The inheritance of the leopard complex of spotting patterns in horses

A review of investigated risk factors for developing equine recurrent uveitis

Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is an ocular inflammatory disease that can be difficult to manage clinically. As such, it is the leading cause of bilateral blindness for horses. ERU is suspected to have a complex autoimmune etiology with both environmental and genetic risk factors contributing to onset and disease progression in some or all cases. Work in recent years has aimed at unraveling the primary triggers, such as infectious agents and inherited breed-specific risk factors, for disease onset, persistence, and progression. This review has aimed at encompassing those factors that have been associated, implicated, or substantiated as contributors to ERU, as well as identifying areas for which additional knowledge is needed to better understand risk for disease onset and progression. A greater understanding of the risk factors for ERU will enable earlier detection and better prognosis through prevention and new therapeutics.

Coat Color Roan Shows Association with KIT Variants and No Evidence of Lethality in Icelandic Horses

Roan (Rn) horses show a typical seasonal change of color. Their body is covered with colored and white hair. We performed a descriptive statistical analysis of breeding records of Icelandic horses to challenge the hypothesis of roan being lethal in utero under homozygous condition. The roan to non-roan ratio of foals from roan × roan matings revealed homozygous roan Icelandic horses to be viable. Even though roan is known to be inherited in a dominant mode and epistatic to other coat colors, the causative mutation is still unknown. Nevertheless, an association between roan phenotype and the KIT gene was shown for different horse breeds. In the present study, we identified KIT variants by Sanger sequencing, and show that KIT is also associated with roan in the Icelandic horse breed.

Risk factors for equine recurrent uveitis in a population of Appaloosa horses in western Canada

OBJECTIVE

To characterize clinical manifestations, measure frequency, and evaluate risk factors for equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) in Appaloosa horses in western Canada.

ANIMALS

145 Appaloosa horses.

PROCEDURES

Ophthalmic examinations were completed and eyes were classified as having no or mild clinical signs, or moderate, or severe damage from ERU. Clinical signs, age, sex, base coat color, and pattern were recorded. Whole blood and/or mane hair follicles were collected for DNA extraction, and all horses were tested for the leopard complex (LP) spotting pattern allele. Pedigree analysis was completed on affected and unaffected horses, and coefficients of coancestry (CC) and inbreeding (COI) were determined.

RESULTS

Equine recurrent uveitis was confirmed in 20 (14%) horses. The mean age of affected horses was 12.3 years (±5.3; range 3-25). Age was a significant risk factor for ERU diagnosis (OR_year  = 1.15) and classification (OR_year  = 1.19). The fewspot coat pattern was significantly associated with increased risk for ERU compared to horses that were minimally patterned or true solids. The LP/LP genotype was at a significantly greater risk for ERU compared to lp/lp (OR = 19.4) and LP/lp (OR = 6.37). Classification of ERU was greater in the LP/LP genotype compared to LP/lp. Affected horses had an average CC of 0.066, and there was a significant difference in the distribution of CC for affected horses versus the control group (P = .021). One affected horse was the sire or grandsire of nine other affected.

CONCLUSIONS

Age, coat pattern, and genetics are major risk factors for the diagnosis and classification of ERU in the Appaloosa.

Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of the Leopard Complex Spotting in Noriker Horses

Genetic analyses of coat colors are frequently restricted to subjectively categorized phenotype information. The aim of this study was to develop a method to numerically quantify the variability of leopard complex (LP) spotting phenotypes introducing tools from image analysis. Generalized Procrustes analysis eliminates systematic errors due to imaging process. The binarization of normalized images and the application of principal component analysis (PCA) on the derived pixel matrices, transform pixel information into numerical data space. We applied these methods on 90 images to ascertain the specific leopard patterns within the Noriker breed. Furthermore, we genotyped a representative sample of 191 Noriker horses for the known LP spotting associated loci. Ninety-seven percentage of the genotyped leopard spotted horses were heterozygous for LP and had at least one copy of the PATN1 allele. However, the remaining pattern variation was great, indicating other genetic factors influencing the expression of LP spotting. Based upon this data, we estimated effect sizes of the modifier PATN1, and additional factors including sex, age, base color, and spotting phenotype of parents. The PCA of the pixel matrix resulted in 2 significant components accounting for 51% of the variation. Applying a linear model, we identified significant effects for age groups and base color on the first and second components, while for sex and parents' LP phenotype significant effects were found on 4 additional components.

