The VGL equine genetics research team, led by Dr. Rebecca Bellone, has just published a new study on the heritability of insidious uveitis in the Appaloosa horse.
The study evaluated over 140 horses and the findings show that ERU is highly heritable in this breed. This study was the focus of Dr. Nicole Kingsley’s Ph.D. thesis work and is the first of several studies on the genetics of uveitis to be conducted as part of Nicole’s thesis project.
Equine coat color is an important economic trait and, for centuries, horses have been selectively bred for a variety of coat colors and patterns, some of which constitute breed-defining phenotypes. Coat color is also relevant from a health perspective, given that some pigmentation variants have been connected to equine genetic health disorders.
The Ann T. Bowling Fellowship was established by the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL) in memory of Dr. Ann Bowling, who was a pioneer in veterinary genetics. In line with the VGL’s mission to promote and enhance research and education in animal genetics, this fellowship provides one year of support to full-time graduate students in UC Davis Ph.D. programs whose research is directed at identifying and understanding the genetic basis of heritable disorders that afflict animal species.
The observations provide an origination example of the main mechanism of biological variation, mutations in the DNA
The field of genetics has enabled us to predict susceptibility to heritable diseases and map the genome of many species. Now, modern genetics and the birth of a unique foal in New Zealand has provided a successful example of tracking a mutation at its origin.
The study done by researchers at the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL) provide a baseline for assessing and managing genetic diversity in the American Standardbred horse. The American Standardbred was selectively bred for harness racing and, today, there are two gaits that these horses race at: the trot and the pace. The trot is a two-beat diagonal gait whereas the pace is a two-beat lateral gate.
The study is the first to investigate potential risk factors for equine recurrent uveitis in the Icelandic horse and sheds light into the genetic factors behind disease development in the breed.
A recent study sheds new light on the prevalence and penetrance of the missense mutation in the type 2X myosin heavy chain (MYH1) gene that is associated with myosin-heavy chain myopathy (MYHM) in Quarter Horses. The UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory offers a genetic test for MYHM and reports the presence of this mutation as My and the absence of this mutation as N.
An international collaboration between the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL) and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) characterized the first case of Fragile Foal Syndrome (FFS) in the Thoroughbred.
The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory will briefly pause most genetic testing for a week in July as part of an initiative to address deferred equipment maintenance and to give staff a chance to rest and recuperate from an unusually demanding year.
A recent publication co-authored by VGL researchers and other members of the equine genetics research community highlights how collaborative work, including an “adopt-a-tissue” initiative, have allowed researchers to annotate tissue-specific elements of the equine genome.
A study building on previous research at the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory has found the DDB2 genetic risk factor for ocular squamous cell carcinoma in an additional three breeds of horse.
To more accurately reflect the genetic mechanism that underpins both immune-mediated myositis (IMM) and non-exertional rhabdomyolysis, the name of the VGL’s DNA test has been updated from Immune-mediated Myositis (IMM/MYH1) to myosin-heavy chain myopathy (MYHM).
A recent survey of horse breeds in Europe and the USA found the Warmblood fragile foal syndrome type 1 (WFFS) variant mainly in warmbloods and few other breeds, with no evidence the variant originated in Arabians.
An interdisciplinary team led by VGL Director Dr. Rebecca Bellone identified a genetic variant associated with distichiasis in Friesian horses. This is the first identification of a genetic variant linked to equine distichiasis, an ocular disease characterized by eyelashes that grow from abnormal positions along the edge of the eyelid and often lead to corneal irritation and damage.
A new study by a team of Veterinary Genetics Laboratory researchers and collaborators has provided functional evidence that a mutation in a UV damage DNA repair gene gives rise to equine ocular squamous cell carcinoma.
The UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory recently achieved the ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation by the American National Standards Institute National Accreditation Board, the highest level of accreditation available to testing laboratories. According to their website, ANAB is the largest multi-disciplinary accreditation body in the western hemisphere, with more than 2,500 organizations accredited in approximately 80 countries.
