Copy Number Variation (CNV): A New Genomic Insight in Horses

Abstract

This study aimed to contribute to our knowledge of CNVs, a type of genomic marker in equines, by producing, for the first time, a fine-scale characterization of the CNV regions (CNVRs) in the Pura Raza Española horse breed. We found not only the existence of a unique pattern of genomic regions enriched in CNVs in the PRE in comparison with the data available from other breeds but also the incidence of CNVs across the entire genome. Since these regions could affect the structure and dose of the genes involved, we also performed a gene ontology analysis which revealed that most of the genes overlapping in CNVRs were related to the olfactory pathways and immune response.