• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.285-287
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• 2015

Wolf teeth have been reported with incidence rate of 13% to 31.9% in horses of both sexes. However, there is no report about the incidence of wolf teeth in pony breeds. In order to determine the incidence of wolf teeth in Jeju Ponies and Jeju Pony crossbreds, oral examination and palpation of the interdental space of ponies at the Jeju Race Park were performed from 2006 to 2010. Results of this study showed that a total of 90 (3.4%) of the 2,675 examined Jeju Ponies and Jeju Pony crossbreds had wolf teeth. Among 30 Jeju Ponies that had wolf teeth, 22 were male (73.3%) and 8 were female (26.7%). Among 60 Jeju Pony crossbreds that had wolf teeth, 25 were male (41.7%) and 35 were female (58.3%). In Jeju Ponies, wolf teeth were most common in 3-years-old, followed by ${\geq}4$-years-old, then 2-years-old. For Jeju Pony crossbreds, wolf teeth were most common in 3-years-old, followed by 2-yearsold, then ${\geq}4$-years-old. In conclusion, the incidence of wolf teeth in Jeju Ponies and Jeju Pony crossbreds was considerably lower than what has been reported for horses in other countries.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.215-217
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• 2015

There was no study on the prevalence of doping control of racehorses in Korea. The purpose of this study was to determine prohibited substances in horse races of a drugs testing program. Blood samples were taken from those 298,543 starters prior to racing and the that finished top 3 runners of each race and horses designated by the stewards shall be taken for collection of 91,482 urine samples for the purpose of post-race doping test in Seoul, Busan and Jeju Race Park between 2002 and 2013. Detection and measurement of prohibited substances were carried out by ELISA, GC/MS and LC/MS using standard methods at the Doping Control Center, Korea Racing Authority. Total 0.0030% of pre-races and total 0.0186% of post-races tested positive for prohibited substances. In pre- and post-race, caffeine and ketoprofen were the most detected prohibited substance respectively. We thought that characteristics of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs resulted in different between plasma and urine. These substances have also been detected with other prohibited drugs suggesting that unintentional feeding or bedding may be the reason and groomers' confusion of candidate horses based by the stewards' research.

• Genes and Genomics
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.1249-1258
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• 2018

The Jeju horse is an indigenous Korean horse breed that is currently registered with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. However, there is severe lack of genomic studies on Jeju horse. This study was conducted to investigate genetic characteristics of horses including Jeju horse, Thoroughbred and Jeju crossbred (Jeju${\times}$Thoroughbred) populations. We compared the genomes of three horse populations using the Equine SNP70 Beadchip array. Short-range Linkage disequilibrium was the highest in Thoroughbred, whereas $r^2$ values were lowest in Jeju horse. Expected heterozygosity was the highest in Jeju crossbred (0.351), followed by the Thoroughbred (0.337) and Jeju horse (0.311). The level of inbreeding was slightly higher in Thoroughbred (-0.009) than in Jeju crossbred (-0.035) and Jeju horse (-0.038). $F_{ST}$ value was the highest between Jeju horse and Thoroughbred (0.113), whereas Jeju crossbred and Thoroughbred showed the lowest value (0.031). The genetic relationship was further assessed by principal component analysis, suggesting that Jeju crossbred is more genetically similar to Thoroughbred than Jeju horse population. Additionally, we detected potential selection signatures, for example, in loci located on LCORL/NCAPG and PROP1 genes that are known to influence body. Genome-wide analyses of the three horse populations showed that all the breeds had somewhat a low level of inbreeding within each population. In the population structure analysis, we found that Jeju crossbred was genetically closer to Thoroughbred than Jeju horse. Furthermore, we identified several signatures of selection which might be associated with traits of interest. To our current knowledge, this study is the first genomic research, analyzing genetic relationships of Jeju horse, Thoroughbred and Jeju crossbred.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.1827-1838
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• 2022

