Spermatogenesis Associated Protein 1 (SPATA1)

Stallion fertility is an economically important trait because the use of artificial insemination is increasing in the horse industry and superior sires are used more intensely. The testis-specific SPATA1 protein is involved in shaping the sperm head during spermatogenesis. Thus, the spermatogenesis associated 1 (SPATA1) gene was chosen as candidate for stallion fertility, and analysed intragenic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as genetic markers for the least square means (LSM) of the pregnancy rate per oestrus of stallions and breeding values (BV) for the paternal and embryonic component of the pregnancy rate per oestrus. One SPATA1-associated intronic SNP showed a significant association with the embryonic component of BVs of stallions for the pregnancy rate per oestrus. The embryonic component of BVs was positively associated with homozygous C/C stallions.