For over two decades, pedigree verification in horses in Germany has been carried out using molecular genetic diagnostics in the laboratory.
To date, so-called microsatellite markers, which are found at various locations within the equine genome (genetic material or DNA), have been analysed for pedigree verification in horses. Hair samples are usually taken from horses as the source material for DNA testing: the hair roots contain cells with a nucleus, which holds the genetic information. Internationally, agreement was reached in 1997 on a set of 17 microsatellites for verifying the pedigree of horses, comprising 12 standard markers and 5 markers for advanced testing. The International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG) plays a coordinating role in the selection of the set of microsatellites used. Accordingly, in routine practice in Germany, 12 microsatellite markers are usually analysed to verify whether a foal is indeed descended from the mare and stallion stated in the papers.
From 1 January 2021, German riding horse breeding will gradually transition from microsatellite markers to an SNP-based system. What are microsatellites, what does the change in pedigree verification mean for horse breeding, and what does the abbreviation SNP stand for? Dr Wietje Nolte and Prof. Christa Kühn from the FBN Dummerstorf have summarised all the relevant information on the transition in the text below.