Pleiotropic effects of pigmentation genes in horses

Horses are valued for the beauty and variety of colouration and coat patterning. To date, eleven different genes have been characterized that contribute to the variation observed in the horse. Unfortunately, mutations involving pigmentation often lead to deleterious effects in other systems, some of which have been described in the horse. This review focuses on six such pleiotropic effects or associations with pigmentation genes. These include neurological defects (lethal white foal syndrome and lavender foal syndrome), hearing defects, eye disorders (congenital stationary night blindness and multiple congenital ocular anomalies), as well as horse-specific melanoma. The pigmentation phenotype, disorder phenotype, mode of inheritance, genetic or genomic methods utilized to identify the genes involved and, if known, the causative mutations, molecular interactions and other susceptibility loci are discussed. As our understanding of pigmentation in the horse increases, through the use of novel genomic tools, we are likely to unravel yet unknown pleiotropic effects and determine additional interactions between previously discovered loci.

Evidence for a retroviral insertion in TRPM1 as the cause of congenital stationary night blindness and leopard complex spotting in the horse

Leopard complex spotting is a group of white spotting patterns in horses caused by an incompletely dominant gene (LP) where homozygotes (LP/LP) are also affected with congenital stationary night blindness. Previous studies implicated Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel, Subfamily M, Member 1 (TRPM1) as the best candidate gene for both CSNB and LP. RNA-Seq data pinpointed a 1378 bp insertion in intron 1 of TRPM1 as the potential cause. This insertion, a long terminal repeat (LTR) of an endogenous retrovirus, was completely associated with LP, testing 511 horses (χ²=1022.00, p<<0.0005), and CSNB, testing 43 horses (χ²=43, p<<0.0005). The LTR was shown to disrupt TRPM1 transcription by premature poly-adenylation. Furthermore, while deleterious transposable element insertions should be quickly selected against the identification of this insertion in three ancient DNA samples suggests it has been maintained in the horse gene pool for at least 17,000 years. This study represents the first description of an LTR insertion being associated with both a pigmentation phenotype and an eye disorder.

Genotypes of predomestic horses match phenotypes painted in Paleolithic works of cave art

Archaeologists often argue whether Paleolithic works of art, cave paintings in particular, constitute reflections of the natural environment of humans at the time. They also debate the extent to which these paintings actually contain creative artistic expression, reflect the phenotypic variation of the surrounding environment, or focus on rare phenotypes. The famous paintings "The Dappled Horses of Pech-Merle," depicting spotted horses on the walls of a cave in Pech-Merle, France, date back ~25,000 y, but the coat pattern portrayed in these paintings is remarkably similar to a pattern known as "leopard" in modern horses. We have genotyped nine coat-color loci in 31 predomestic horses from Siberia, Eastern and Western Europe, and the Iberian Peninsula. Eighteen horses had bay coat color, seven were black, and six shared an allele associated with the leopard complex spotting (LP), representing the only spotted phenotype that has been discovered in wild, predomestic horses thus far. LP was detected in four Pleistocene and two Copper Age samples from Western and Eastern Europe, respectively. In contrast, this phenotype was absent from predomestic Siberian horses. Thus, all horse color phenotypes that seem to be distinguishable in cave paintings have now been found to exist in prehistoric horse populations, suggesting that cave paintings of this species represent remarkably realistic depictions of the animals shown. This finding lends support to hypotheses arguing that cave paintings might have contained less of a symbolic or transcendental connotation than often assumed.

Fine-mapping and mutation analysis of TRPM1: a candidate gene for leopard complex (LP) spotting and congenital stationary night blindness in horses

Leopard Complex spotting occurs in several breeds of horses and is caused by an incompletely dominant allele (LP). Homozygosity for LP is also associated with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in Appaloosa horses. Previously, LP was mapped to a 6 cm region on ECA1 containing the candidate gene TRPM1 (Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel, Subfamily M, Member 1) and decreased expression of this gene, measured by qRT-PCR, was identified as the likely cause of both spotting and ocular phenotypes. This study describes investigations for a mutation causing or associated with the Leopard Complex and CSNB phenotype in horses. Re-sequencing of the gene and associated splice sites within the 105 624 bp genomic region of TRPM1 led to the discovery of 18 SNPs. Most of the SNPs did not have a predictive value for the presence of LP. However, one SNP (ECA1:108,249,293 C>T) found within intron 11 had a strong (P < 0.0005), but not complete, association with LP and CSNB and thus is a good marker but unlikely to be causative. To further localize the association, 70 SNPs spanning over two Mb including the TRPM1 gene were genotyped in 192 horses from three different breeds segregating for LP. A single 173 kb haplotype associated with LP and CSNB (ECA1: 108,197,355- 108,370,150) was identified. Illumina sequencing of 300 kb surrounding this haplotype revealed 57 SNP variants. Based on their localization within expressed sequences or regions of high sequence conservation across mammals, six of these SNPs were considered to be the most likely candidate mutations. While the precise function of TRPM1 remains to be elucidated, this work solidifies its functional role in both pigmentation and night vision. Further, this work has identified several potential regulatory elements of the TRPM1 gene that should be investigated further in this and other species.

Differential gene expression of TRPM1, the potential cause of congenital stationary night blindness and coat spotting patterns (LP) in the Appaloosa horse (Equus caballus)

The appaloosa coat spotting pattern in horses is caused by a single incomplete dominant gene (LP). Homozygosity for LP (LP/LP) is directly associated with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in Appaloosa horses. LP maps to a 6-cM region on ECA1. We investigated the relative expression of two functional candidate genes located in this LP candidate region (TRPM1 and OCA2), as well as three other linked loci (TJP1, MTMR10, and OTUD7A) by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. No large differences were found for expression levels of TJP1, MTMR10, OTUD7A, and OCA2. However, TRPM1 (Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel, Subfamily M, Member 1) expression in the retina of homozygous appaloosa horses was 0.05% the level found in non-appaloosa horses (R = 0.0005). This constitutes a >1800-fold change (FC) decrease in TRPM1 gene expression in the retina (FC = -1870.637, P = 0.001) of CSNB-affected (LP/LP) horses. TRPM1 was also downregulated in LP/LP pigmented skin (R = 0.005, FC = -193.963, P = 0.001) and in LP/LP unpigmented skin (R = 0.003, FC = -288.686, P = 0.001) and was downregulated to a lesser extent in LP/lp unpigmented skin (R = 0.027, FC = -36.583, P = 0.001). TRP proteins are thought to have a role in controlling intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. Decreased expression of TRPM1 in the eye and the skin may alter bipolar cell signaling as well as melanocyte function, thus causing both CSNB and LP in horses.

Clinical and electroretinographic characteristics of congenital stationary night blindness in the Appaloosa and the association with the leopard complex

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in Appaloosa horses in western Canada, investigate the association with the leopard complex of white spotting patterns, and further characterize the clinical and electroretinographic aspects of CSNB in the Appaloosa.

ANIMALS STUDIED

Three groups of 10 Appaloosas were studied based on coat patterns suggestive of LpLp, Lplp, and lplp genotype.

PROCEDURES

Neurophthalmic examination, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, measurement of corneal diameter, streak retinoscopy, scotopic and photopic full-field and flicker ERGs and oscillatory potentials (OPs) were completed bilaterally.

