Data from: Common protein-coding variants and the racing phenotype in galloping racehorse breeds

Centuries-long selection for system-wide morphological, physiological, and metabolic adaptations has led to extreme athletic phenotypes among geographically diverse horse breeds. Here, we identify genes contributing to exercise adaptation in racehorses by applying genomics approaches for racing performance, an end-point athletic phenotype. Using an integrative genomics strategy to first combine population genomics results with skeletal muscle exercise and training transcriptomic data, followed by whole-genome resequencing of Asian horses, we identify protein-coding variants in genes of interest in galloping racehorse breeds (Arabian, Mongolian and Thoroughbred). A core set of genes, G6PC2, HDAC9, KTN1, MYLK2, NTM, SLC16A1 and SYNDIG1, with central roles in muscle, metabolism, and neurobiology, are key drivers of the racing phenotype. Although racing potential is a multifactorial trait, the genomic architecture shaping the common athletic phenotype in horse populations bred for racing provides evidence for the influence of protein-coding variants in fundamental exercise-relevant genes. Variation in these genes may therefore be exploited for genetic improvement of horse populations towards specific types of racing.Microsoft Excel can be used to open the file. Funding provided by: National Key R&D Program of ChinaCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100012166Award Number: 2017YFE0108700Funding provided by: National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001809Award Number: 3191101008Funding provided by: National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001809Award Number: 31960657Funding provided by: National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001809Award Number: 31961143025The file has been generated for the figure 2 in the manuscript, "Common protein-coding variants and the racing phenotype in galloping racehorse breeds". The fastStructure software was used to generate the file