Objective: The semen quality of stallions including sperm motility is an important target of selection as it has a high level of individual variability. However, effects of the molecular architecture of the genome on the mechanisms of sperm formation and their preservation after thawing have been poorly investigated. Here, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for the sperm motility of cryopreserved semen in stallions of various breeds. Methods: Semen samples were collected from the stallions of 23 horse breeds. The following semen characteristics were examined: progressive motility (PM), progressive motility after freezing (FPM), and the difference between PM and FPM. The respective DNA samples from these stallions were genotyped using Axiom Equine Genotyping Array. Results: We performed a GWAS search for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and potential genes related to motility properties of frozen-thawed semen in the stallions of various breeds. As a result of the GWAS analysis, two SNP markers, rs1141327473 and rs1149048772, were identified that were associated with preservation of the frozen-thawed stallion sperm motility, the relevant putative candidate genes being NME/NM23 family member 8 (NME8), olfactory receptor family 2 subfamily AP member 1 (OR2AP1), and olfactory receptor family 6 subfamily C member 4 (OR6C4). Potential implications of effects of these genes on sperm motility are herein discussed. Conclusion: The GWAS results enabled us to localize novel SNPs and candidate genes for sperm motility in stallions. Implications of the study for horse breeding and genetics are a better understanding of genomic regions and candidate genes underlying stallion sperm quality, and improvement in horse reproduction and breeding techniques. The identified markers and genes for sperm cryotolerance and the respective genomic regions are promising candidates for further studying the biological processes in the formation and function of the stallion reproductive system.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.349-354
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• 2013

This study examined a technique for cooling root zone aimed at lowering substrate temperature for sweet pepper (Capsicum annum L. 'Orange glory') cultivation in coir substrate hydroponics during hot season, from the $16^{th}$ of July to $15^{th}$ of October in 2012. The root zone cooling technique was applied by using an air duct (${\varnothing}12$ cm, hole size 0.1 mm) to blow cool air between two slabs during night (5p.m. to 3a.m.). Between the $23^{rd}$ of July and $31^{st}$ of August (hot temperature period), average daily substrate temperature was $24.7^{\circ}C$ under the root zone cooling, whereas it was $28.2^{\circ}C$ under condition of no cooling (control). In sunny day (600~700 W $m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$), average substrate temperatures during the day (6a.m. to 8p.m.) and night (8p.m. to 6a.m.) were lower about $1.7^{\circ}C$ and $3.3^{\circ}C$, respectively, under the cooling treatment, compared to that of control. The degree of temperature reduction in the substrate was averagely $0.5^{\circ}C$ per hour under the cooling treatment during 6p.m. to 8p.m.; however, there was no decrease in the temperature under the control. The temperature difference between the cooling and control treatments was $1.3^{\circ}C$ and $0.6^{\circ}C$ in the upper and lower part of the slab, respectively. During the hot temperature period, about 32.5% reduction in the substrate temperature was observed under the cooling treatment, compared to the control. Photosynthesis, transpiration rate, and leaf water potential of plants grown under the cooling treatment were significantly higher than those under the control. The first flowering date in the cooling was faster about 4 days than in the control. Also, the number of fruits was significantly higher than that in the control. No differences in plant height, stem thickness, number of internode, and leaf width were found between the plants grown under the cooling and control, except for the leaf length with a shorter length under the cooling treatment. However, root zone cooling influenced negligibly on eliminating delay in fruiting caused by excessively higher air temperature (> $28^{\circ}C$), although the substrate temperature was reduced by $3^{\circ}C$ to $5.6^{\circ}C$. These results suggest that the technique of lowering substrate temperature by using air-duct blow needs to be incorporated into the lowering growing temperature system for growth and fruit set of health paprika.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.795-801
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• 2018

