LCORL: New Height Trait Available to Etalon Clients!

Discovery alert: Height Trait Now Available to All Etalon Clients!

LCORL is a gene associated with body size and therefore can function as a genetic height marker. EtalonDx is now offering testing on this gene through the end of January 2021, and we invite you to DNA test your horse and share your observations.

Although Team Etalon has been carefully exploring this gene in the preclinical phases for more than 2 years now, this gene was originally explored by EtalonDx Scientific Advisor Dr. Samantha Brooks. She and a team of researchers worked to establish correlation between height (or size) in horses and equine Recurrent Laryngeal Neuropathy (RLN).

Equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) is a condition in horses that greatly reduces their airflow during exercise due to paralysis of the larynx. This condition significantly affects performance in Thoroughbreds. There is a higher prevalence of the condition in offspring of RLN-affected than unaffected stallions, which suggested an underlying genetic component to Dr. Brooks and the team of researchers. To better understand RLN pathogenesis and its genetic basis, the team performed a genome-wide association of 282 RLN-affected and 268 control Thoroughbreds. They found a significant association of RLN with the LCORL gene previously shown to affect body size in horses. Using height at the withers of 505 of these horses, they confirmed the strong association of this gene with body size, and demonstrated a significant correlation between height and RLN grade.

Since this initial discovery, several new studies have been conducted to determine diversification of LCORL gene in horse breeds and its association with body size. Overall, these studies concluded that different mutations in the LCORL gene can be used as candidate markers for height.

We are as excited about a new testable trait as you are, and can’t wait to see the results! Order now with the MiniPanel PLUS to receive LCORL testing at no additional cost, or order LCORL on its own as a single test for $40. Order now at www.etalondx.com.

References

Boyko AR, Brooks SA, Behan-Braman A, Castelhano M, Corey E, Oliveira KC, Swinburne JE, Todhunter RJ, Zhang Z, Ainsworth DM, Robinson NE. Genomic analysis establishes correlation between growth and laryngeal neuropathy in Thoroughbreds. BMC Genomics. 2014 Apr 3;15:259. doi: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-259. PMID: 24707981; PMCID: PMC4051171.