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Reduced fertility can have various causes, including both genetic and environmental factors.
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Specifications
| Breeds | |
|---|---|
| Gene | |
| Chromosome | 4 |
| Organ | |
| Specimen | Hair, Blood EDTA, Blood Heparin, Semen, Tissue |
| Mode of Inheritance | Autosomal Recessive |
| Also known as | FH4 |
General information
Reduced fertility can have various causes, including both genetic and environmental factors. Recently, two genetic variants associated with early embryonic recessive lethality have been identified in the Friesian horse breed: FH4 and FH10. The variant analysed in this test is known as FH4 and is associated with an autosomal recessive mutation in the MET gene (Mesenchymal‑Epithelial Transition factor) on chromosome 4. The MET gene encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays an important role in embryonic development, cell migration, and cell survival. Studies estimate that approximately 8% of Friesian horses are carriers of this variant.
Clinical features
Carriers of the FH4 variant are clinically unaffected. However, when two carrier animals are bred together, there is a 25% chance that the embryo will inherit two copies of the variant. Homozygous embryos are non‑viable and die during early embryonic development, causing the mare to return to estrus (heat). The reduced fertility associated with FH4 is therefore not caused by the stallion or mare individually, but by the genetic combination of both parents.
Additional information
References
Pubmed ID: Unpublished
Year published: 2025
Omia ID: Unknown
Omia variant ID: