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Unveiling Genetic Potential for Equine Meat Production: A Bioinformatics Approach
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Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Groblje 3, 1230 Domžale, Slovenia
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Department of Animal Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2024, 14(16), 2441; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14162441
Submission received: 26 June 2024
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Revised: 27 July 2024
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Accepted: 15 August 2024
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Published: 22 August 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food from Equids: Production, Quality, Promotion, and Commercialization)
Simple Summary
As global meat production is rapidly increasing, it is important to find sustainable sources of meat. Horsemeat is a viable alternative due to its lower environmental impact and high nutritional value. In this study, bioinformatics was used to determine genetic markers (SNPs) that could improve horsemeat production by focusing on orthologous genes related to meat yield in cattle and in QTLs for body weight and body size. Out of 268 markers, 27 SNPs in key genes such as LCORL, LASP1, IGF1R, and MSTN were prioritized. These findings can help small-scale farmers to breed horses with better meat yield. In addition, this information will be valuable for large-scale genetic studies to further evaluate these markers and improve breeding programs. This work lays the foundation for a better understanding of horse genetics and the advancement of horse breeding.
Abstract
In view of the predicted significant increase in global meat production, alternative sources such as horsemeat are becoming increasingly important due to their lower environmental impact and high nutritional value. This study aimed to identify SNP markers on the GeneSeek® Genomic Profiler™ Equine (Neogen, Lansing, MI, USA) that are important for horsemeat production traits. First, orthologous genes related to meat yield in cattle and common genes between horses and cattle within QTLs for body size and weight were identified. Markers for these genes were then evaluated based on predicted variant consequences, GERP scores, and positions within constrained elements and orthologous regulatory regions in pigs. A total of 268 markers in 57 genes related to meat production were analyzed. This resulted in 27 prioritized SNP markers in 22 genes, including notable markers in LCORL, LASP1, IGF1R, and MSTN. These results will benefit smallholder farmers by providing genetic insights for selective breeding that could improve meat yield. This study also supports future large-scale genetic analyses such as GWAS and Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (GBLUP). The results of this study may be helpful in improving the accuracy of genomic breeding values. However, limitations include reliance on bioinformatics without experimental validation. Future research can validate these markers and consider a wider range of traits to ensure accuracy in equine breeding.
