes in horses, especially the development of modern breeds. In this study, we characterized 8.7 million genomic variants from a panel of 430 horses from 73 breeds, including newly sequenced genomes from 20 Clydesdales and 10 Shire horses. We used this modern genomic variation to impute the genomes of four historically important horses, consisting of publicly available genomes from 2 Przewalski's horses, 1 Thoroughbred, and a newly sequenced Clydesdale. Using these historical genomes, we identified modern horses with higher genetic similarity to those in the past and unveiled increased inbreeding in recent times. We genotyped variants associated with appearance and behavior to uncover previously unknown characteristics of these important historical horses. Overall, we provide insights into the history of Thoroughbred and Clydesdale breeds and highlight genomic changes in the endangered Przewalski's horse following a century of captive breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn T. Todd
- Centre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse (CAGT), CNRS UMR 5288, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, Bâtiment A, 31000 Toulouse, France
| | - Aurore Fromentier
- Centre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse (CAGT), CNRS UMR 5288, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, Bâtiment A, 31000 Toulouse, France
| | - Richard Sutcliffe
- Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, 200 Woodhead Road, Nitshill, G53 7NN Glasgow, UK
| | - Yvette Running Horse Collin
- Centre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse (CAGT), CNRS UMR 5288, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, Bâtiment A, 31000 Toulouse, France
| | - Aude Perdereau
- Genoscope, Institut de biologie François Jacob, CEA, Université d’Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91042 Evry, France
| | - Jean-Marc Aury
- Genoscope, Institut de biologie François Jacob, CEA, Université d’Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91042 Evry, France
| | - Camille Èche
- GeT-PlaGe - Génome et Transcriptome - Plateforme Génomique, GET - Plateforme Génome & Transcriptome, Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan Cedex, France
| | - Olivier Bouchez
- GeT-PlaGe - Génome et Transcriptome - Plateforme Génomique, GET - Plateforme Génome & Transcriptome, Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan Cedex, France
| | - Cécile Donnadieu
- GeT-PlaGe - Génome et Transcriptome - Plateforme Génomique, GET - Plateforme Génome & Transcriptome, Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan Cedex, France
| | - Patrick Wincker
- Genoscope, Institut de biologie François Jacob, CEA, Université d’Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91042 Evry, France
| | - Ted Kalbfleisch
- MH Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0091, USA
| | - Jessica L. Petersen
- Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 3940 Fair St, Lincoln, NE 68583-0908, USA
| | - Ludovic Orlando
- Centre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse (CAGT), CNRS UMR 5288, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, Bâtiment A, 31000 Toulouse, France
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Capomaccio S, Ablondi M, Colombi D, Sartori C, Giontella A, Cappelli K, Mancin E, Asti V, Mantovani R, Sabbioni A, Silvestrelli M. Exploring the Italian equine gene pool via high-throughput genotyping. Front Genet 2023; 14:1099896. [PMID: 36755577 PMCID: PMC9900106 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1099896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The Italian peninsula is in the center of the Mediterranean area, and historically it has been a hub for numerous human populations, cultures, and also animal species that enriched the hosted biodiversity. Horses are no exception to this phenomenon, with the peculiarity that the gene pool has been impacted by warfare and subsequent "colonization". In this study, using a comprehensive dataset for almost the entire Italian equine population, in addition to the most influential cosmopolitan breeds, we describe the current status of the modern Italian gene pool. Materials and Methods: The Italian dataset comprised 1,308 individuals and 22 breeds genotyped at a 70 k density that was merged with publicly available data to facilitate comparison with the global equine diversity. After quality control and supervised subsampling to ensure consistency among breeds, the merged dataset with the global equine diversity contained data for 1,333 individuals from 54 populations. Multidimensional scaling, admixture, gene flow, and effective population size were analyzed. Results and Discussion: The results show that some of the native Italian breeds preserve distinct gene pools, potentially because of adaptation to the different geographical contexts of the peninsula. Nevertheless, the comparison with international breeds highlights the presence of strong gene flow from renowned breeds into several Italian breeds, probably due to historical introgression. Coldblood breeds with stronger genetic identity were indeed well differentiated from warmblood breeds, which are highly admixed. Other breeds showed further peculiarities due to their breeding history. Finally, we observed some breeds that exist more on cultural, traditional, and geographical point of view than due to actual genetic distinctiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Capomaccio
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy,Sport Horse Research Centre (CRCS), University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy,*Correspondence: Stefano Capomaccio, ; Michela Ablondi,
| | - Michela Ablondi
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy,*Correspondence: Stefano Capomaccio, ; Michela Ablondi,
| | - Daniele Colombi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy,Department of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Cristina Sartori
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals, and Environment, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Andrea Giontella
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy,Sport Horse Research Centre (CRCS), University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Katia Cappelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy,Sport Horse Research Centre (CRCS), University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Enrico Mancin
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals, and Environment, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Vittoria Asti
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Roberto Mantovani
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals, and Environment, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Alberto Sabbioni
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Maurizio Silvestrelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy,Sport Horse Research Centre (CRCS), University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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Naboulsi R, Cieślak J, Headon D, Jouni A, Negro JJ, Andersson G, Lindgren G. The Enrichment of Specific Hair Follicle-Associated Cell Populations in Plucked Hairs Offers an Opportunity to Study Gene Expression Underlying Hair Traits. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010561. [PMID: 36614000 PMCID: PMC9820680 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression differences can assist in characterizing important underlying genetic mechanisms between different phenotypic traits. However, when population-dense tissues are studied, the signals from scarce populations are diluted. Therefore, appropriately choosing a sample collection method that enriches a particular type of effector cells might yield more specific results. To address this issue, we performed a polyA-selected RNA-seq experiment of domestic horse (Equus ferus caballus) plucked-hair samples and skin biopsies. Then, we layered the horse gene abundance results against cell type-specific marker genes generated from a scRNA-seq supported with spatial mapping of laboratory mouse (Mus musculus) skin to identify the captured populations. The hair-plucking and skin-biopsy sample-collection methods yielded comparable quality and quantity of RNA-seq results. Keratin-related genes, such as KRT84 and KRT75, were among the genes that showed higher abundance in plucked hairs, while genes involved in cellular processes and enzymatic activities, such as MGST1, had higher abundance in skin biopsies. We found an enrichment of hair-follicle keratinocytes in plucked hairs, but detected an enrichment of other populations, including epidermis keratinocytes, in skin biopsies. In mammalian models, biopsies are often the method of choice for a plethora of gene expression studies and to our knowledge, this is a novel study that compares the cell-type enrichment between the non-invasive hair-plucking and the invasive skin-biopsy sample-collection methods. Here, we show that the non-invasive and ethically uncontroversial plucked-hair method is recommended depending on the research question. In conclusion, our study will allow downstream -omics approaches to better understand integumentary conditions in both health and disease in horses as well as other mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakan Naboulsi
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
- Correspondence:
| | - Jakub Cieślak
- Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
| | - Denis Headon
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Ahmad Jouni
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Juan J. Negro
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Göran Andersson
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gabriella Lindgren
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
- Center for Animal Breeding and Genetics, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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