Equine genome sequencing shows similarity to human genome.

An international research team has found that the genome of the domestic horse, Equus caballus, has a structure remarkably similar to our own genome. The paper, "Genome Sequence, Comparative Analysis, and Population Genetics of the Domestic Horse," will be published in the Nov. 6 issue of the journal Science." It is the first published report of the horse genome sequence.

The Horse Genome Project, which began in 2006, brought together more than 100 scientists in 20 different countries to define the DNA sequence -- or genome -- of the horse. There are approximately 2.7 billion DNA pairs in the sequence.

With this knowledge, scientists can begin to understand the genetic aspects of equine physiology and disease.

Genetic tools have the potential to help researchers find new therapies and treatments for diseases in which gene mutations or alterations play a role such as laminitis, respiratory diseases, colic, muscle diseases, and others. The sequencing of the horse genome allows scientists to better understand the genetic aspects of equine physiology and develop new therapies for many diseases in which gene mutations or alterations in gene expression play a major role, such as muscle diseases, orthopedic diseases, recurrent airway disease, metabolic syndrome, colic, laminitis, and immune-mediated diseases. The genome sequence will also provide new insights into behavioral disorders, resistance and susceptibility to infectious diseases, and performance traits.

The research may also have profound implications for human health because of the similarities between the two genomes. There are more than 80 known genetic conditions in horses that are genetically similar to disorders seen in humans, including musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, and respiratory diseases.

In addition to sequencing the horse genome, researchers produced a map of horse genetic variation using DNA samples from a variety of modern and ancestral breeds. This map will provide scientists with a genome-wide view of genetic variability in horses and help them identify the genetic contributions to physical and behavioral differences between breeds, as well as to disease susceptibility. More than a million genetic differences have been found across a variety of horse breeds!

The DNA used in the sequencing effort came from Twilight, a Thoroughbred mare at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, N.Y. Researchers obtained the DNA from a small sample of the horse's blood.

Information derived from a press release issued by the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Read more about the equine genome at:

Horse Genome Sequence Published

Million genetic differences found across horse breeds