{"entity": "researcher", "timestamp": "2026-08-16T10:29:19.563Z", "family": "Naboulsi", "given": "Rakan", "initials": "R", "orcid": "0000-0002-3610-4341", "affiliations": ["Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala, Sweden.", "Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm."], "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/ae740ff060a5499fa477891138e95117.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/ae740ff060a5499fa477891138e95117"}}, "publications": [{"entity": "publication", "iuid": "5736722e01b74b29baf8fe43d4ce6819", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/publication/5736722e01b74b29baf8fe43d4ce6819.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/publication/5736722e01b74b29baf8fe43d4ce6819"}}, "title": "RNA-seq analysis identifies key genes enhancing hoof strength to withstand barefoot racing in Standardbred trotters.", "authors": [{"family": "Schwochow", "given": "Doreen", "initials": "D"}, {"family": "Alameddine", "given": "Asmaa", "initials": "A"}, {"family": "Sp\u00f6rndly-Nees", "given": "Ellinor", "initials": "E"}, {"family": "Montigny", "given": "Mathilde", "initials": "M"}, {"family": "Naboulsi", "given": "Rakan", "initials": "R", "orcid": "0000-0002-3610-4341", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/ae740ff060a5499fa477891138e95117.json"}}, {"family": "Jansson", "given": "Anna", "initials": "A"}, {"family": "Niazi", "given": "Adnan", "initials": "A", "orcid": "0000-0003-0311-5279", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/c9e07c9891804a60980eb07956a7cd0d.json"}}, {"family": "Lindgren", "given": "Gabriella", "initials": "G", "orcid": "0000-0001-6046-9669", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/a050dea8e99c47fabac28c14fe4daabb.json"}}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2025-08-18", "journal": {"title": "BMC Genomics", "issn": "1471-2164", "volume": "26", "issue": "1", "pages": "751", "issn-l": "1471-2164"}, "abstract": "Racing without protective shoes is common in the Swedish harness racing industry, as it can enhance horses' performance on the track. Trainers typically decide whether a horse will race barefoot based on practical experience rather than objective measures. However, this practice can sometimes lead to excessive hoof wear, posing potential welfare concerns for racing horses. Gene expression differences may help reveal the underlying genetic mechanisms associated with different phenotypic traits. To explore an objective measure for assessing which horses are best suited for barefoot racing, we conducted a polyA-selected RNA-seq experiment on tissue from the growth zone at the coronary band of the hoof. This experiment compared tissues from Standardbred trotters capable of repeatedly racing barefoot without injury (n = 11) to those that could not (n = 7). By combining stringent phenotyping with racing records and trainer interviews, we aimed to elucidate the biological factors related to hoof strength in barefoot racing, focusing on differential abundant genes.\n\nThe RNA-seq analysis identified five significantly downregulated genes in horses capable of competing barefoot across consecutive races. These genes are associated with various biological processes relevant for hoof strength: ACCS, IRX2 and TRAPPAC6A contribute to enhancing the structural integrity of the hoof; MT2A regulates its metal homeostasis and SLC35F3 likely influences local vasoconstriction in the hoof. These gene findings suggest a coordinated genetic basis for structural reinforcement and physiological support of the hoof, which may be critical for sustaining performance under barefoot conditions.\n\nOur findings suggest that the ability of Standardbred trotters to race barefoot in consecutive events is reflected in distinct gene expression patterns, underscoring a genetic basis for hoof strength. This supports further genome-wide scans aimed at identifying genetic markers for hoof durability in these horses. The focused design of our study- comparing horses that could consistently race barefoot with those that could not- enabled us to isolate a select group of genes involved in diverse aspects of hoof biology essential for quality and resilience of horse hooves. This insight could ultimately be applied to augment both the performance and wellbeing of equine athletes across disciplines.", "doi": "10.1186/s12864-025-11814-4", "pmid": "40826322", "labels": {"NGI Short read": "Service", "NGI Uppsala (SNP&SEQ Technology Platform)": "Service", "National Genomics Infrastructure": "Service"}, "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC12363045"}, {"db": "pii", "key": "10.1186/s12864-025-11814-4"}], "notes": [], "created": "2025-09-08T07:04:42.067Z", "modified": "2025-09-09T13:14:43.091Z"}, {"entity": "publication", "iuid": "33f838f6e3d2497fa4b6fd9a71cd282a", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/publication/33f838f6e3d2497fa4b6fd9a71cd282a.