| 
 Teri
Lear, PhD
Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center
Department of Veterinary Science
University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky 40546-0099
My lab conducts research in the areas of comparative
genomics, clinical cytogenetics and genetic systems related
to the health of horses and other mammals. While I work
primarily in the area of equine genetics, I also include other
members of the family Equidae, such as the hemiones and zebras,
and other Perissodactyls, such as rhinos and tapirs.
Why study horses and their relatives?
- Horses are the number one economic industry in Kentucky. Understanding
the genome organization of the horse is key to understanding
how to improve the health of horses, thereby improving the
economy of Kentucky and the welfare of its citizens.
- Most horse relatives can be infected with horse pathogens,
but the outcome is different. We want to identify the
determinants of resistance for horse diseases and the key
may reside in understanding the species specific resistance
of other Equidae. Members of the family Equidae, about
10 species, all have different diploid chromosome numbers
ranging from 66 to 32. Studying their chromosomes and
genome organization provides information that can lead to
a better understanding of how differences in their genomes
may influence resistance to infectious diseases, as well
as how speciation occurred in this family.
- Inclusion of other Perissodactyls enables us to gather
information on what mechanisms have contributed to chromosome
evolution in this order, such as Robertsonian translocations,
telomere fusions, translocations, centromere shifts and
neocentromere formation. This information contributes
to the overall understanding of how ancestral mammalian
chromosomes might have been organized and how chromosome
changes affect speciation.
Research Interests
- Identification and Physical Mapping of Important Genes
in the Horse
- Understanding the Evolution of Genome Organization of
the Horse and other Perissodactyls by Comparative Mapping
Approaches
- Clinical Cytogenetics for Equines
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