This web page was produced as an assignment for Gen677 at UW-Madison Spring 2013
Whole-Genome SNP Association in the Horse: Identification of a Deletion in Myosin Va Responsible for Lavender Foal Syndrome
PLoS Genetics 6(4): e1000909. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000909
By: Brooks SA., Garbreski N., Miller D., Brisbin A., Brown HE., Streeter C., Mezey J., Cook D., Antczak DF.
By: Brooks SA., Garbreski N., Miller D., Brisbin A., Brown HE., Streeter C., Mezey J., Cook D., Antczak DF.
Cause of Fatal Genetic Disease in Horses Identified
Fatal genetic diseases affecting foals cause significant economic and emotional impacts on horse owners and breeders.This makes finding the cause of these diseases and developing tests to identify them particularly important in the equine community. Lavender foal syndrome is one such disease occurring in Egyptian Arabian foals. This recessively inherited disease results in neurologic symptoms and a hallmark diluted ‘lavender’ coat. While the disease is rare, it is always fatal and the stigma of breeding these sick foals can have significant negative economic impacts of breeders. If a breeding farm is know to produce foals with lavender foal syndrome other potential breeders will no longer want to breed with that farm. Progress towards finding a cause had proven difficult until the recent sequencing of the horse genome provided new tools for identifying mutations.
Genomic studies conducted at Cornell University used these new genetics tools to identify Myosin Va as the gene responsible for Lavender Foal Syndrome. Quickly following its identification, a test to identify horses carrying this defective gene was developed and is now available to breeders. The new techniques and tools used to identify the cause of Lavender Foal Syndrome have provided a way to identify other genetic diseases in the horse in the future. This could lead to an entire array of genetic tests available to breeders to help them make informed breeding decisions, leading to healthier horses everywhere.
Genomic studies conducted at Cornell University used these new genetics tools to identify Myosin Va as the gene responsible for Lavender Foal Syndrome. Quickly following its identification, a test to identify horses carrying this defective gene was developed and is now available to breeders. The new techniques and tools used to identify the cause of Lavender Foal Syndrome have provided a way to identify other genetic diseases in the horse in the future. This could lead to an entire array of genetic tests available to breeders to help them make informed breeding decisions, leading to healthier horses everywhere.