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/publication/33f838f6e3d2497fa4b6fd9a71cd282a"}}, "title": "An endothelial regulatory module links blood pressure regulation with elite athletic performance.", "authors": [{"family": "Fegraeus", "given": "Kim", "initials": "K", "orcid": "0000-0002-6428-3420", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/f232e1deee984344a57c88f550020e61.json"}}, {"family": "Rosengren", "given": "Maria K", "initials": "MK", "orcid": "0000-0003-0144-7034", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/2b771ed57d3e4c409c2a208173945786.json"}}, {"family": "Naboulsi", "given": "Rakan", "initials": "R", "orcid": "0000-0002-3610-4341", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/ae740ff060a5499fa477891138e95117.json"}}, {"family": "Orlando", "given": "Ludovic", "initials": "L"}, {"family": "\u00c5brink", "given": "Magnus", "initials": "M", "orcid": "0000-0002-1335-3927", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/50a91636c1064a0c944f7d794ba6ec72.json"}}, {"family": "Jouni", "given": "Ahmad", "initials": "A"}, {"family": "Velie", "given": "Brandon D", "initials": "BD"}, {"family": "Raine", "given": "Amanda", "initials": "A"}, {"family": "Egner", "given": "Beate", "initials": "B"}, {"family": "Mattsson", "given": "C Mikael", "initials": "CM", "orcid": "0000-0002-0642-4838", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/2ca360922eb047129f945ec3ca5f59e3.json"}}, {"family": "L\u00e5ng", "given": "Karin", "initials": "K"}, {"family": "Zhigulev", "given": "Artemy", "initials": "A", "orcid": "0000-0001-9251-1059", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/81a7e8bb937744b5a18ed42d4f2dea5e.json"}}, {"family": "Bj\u00f6rck", "given": "Hanna M", "initials": "HM", "orcid": "0000-0002-9155-3609", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/3d162f3de0f941e0a91387357892d656.json"}}, {"family": "Franco-Cereceda", "given": "Anders", "initials": "A"}, {"family": "Eriksson", "given": "Per", "initials": "P"}, {"family": "Andersson", "given": "G\u00f6ran", "initials": "G", "orcid": "0000-0001-5131-3144", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/39ce81c314db47c8ad63c3ed38dffcb3.json"}}, {"family": "Sahl\u00e9n", "given": "Pelin", "initials": "P", "orcid": "0000-0001-6943-9618", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/d032e807335049b2ac8a5e2398dd48e7.json"}}, {"family": "Meadows", "given": "Jennifer R S", "initials": "JRS", "orcid": "0000-0002-0850-230X", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/86acdca0104c4552880d5a7cb5ac6565.json"}}, {"family": "Lindgren", "given": "Gabriella", "initials": "G", "orcid": "0000-0001-6046-9669", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications.scilifelab.se/researcher/a050dea8e99c47fabac28c14fe4daabb.json"}}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2024-06-00", "journal": {"title": "PLoS Genet.", "issn": "1553-7404", "volume": "20", "issue": "6", "pages": "e1011285", "issn-l": "1553-7390"}, "abstract": "The control of transcription is crucial for homeostasis in mammals. A previous selective sweep analysis of horse racing performance revealed a 19.6 kb candidate regulatory region 50 kb downstream of the Endothelin3 (EDN3) gene. Here, the region was narrowed to a 5.5 kb span of 14 SNVs, with elite and sub-elite haplotypes analyzed for association to racing performance, blood pressure and plasma levels of EDN3 in Coldblooded trotters and Standardbreds. Comparative analysis of human HiCap data identified the span as an enhancer cluster active in endothelial cells, interacting with genes relevant to blood pressure regulation. Coldblooded trotters with the sub-elite haplotype had significantly higher blood pressure compared to horses with the elite performing haplotype during exercise. Alleles within the elite haplotype were part of the standing variation in pre-domestication horses, and have risen in frequency during the era of breed development and selection. These results advance our understanding of the molecular genetics of athletic performance and vascular traits in both horses and humans.", "doi": "10.1371/journal.pgen.1011285", "pmid": "38885195", "labels": {"NGI Uppsala (SNP&SEQ Technology Platform)": "Service", "NGI Short read": "Service", "National Genomics Infrastructure": "Service", "Bioinformatics Support, Infrastructure and Training": "Service", "Bioinformatics Support for Computational Resources": "Service", "Bioinformatics (NBIS)": "Service"}, "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC11182536"}, {"db": "pii", "key": "PGENETICS-D-23-00898"}], "notes": [], "created": "2024-10-21T11:19:11.160Z", "modified": "2024-11-25T10:31:46.138Z"}]}