Equine clinical cytogenetics: the past and future.

Cytogenetic analyses of horses have benefited the horse industry by identifying chromosomal aberrations causing congenital abnormalities, embryonic loss and infertility. Technical advances in cytogenetics enabled the identification of chromosome specific aberrations. More recently, advances in genomic tools have been used to more precisely define chromosome abnormalities. In this report we review the history of equine clinical cytogenetics, identify historical landmarks for equine clinical cytogenetics, discuss how the current use of genomic tools has benefited this area, and how future genomics tools may enhance clinical cytogenetic studies in the horse. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.