This study was conducted to investigate the association of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers on equine chromosomes (ECA) 3 and 9 with body weight in Jeju horses. We used DNA samples and body weight data of 320 horses provided by the Livestock Promotion Agency, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, and the Korean Racing Association, respectively. We genotyped all the experimental animals using nine SNP markers located on ECA 3 (BIEC2-808466, BIEC2-808543, BIEC2-808967, and BIEC2-809370) and ECA 9 (BIEC2-1105370, BIEC2-1105372, BIEC2-1105377, BIEC21105505, and BIEC2-1105840). These markers were selected due to their effects on body conformation traits in horses. The joint effect of the genotypes of the two SNP markers (BIEC2-808467 and BIEC2-1105377) regarding body weight were also evaluated. The estimated breeding value (EBV) of body weight was obtained as the dependent variable for association analyses using a linear mixed model. Significant associations were detected between SNP markers (BIEC2-808543, BIEC2-808967, BIEC2-809370, BIEC2-1105370, BIEC2-1105372, and BIEC2-1105377) and the body weight EBV. In addition, the joint genotype effect of the BIEC2-808467 and BIEC2-1105377 on the body weight EBV was significant. These results indicate that the SNP markers, which showed their significant effects on body conformation, can be used as genetic markers to improve the efficiency of the selective breeding program for the body weight traits in Jeju horses.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2012

Cryopreservation induces sublethal damage to the spermatozoa, which leads to their reduced fertile life. This study was designed to determine effect of glycerol and ethylene glycol as cryoprotectant in extender on improve the freezability of Jeju horse semen. The semen was cryopreserved with glucose-EDTA extender containing each 5% glycerol, 5% ethylene glycol, 8% glycerol or 8% ethylene glycol, respectively. Post-thawed sperm were evaluated motility, viability, Membrane integrity and acrosome integrity. Post-thawed sperm motility were not significantly differences among treatments. However, sperm viability were significantly higher (p<0.05) in 8% glycerol ($39.85%{\pm}11.41$) than in 5% glycerol treatment ($18.08%{\pm}1.61$). In membrane integrity, swelling sperm ratio was significantly higher (p<0.05) in 8% glycerol ($34.12%{\pm}11.02$) than other treatments. In the percentage of capacitated sperm assessed by CTC staining, F pattern was significantly higher in 8% ethylene glycol than 5% glycerol and 5% ethylene glycol (p<0.05). B pattern ratio was significantly increased in 5% ethylene glycol compared with 8% glcerol and 8% ethylene glycol (p<0.05). Moreover, 8% ethylene glycol treatment was significantly decreased AR pattern ratio compared with other treatments (p<0.05). It is concluded that treatment of 8% glycerol was improved the sperm viability and 8% ethylene glycol was improved the sperm ascrosome integrity after thawing. However, they were not significantly difference between 8% glycerol and 8% ethylene glycol on post-thawed sperm viability. Therefore, 8% ethylene glycol was more effective sperm cryoprotectant than 8% glycerol in Jeju Horse.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.191-198
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• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate a usefulness of the microsatellite DNA markers for individual identification and parentage verification in three dog breeds. A total of 59 random dog (31 Chiwawa, 20 Poongsan, 8 Labrador Retriever) samples were genotyped by using 14 markers (Chiwawa dog), 16 markers (Poongsan dog), and 12 markers (Labrador Retriever dog) among the 17 international standard markers (PEZ1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, FHC2010, FHC2054 and FHC2079), respectively. The number of alleles per locus varied from 4 to 14 with a mean value of 6.07 in Chiwawa dog, 2 to 9 with a mean of 4.75 in Poongsan dog, and 3 to 5 with a mean of 4.00 in Labrador Retriever dog. Observed heterozygosity was ranged 0.419${\sim}$0.968 (mean 0.755), 0.300${\sim}$0.950 (mean 0.597) and 0.125${\sim}$0.750 (mean 0.604), and expected heterozygosity was ranged 0.432${\sim}$0.883 (mean 0.711), 0.262${\sim}$0.817 (mean 0.559) and 0.425${\sim}$0.808 (mean 0.660) in these three dog breeds. PIC value was ranged 0.397${\sim}$0.856 (mean 0.659), 0.222${\sim}$0.772 (mean 0.503) and 0.354${\sim}$0.717 (mean 0.563) in these three dog breeds. Of the 17 markers, PEZ1, PEZ3, PEZ6, PEZ10, PEZ12 loci, PEZ1, PEZ6, PEZ13 loci, and PEZ8, PEZ12 loci have relatively high PIC value (＞0.7) in Chiwawa dog, Poongsan dog and Labrador Retriever dog, respectively. The exclusion probability was ranged 0.240${\sim}$0.741, 0.111${\sim}$0.616, and 0.198${\sim}$0.529, and the combination of microsatellite loci was 0.9999, 0.9991, and 0.9968 in Chiwawa dog, Poongsan dog and Labrador Retriever dog, respectively. These results can give basic information for developing parentage verification and individual identification system in these three dog breeds.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.210-220
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• 2015

