Review Article

The Genetics of Racing Performance in Arabian Horses

Table 1

Summary of top candidate genes for flat racing performance in Arabian horses.

Gene symbolBiological function/pathways/gene familyPopulationAssociated trait(s)Methodology/type of analysisReference

BCL2, FOXO3, GNBa, ITGA4, PIK3AP1, PIK3CG, ATM, FOXO3, IL7R, STK4, AGPAT3, AGPAT5, GPD2, PGAT1PI3K-Akt signalling pathway
FoxO signalling pathway
Notch signalling pathway
Lipid metabolism
Pure-breed Arabian horses (Polish population)General adaptation to effort during flat racing (whole body homeostasis)Whole transcriptome seq.—RNA-seq (blood tissue)Ropka-Molik et al., [19]
SLC16A1, FABP3, ME3, DNER, LMCD1, LMOD2, ANKRD2, SH3RF2, PPARA, ACTN2, ACAA2, LPLRegulation of actin cytoskeleton, fatty acid degradation, PPAR signalling pathway, lactate metabolismPure-breed Arabian horses (Polish population)General adaptation to effort during flat racing (muscle tissue remodeling, body homeostasis)Whole transcriptome seq.—RNA-seq (muscle tissue)Ropka-Molik et al., [18]
MCT1 (SLC16A1), CD147, PDK4, DMRT3Lactate transport and metabolism, glucose and fatty acid metabolism, limb movement regulationPure-breed ArabianPossible association of PDK4 and energy production, DMRT3, and gait typeSanger sequencing
ARMS-PCR, PCR-RFLP
Regatieri et al., [21]
SH3RF2Antiapoptotic regulator of the JNK pathwayPure-breed Arabian horses (Polish population)Flat racing performance (winning, number of starts)Whole transcriptome seq.—RNA-seq, PCR-RFLP (muscle tissue)Ropka-Molik et al., [23]
BGLAP, CTSK, TYROBP, PDLIM7, SLC9B2, TWSG1, NOTCH2, IL6ST, VAV3, NFATc1, CLEC5A, TXLNG, TCAPRegulation of actin cytoskeleton, osteoclast differentiation, glycerophospholipid metabolismPure-breed Arabian horses (Polish population)Potential bone turnover markers, bone homeostasis indicatorsWhole transcriptome seq.—RNA-seq, qPCRStefaniuk-Szmukier et al., [25]
ACTN3The alpha-actin binding protein gene family structural component of sarcomeric Z linePure-breed Arabian horses (Polish population)Potentially associated with flat racing performanceWhole transcriptome seq.—RNA-seq, qPCR (muscle tissue)Ropka-Molik et al., [24]