Polymorphisms of mitochondrial DNA & racing performance

[Patuxet]

A team of researchers in Australia and China has been awarded a grant for their project "An investigation on the Polymorphisms of mitochondrial DNA in relation to racing performance in thoroughbred horses". Allan Davie, who has studied racehorses for over 20 years, is heading the research team.

Davie said it's well established that high aerobic power (maximum oxygen consumption) provided the physiological foundation for elite racing performance in both humans and horses and that maximum oxygen consumption is influenced by the mitochondria found within individual cells.

"Mitochondrial density and function regulate aerobic power. Therefore, the genotype of mitochondria - the genetic history - is one of the key factors that determine muscle utilisation of oxygen and aerobic performance."

The current understanding, he said, is that mitochondrial DNA is the only genetic material outside the nucleic DNA that is transferred exclusively from mother to offspring in mammals.

Here's a link to an article reporting on the research project: http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2010/01/155.shtml

[xfactor fan]

Do you suppose they will publish the results with either names or family numbers or mtDNA designations so we can figure out the energy profiles?
Or is this research going to get rolled out as private testing?

[Pan Zareta]

Do you suppose they will publish the results with either names or family numbers or mtDNA designations so we can figure out the energy profiles?
Or is this research going to get rolled out as private testing?

If there's a potential commercial value to the results, it seems doubtful that correlation of haplotype and pedigree/family# will be made public.

[Patuxet]

Steven Harrison in Britain has published work relating mtDNA variations to winning distance over about 30 years worth of English races. The study was published in the journal Mitochondrion in 2006 and there was a review in Pacemaker...http://thoroughbredgenetics.com/PACEMAKER%20BG.PDF

[Pan Zareta]

The study was published in the journal Mitochondrion in 2006 and there was a review in Pacemaker...http://thoroughbredgenetics.com/PACEMAKER%20BG.PDF

Review implies evaluation by a third party. That link is to a brief 'plain English' summary of the article, written by the same authors.

Fwiw - 17 mtDNA haplotype (defined by d-loop and functional regions) were identifed among 1000 TB's used for the 2006 study. Five of those haps. were determined to have a significant negative (3) or positive (2) correlation w/ racing distance. Multiple alleles were identified at 6 of 8 mtDNA genes.

The 3 haplotypes identified within that study as having a negative correlation for distance were all within the most common mtDNA haplogroup found among the sampled TBs. The authors, for obvious reasons of commercial interest, did not use the nomenclature of Vila et al. (2001) to label that haplogroup. But from other published, peer-reviewed, sources re. equine mtDNA the most common haplgroup in the TB is obviously D (Vila et al. 2001). Haplogroup D is inclusive of haplotypes B,C,D,E,F,G as identified by Hill et al. 2002. One of the 'sprint haplotypes' identified (2006) had a unique allele at the ND5 gene. The other two were distinguishable only in d-loop (non-coding) mtDNA from haplotypes with no apparent correlation for racing distance.

There's insufficient evidence to identify the haplogroups (as defined by Vila) of the 2 haplotypes (2006) that demonstrated positive correlation for racing distance. One of these had a unique allele at the ND2 and ND4 genes. The other had a unique allele at ND5.

[vineyridge]

Yes, and Dr. Harrison is part of business doing TB genetics testing. Thanks for the article. If you follow the link at the top, you can see what his company offers.

[brogers]

In regards to the above mtDNA study, you might all be interested in this

http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090156414

[xfactor fan]

Wow!

I'd love to get a hold of the table with the names of the horses and the matching mtDNA types.

[Pan Zareta]

In regards to the above mtDNA study, you might all be interested in this

http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090156414

Do you know whether the patent applicant has taken or contemplates taking legal action in regard to equine mtDNA studies currently in progress?

[xfactor fan]

Are they trying to patten mtDNA or a test to determine mtDNA?

[diomed]

Wow!

I'd love to get a hold of the table with the names of the horses and the matching mtDNA types.

You are not the only one!
I will take that further; I would love to see the list and then compare it to a list of quarter horse families(If they ever get to it for that breed).
Just for shit's and giggles.

[Dave C]

Are they trying to patten mtDNA or a test to determine mtDNA?

I just scanned through it, rather than reading it carefully, but it looked to me that they were trying to get the patent office to give them as broad of a patent as possible, including the actual DNA. This is a logical trend that the courts will eventually have to deal with since the courts allowed genes to be patented in the first place. Some companies are going to try to collect royalties on 'their' genes from everyone and everything that posesses 'their' gene even if it is obtained naturally.

[xfactor fan]

Just how would someone enforce a patten on mtDNA, and how would someone enforce such a thing?

[Pan Zareta]

how would someone enforce such a thing?

For one example, by restricting access to products, such as primers, necessary to determine mtDNA sequences.

Iirc, a patent appliation was pending when Harrison & Turrion-Gomez's report was published in Mitochondrion, 2006. Apparently one or more patents were granted, but I don't know in which country or for what. The Thoroughbred Genetics web site refers to "patented DNA tests" and to "a larger study which has allowed Thoroughbred Genetics to develop genetic databases covering national racing in the USA and Australia, which vary in their racing requirements from Europe". *Perhaps* Davie's research is part of that. If so, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for any correlation of haplotype with pedigree and/or family number to be made public.

[Dave C]

Right know the genome of every species is being treated as a new gold field: everyone is rushing to stake their claims (with patents). They will try and figure out a way to make people pay later. Incrementalism has always been a good technique to get people to accept something that they find repulsive.