Genetic Association of LDHA Variant g.2582481G>A with Racing Performance of Pakistani Pigeons

Pigeons are being used as a means of communication back in history due to their efficient flight stamina, navigational (homing) ability and endurance to harsh weather conditions. Due to these distinctive characteristics, pigeon racing and rearing has become a popular sport and hobby throughout the world, predominantly in Pakistan. The genetic tendency of LDHA gene in pigeons should be considered for understanding racing ability. The present study aimed to examine the genetic association of LDHA variant g.2582481G>A with racing performance in Pakistani pigeons. Our results demonstrated that 55% of the pigeons population was homozygous wild-type (G/G), 37.5% was heterozygous (G/A) and the remaining 7.5% was homozygous-mutant (A/A) at this locus. Furthermore, alternative allele frequencies within the best and low-performing cohorts of pigeons were 0.45 and 0.075 respectively. Furthermore, the Chi-Square association test was applied using PLINK data analysis toolset which showed a significant p-value of 1.381x10-4 with odds ratio (OR) of 10.09. Consequently, Pakistani pigeon population suggests a significant association of g.2582481G>A with racing performance similar to the other pigeon population of the world.