Athletic performance is an important criteria used for the selection of superior horses. However, little is known about exercise-related epigenetic processes in the horse. DNA methylation is a key mechanism for regulating gene expression in response to environmental changes. We carried out comparative genomic analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in the blood samples of two different thoroughbred horses before and after exercise by methylated-DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-Seq). Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in the pre-and post-exercise blood samples of superior and inferior horses were identified. Exercise altered the methylation patterns. After 30 min of exercise, 596 genes were hypomethy-lated and 715 genes were hypermethylated in the superior horse, whereas in the inferior horse, 868 genes were hypomethylated and 794 genes were hypermethylated. These genes were analyzed based on gene ontology (GO) annotations and the exercise-related pathway patterns in the two horses were compared. After exercise, gene regions related to cell division and adhesion were hypermethylated in the superior horse, whereas regions related to cell signaling and transport were hypermethylated in the inferior horse. Analysis of the distribution of methylated CpG islands confirmed the hypomethylation in the gene-body methylation regions after exercise. The methylation patterns of transposable elements also changed after exercise. Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) showed abundance of DMRs. Collectively, our results serve as a basis to study exercise-based reprogramming of epigenetic traits.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.887-896
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• 2004

The present study was carried out to investigate the blood markers of Mongolian horses. The blood redcell types and blood protein types(biochemical polymorphisrns) were tested from 19 Mongolian horses by serological and electrophoretic procedure, and their phenotypes and gene frequencies were estimated. The blood group and biochemical polymorphism phenotypes observed with high frequency were $A^{af}$(42.1%), $C^a$(89.5%), $K^-$(84.2%), $U^a$(63.2%), $P^a$(42.1%) $P^-$42.1%), $Q^c$(31.6%) $Q^-$(31.6%), $AL^{AB}$((52.6%), AI$B^K$(89.5%), $ES^1$(63.2%), $GC^F$(78.9%), $HB^BI$1(68.4%), PG$D^F$(84.2%), $TF^{FIR}$(21.1%), $TF^{F2R}$(21.1%)(21.1%), and genotypes $D^{cgm/dghm}$(15.8%), $D^{dghm/dghm}$(15.8%), $D^{ad/dghm}$(10.5%), $D^{ade/dghm}$(10.5%), in Mongolian horses, respectively. Alleles observed with high frequency were $A^a$(0.4211), $C^a$(0.8947), $K^-$(0.8421), $U^a$(0.6316), $P^a$(0.4474), $Q^c$(0.4474), $D^{dghm}$(0.4211), $AL^B$(0.6579), $AIB^K$(0.9211), $ES^I$(0.7895), $GC^F$(0.8947), $HB^{BI}$(0.7895), $PGD^F$(0.8421) and $TF^R$(0.3421) in Mongolian horses. These results present basic information for estimating the genetic relationships between the Korean native horse, and developing a system for parentage verification and individuals identification in Mongolian horse.