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Letter to KBSU

Rector Prof. Yury K. Altudov
Kh. M. Berbekov Kabardino-Balkarian State University (KBSU)
Chernyshevskogo 173 360004 Nalchik Russia
Lebenswissenschaftliche Fakultät
Cooperation between KBSU and HU Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institut für Agrar-
und Gartenbauwissenschaften
Dear Mr. Prof. Altudov,
I am very glad to inform you about the timely and successful completion of an interna- Dr. agr. Monika Reißmann
tional and interdisciplinary scienti c project about Kabardian horses executed from Leiter Molekularbiologisches Zentrum
Dr. Zaur Kokov, head of chair of Medical Physics from your university and the Molecular Datum: 29.01.2016
Bio- logical Centre of the Humboldt University. On the basis of our long-time, tight coope-
ration and the former work in the eld of sport horse performance detection as well as Postanschrift:
horse breeding and molecular studies, we were able to develop a comprehensive project Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
about «Population genetic analysis and compilation of the genetic pro le of Kabardian Unter den Linden 6
10099 Berlin
horse breed» which was accepted by the VW foundation and supported with 96,600 € in Telefon: +49 30 2093-8431
the time from 2013 till 2015. Telefax: +49 30 2093-6397
This project starts a complex investigation of the genetic pro le and the population
structure of the Kabardian horse as well as for the development of a modern stud book monika.reissmann@agrar.hu-berlin.de
www.hu-berlin.de
keeping obliga-tory for an improvement of the further selection and breeding work. In a
second part, this well-known distance riding breed was used for a molecular study of Sitz:
genetic background of this endurance capacity. Invalidenstraße 42 (Ostbau)
Raum 2211
The initiators from the KBSU supplied in cooperation with the All-Russian Research 10115 Berlin
Institute of Horse Breeding (ARRIH, Chief Registrar Kabardian horses Kh. Amshokov and
Deputy Director Dr. A.Zaitsev), the Institute of Radio Technology Systems and Management of the Southern Federal
University of Russia (IRSM, Dr. S.Sinutin) and the Kabardino-Balkarian Scienti c Research Institute of Agriculture
(KBSRIA) a precious work in the collection of 300 Kabardian horse samples from di erent herds in the North Caucasus,
in the organization of the rst Mountain distance ride or the development of a new hardware-software complex was
developed for the detection of kinematic, electrophysiological and bio-chemical parameters in horses. On other hand,
two PhD students from Nalchik performed a research stay in the Molecular Biological Centre of the HU where they were
trained in molecular methods and made genotyping analyses for the identi cation of maternal and pater-nal breeding
lines. These results show the Kabardian horse as a breed with high diversity and a complex origin. A genome-wide
genotyping of point mutations with the equine 70K SNP chip equipment was done for 66 at the HU. The resulting
dendogram demonstrates the genetic distance within the Kabardian breed as well as between the Kabardian and other
breeds. By using this method, a clear cluster for each breed was found. The genotype infor-mation from the SNP chip
were also used for genome-wide association study (GWAS) looking for relations between SNPs and endurance
performance. One SNP with a signi cant association to this trait complex was found and some genes in its surrounding
are involved in path-ways of growth and metabolism. In addition to the research work, an intensive knowledge transfer
occurred by the use of lectures, seminars, round table talks and visits as well as special training courses.
At that time, the promotion of the VW foundation expired but our work is continued. The VW foundation promoted
project was only the rst step to establish the basis for developing a modern breeding and selection strategy for
Kabardian horses as well as for conservation of this interesting breed on a new level. It makes a rst contribution to the
research of molecu-lar principles of endurance performance. On one hand, we got many results which have to be
evaluated and published within the next time. On other hand, we have a lot of approaches for further research. The
mutation analysis with candidate genes is done in frame of two graduation theses at the HU in Berlin. In Nalchik under
the leadership of Dr. Kokov, a data of investigated horses compose the stock population for an electronic database
«Kabardian Horse Base» and form the nucleus group for future identi cation and paternity control in this breed.
We want to continue this successful cooperation, pursue the work on the Kabardian database as well as the deve-
lopment of performance measure equipment and go deeper into the molecular background of the endurance per-
formance of the Kabardian horse and we are sure that this is very necessary for this breed and the research on
horse performance but also for the Caucasus region with its traditions. So we developed two possible applications
for further work.
We hope that you will promote the teamwork between our both institutions generally and support our work-
particular of Dr. Kokov – on the Kabardian horse breed as an undemanding horse with character for working and
leisure as well as cultural heritage especially.

Sincerely yours Dr. Monika Reißmann
Head of the Molecular Biological Centre, HU Berlin

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