Pigeon Performance Gene LDHA

The protein lactate dehydrogenase isoform A, encoded by the gene LDHA, is critical to metabolism of different tissues and to overall physiological performance. The gene is therefore a useful performance marker for homing pigeons.

LDHA is an enzyme that is responsible for both the synthesis and recycling of lactate in the muscles. A pigeon that is homozygous for A (carries two copies of the isoform A allele) is a better race performance bird, though it is a rare variation in racing pigeons, meaning only a minority of pigeons have this allele.