Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Night blindness linked to leopard spotting in Miniature Horses
By Sandmeyer, Lynne S et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2012·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Congenital stationary night blindness is associated with the leopard complex in the Miniature Horse.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A group of Miniature Horses with a specific coat pattern known as the leopard complex was studied to see if they had congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB), a condition that affects their ability to see in low light. The research found that all horses with the LP/LP coat pattern had CSNB, while those with other patterns did not show any signs of the condition. Genetic testing revealed that certain DNA markers were linked to both the coat pattern and the blindness. This suggests that Miniature Horses can have CSNB similar to Appaloosas, and these genetic markers could help identify horses at risk for this vision problem.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:   To determine if congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) exists in the Miniature Horse in association with leopard complex spotting patterns (LP), and to investigate if CSNB in the Miniature Horse is associated with three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the region of TRPM1 that are highly associated with CSNB and LP in Appaloosas. ANIMALS STUDIED:   Three groups of Miniature Horses were studied based on coat patterns suggestive of LP/LP (n=3), LP/lp (n=4), and lp/lp genotype (n=4). PROCEDURES:   Horses were categorized based on phenotype as well as pedigree analysis as LP/LP, LP/lp, and lp/lp. Neurophthalmic examination, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, and scotopic flash electroretinography were performed on all horses. Hair samples were processed for DNA analysis. Three SNPs identified and associated with LP and CSNB in the Appaloosa were investigated for association with LP and CSNB in these Miniature Horses. RESULTS:   All horses in the LP/LP group were affected by CSNB, while none in the LP/lp or lp/lp groups were affected. All three SNPs were completely associated with LP genotype (χ(2) = 22, P << 0.0005) and CSNB status (χ(2) =11, P<0.0005). CONCLUSIONS:   The Miniature Horse breed is affected by CSNB and it appears to be associated with LP as in the Appaloosa breed. The SNPs tested could be used as a DNA test for CSNB until the causative mutation is determined.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22051042/