TWHBEA^SM To Convert To DNA Parentage Verification

©Voice, December 2006

On Monday, October 30, 2006 Kathy Zeis made a motion that the contract for parent verification which had expired on October 27, 2006, be awarded solely to The Gluck Equine Center’s Parent Verification Laboratory at The University of Kentucky using DNA (STR’s) as TWHBEA’s parentage verification method. The Executive Committee accepted this recommendation and unanimously voted to use Kentucky as their only parentage verification facility. The Breeders’ sub-committee researched this project for over a year and made a unanimous recommendation to change to DNA testing using the 17 microsatellite markers (short tandem repeats or STR’s) and to give an exclusive contract to the University of Kentucky.

The Breeders Sub-Committee consists of Elsie Darrah, Deedee Sale, Sally Fleck, Patrick Gray, Sharon Brandon and Kathy Zeis. At different times Jerrold Pedigo, Jane Meredith, Charles Hulsey, Stan Butt, Michael Cook and Kristie Lane participated in interviewing the different labs and listening to their presentations. The Committee interviewed any laboratory that contacted TWHBEA about bidding for the parentage verification contract. A few members of the committee went to Denver and were graciously taken on a tour of The Arabian Horse Association, asking questions about their DNA program. Debbie Fuentes, Head of the Registry was very informative and walked Sharon, Deedee and Kathy through their registration process. She told of the problems they had encountered and made some suggestions to help make the transition easier for the Registry and the owners. Many other breed registries were gracious in sharing information with the committee, The Jockey Club, The American Quarter Horse Association, & The American Saddlebred, & The American Morgan Horse Association.

The interview process began on January 17, 2006 with Dr. Kathryn Graves, head of The Equine Parentage and Genetic Research Lab of Veterinary Science College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky and Dr. Peter Timoney, Chair, Department of Veterinary Science and Director, Gluck Equine Research Center, gave the first presentation on DNA parentage verification. They explained all the services that their Lab could offer to TWHBEA and gave us a price structure. Their presentation was predicated on using 12 microsatellite DNA markers recognized as the Standard equine parentage verification panel by the International Society for Animal Genetics (short tandem repeats). Color test use SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) technology to give you genetic markers and new color tests are being developed everyday. As each new color test is offered, the University of Kentucky will add them to the panel of color test that they offer. New color test are on the horizon; the Silver Gene has just become available and the Grey Gene, & Champagne Gene will be available shortly.

On June 12, DNA Diagnostics, Inc. D/B/A Shelterwood Laboratories represented by Dr. Melba Ketchum, D.V.M., owner and Dr. Gus Cothran, Head of Texas A & M Animal Genetics Laboratory presented a two-fold plan where Shelterwood would do any blood typing that was necessary and Shelterwood would pull the stored samples and send them to Texas A & M, so that Texas A & M could do the parentage verification using 60 to 80 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). They would run 100 SNPs. The extra SNPs would give you the genetic color information for each horse. As blood typing was phased out Shelterwood would gear up to do parent verification using SNPs. There is no uniform protocol which the International Society of Animal Genetics have agreed upon using SNPs, but Texas proposed that they would run test cases and ear mark those SNPs which would be pertinent for parent verification of the Tennessee Walking Horse. They also presented all the services they could offer and their price structure. They also said that if TWHBEA decided to convert to the microsatellite markers they could also do that.

On June 13, Maxxam Labs, represented by Robert Wiebe, Manager, Business Development, Genetic Identification Division, Maxxam Analytics Inc., made his presentation. He explained his products and services. His lab offered a basic service, parent verification and some color testing. Maxxam uses the standard microsatellite DNA markers (STR’s); the prices differed if you ran 12 or 17 panels. Which would mean that for any special problems that another lab capable of doing forensics or any other special tests, would have to be hired. They could do the conversion but would have to send any blood typing to another lab. The prices they offered were on a much higher base number than we anticipated. The Arabian Association had chosen Maxxam to do their DNA parentage verification but had chosen not to do a conversion but simply DNA all of their horses doing a 1 in 50 spot test to check the accuracy of their new system.

In August there was a meeting of the International Equine Genome Committee and we waited to make a decision on what type of DNA (SNPs or STRs) we would use, to see what information came out of this meeting. The consensus of the scientists we talked to was that a standard panel of DNA SNPs (specifically for parentage verification) was still 3 to 5 years in the future. The Committee felt that though the prospect of using SNPs was exciting, that we should be conservative and go with the accepted protocols that the International Society of Animal Genetics had set up and used successfully for the past ten years. When there is an International accepted set of SNPs to use for parentage verification, the possibility of using SNPs can be looked at in the future.

On September 26, Dr. Cecilia Penedo, Associate Director, Service and Genomic R&D Veterinary Genetics Laboratory University of California, Davis and Michelle Whitaker, Customer Service - Public Relations, Veterinary Genetics Laboratory came to TWHBEA headquarters and made their presentation. They also use the standard microsatellite DNA markers. They made a wonderful professional presentation and offered all the products and services that any of our other prospective labs offered. UC-Davis currently does genetic testing for The Jockey Club and the Standardbred Association. Dr. Penedo gave an update on the meeting in Brazil which she attended. Her opinion was that the SNP technology had not been tested enough, and recognized protocols set up to warrant changing to that type of testing for parentage verification.

The University of Kentucky requested a second interview on September 27 at which time they brought Dr. Ernest Bailey, Head of Immunogenetics, Veterinary Science, Gluck Equine Research Center. Dr. Bailey gave us his opinion on where the SNP DNA technology stood after attending the meeting on Equine Genetics in Brazil. Even though, as a researcher, he is excited over this new technology for parentage verification, he felt that this technology had not been tested by the scientific equine community. He felt that the earliest it would be ready was in three years. Dr. Graves gave us an updated price structure based on new genetic testing equipment that Univ. of Kentucky had purchased.
This made their prices the most competitive. Their equipment is now state of the art. Upon the request of the Breeders’ Committee, Kentucky will offer a three for one in color testing. The current price for each color test is $35.00. For the basic tests of Red, Cream and Agouti they will charge $70.00 and the results will be sent directly to TWHBEA to be put in the horses records. These tests must be requested at the time of registration and then will appear on the registration papers. The University of Kentucky has given us wonderful service since 1997. Not only have they been efficient, prompt, and accurate, but extremely service oriented as well. With their past record of excellent service & the best pricing offered for the number of colts registered, the Committee felt that the University of Kentucky had earned the contract. They will be offering new services to help the Registry offer even better customer service. We are proud to announce that we will be using the University of Kentucky as the exclusive laboratory for parentage verification and color testing. The contract begins November 1, 2006 and will run for three years.

-Kathy Zeis