RESULTS

All horses in the LpLp group were affected by CSNB, while none in the Lplp or lplp groups was affected. The LpLp and Lplp groups had significantly smaller vertical and horizontal corneal diameters than the lplp group had. Median refractive error was zero for all groups. Scotopic ERGs in the LpLp (CSNB-affected) group were consistent with previous descriptions. The CSNB-affected horses had significantly longer photopic a-wave implicit times, greater a-wave amplitudes, and lower b-wave amplitudes than the Lplp and lplp (normal) groups did. No differences were present in photopic flicker amplitude or implicit times. Scotopic flickers in the CSNB-affected horses were markedly reduced in amplitude and abnormal in appearance. No differences were noted in OP implicit times; however, amplitudes of some OPs were reduced in CSNB-affected horses. There were no differences in scotopic and photopic or flicker ERGs or OPs between the normal groups.

CONCLUSIONS

CSNB was present in one-third of horses studied and there was a significant association between CSNB and the inheritance of two Lp alleles. ERG abnormalities support the hypothesis that CSNB is caused by a defect in neural transmission through the rod pathway involving the inner nuclear layer.

Assignment of the appaloosa coat colour gene (LP) to equine chromosome 1

A single autosomal dominant locus, leopard complex (LP) controls the presence of appaloosa pigmentation patterns in the horse. The causative gene for LP is unknown. This study was undertaken to map LP in the horse. Two paternal half sib families segregating for the LP locus and including a total of 47 offspring were used to perform a genome scan which localized LP to horse chromosome 1 (ECA1). LP was linked to ASB08 (LOD = 9.99 at Theta = 0.02) and AHT21 (LOD = 5.03 at Theta = 0.14). To refine the map position of LP, eight microsatellite markers on ECA1 (UM041, LEX77, 1CA41, TKY374, COR046, 1CA32, 1CA43, and TKY002) were analysed in the two half sib families. Results from this linkage analysis showed LP was located in the interval between ASB08 and 1CA43. Tight junction protein (TJP1), which lies within the LP interval on ECA1, was used to determine the homologous chromosomes in humans (HSA15) and mice (mouse chromosome 7). We propose that the pink eyed dilution (p) gene and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M, member 1 (TRPM1) are positional candidate genes for LP.

Linked markers exclude KIT as the gene responsible for appaloosa coat colour spotting patterns in horses

The appaloosa coat colour pattern of the horse is similar to that caused by the rump-white (Rw) gene in the mouse. In the mouse Rw colour pattern is the result of an inversion involving the proto-oncogene c-kit (KIT). Therefore, we investigated KIT as a candidate gene that encodes the appaloosa coat colour gene (Lp) in horses. KIT plays a critical role in haematopoiesis, gametogenesis, and melanogenesis and encodes a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor that belongs to the PDGF/CSF-1/c-KIT receptor subfamily. Half-sib families segregating for Lp were uninformative for a reported polymorphism in KIT. However, KIT is located on horse chromosome 3 close to albumin (ALB), serum carboxylesterase (ES), vitamin D-binding protein (GC) and microsatellite markers ASB23, LEX007, LEX57, and UCDEQ437. Indeed, KIT and ASB23 were localized to ECA3q21-22.1 and 3q22.1-22.3, respectively, by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Family studies were conducted to investigate linkage of Lp to these markers using eight half-sib families in which Appaloosa stallions were mated to solid coloured mares. Linkage of Lp to the chromosome region containing ES, ALB, GC, ASB23, UCDEQ437, LEX57, and LEX007 was investigated by a multipoint linkage analysis using the computer program GENEHUNTER. LOD scores over the interval under investigation ranged from -4.28 to -12.48, with a score of -12.48 at the location for ASB23. Therefore, it was concluded that appaloosa (Lp) is not linked to any of the tested markers on ECA3, and thus Lp is unlikely to be the product of KIT.