PLoS ONE (Jan 2010)

A sequence polymorphism in MSTN predicts sprinting ability and racing stamina in thoroughbred horses.

  • Emmeline W Hill,
  • Jingjing Gu,
  • Suzanne S Eivers,
  • Rita G Fonseca,
  • Beatrice A McGivney,
  • Preethi Govindarajan,
  • Nick Orr,
  • Lisa M Katz,
  • David E MacHugh

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0008645
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 1
p. e8645

Abstract

Read online

Variants of the MSTN gene encoding myostatin are associated with muscle hypertrophy phenotypes in a range of mammalian species, most notably cattle, dogs, mice, and humans. Using a sample of registered Thoroughbred horses (n = 148), we have identified a novel MSTN sequence polymorphism that is strongly associated (g.66493737C>T, P = 4.85x10(-8)) with best race distance among elite racehorses (n = 79). This observation was independently validated (P = 1.91x10(-6)) in a resampled group of Thoroughbreds (n = 62) and in a cohort of Thoroughbreds (n = 37, P = 0.0047) produced by the same trainer. We observed that C/C horses are suited to fast, short-distance races; C/T horses compete favorably in middle-distance races; and T/T horses have greater stamina. Evaluation of retrospective racecourse performance (n = 142) and stallion progeny performance predict that C/C and C/T horses are more likely to be successful two-year-old racehorses than T/T animals. Here we describe for the first time the identification of a gene variant in Thoroughbred racehorses that is predictive of genetic potential for an athletic phenotype.