Table 1.
Summary of top candidate genes for flat racing performance in Arabian horses.
| Gene symbol | Biological function/pathways/gene family | Population | Associated trait(s) | Methodology/type of analysis | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BCL2, FOXO3, GNBa, ITGA4, PIK3AP1, PIK3CG, ATM, FOXO3, IL7R, STK4, AGPAT3, AGPAT5, GPD2, PGAT1 | PI3K-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, LPL | Regulation of actin cytoskeleton, fatty acid degradation, PPAR signalling pathway, lactate metabolism | Pure-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, DMRT3 | Lactate transport and metabolism, glucose and fatty acid metabolism, limb movement regulation | Pure-breed Arabian | Possible association of PDK4 and energy production, DMRT3, and gait type | Sanger sequencing ARMS-PCR, PCR-RFLP |
Regatieri et al., [21] |
| SH3RF2 | Antiapoptotic regulator of the JNK pathway | Pure-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, TCAP | Regulation of actin cytoskeleton, osteoclast differentiation, glycerophospholipid metabolism | Pure-breed Arabian horses (Polish population) | Potential bone turnover markers, bone homeostasis indicators | Whole transcriptome seq.—RNA-seq, qPCR | Stefaniuk-Szmukier et al., [25] |
| ACTN3 | The alpha-actin binding protein gene family structural component of sarcomeric Z line | Pure-breed Arabian horses (Polish population) | Potentially associated with flat racing performance | Whole transcriptome seq.—RNA-seq, qPCR (muscle tissue) | Ropka-Molik et al., [24] |