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Menor-Campos DJ. Ethical Concerns about Fashionable Dog Breeding. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:756. [PMID: 38473141 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The historical relationship between humans and dogs has involved selective breeding for various purposes, such as hunting, guarding, and service roles. However, over time, there has been a shift in preferences from functionality to aesthetics, which has influenced the diverse sizes, shapes, and coats of dog breeds. This review looks at fashionable dog breeding and questions the ethics of prioritising looks over health and behaviour. It aims to alert potential owners, breeders, and regulators to the importance of considering a dog's overall well-being, not just its appearance, which has resulted in fad breeding, leading to genetic disorders, health issues, and a loss of biodiversity. Ethical concerns arise from breeding brachycephalic breeds with respiratory conditions, inbreeding causing inherited disorders, and overbreeding popular breeds while shelter dogs remain unadopted. Additionally, the impact of cosmetic surgeries on popular dog breeds, as well as the neglect of behavioural traits in favour of physical characteristics and strict breeding practices are also considered. The current breeding model can have a negative impact on the emotional and cognitive well-being of dogs, resulting in issues such as aggression, anxiety, and other behavioural problems that can significantly reduce their overall quality of life. Unregulated breeding practices and the demand for rare breeds can lead to illegal breeding, compromising animal welfare. Prospective owners, veterinarians, kennel clubs, and legislators all need to play a responsible role in protecting animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Menor-Campos
- Departamento de Medicina y Cirugía Animal, Universidad de Córdoba, 14005 Córdoba, Spain
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2
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Kinsey N, Belanger JM, Mandigers PJJ, Leegwater PA, Heinonen T, Hytönen MK, Lohi H, Ostrander EA, Oberbauer AM. Idiopathic Epilepsy Risk Allele Trends in Belgian Tervuren: A Longitudinal Genetic Analysis. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:114. [PMID: 38255002 PMCID: PMC10815166 DOI: 10.3390/genes15010114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic epilepsy (IE) has been known to be inherited in the Belgian Tervuren for many decades. Risk genotypes for IE in this breed have recently been identified on Canis familiaris chromosomes (CFA) 14 and 37. In the current study, the allele frequencies of these loci were analyzed to determine whether dog breeders had employed a purposeful selection against IE, leading to a reduction in risk-associated allele frequency within the breed over time. The allele frequencies of two generational groupings of Belgian Tervuren with and without IE were compared. Allele frequencies for risk-associated alleles on CFA14 were unchanged between 1985 and 2015, whereas those on CFA37 increased during that time in the control population (p < 0.05). In contrast, dogs with IE showed a decrease (p < 0.05) in the IE risk-associated allele frequency at the CFA37 locus. Seizure prevalence in the Belgian Tervuren appears to be increasing. These results suggest that, despite awareness that IE is inherited, selection against IE has not been successful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Kinsey
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (N.K.); (J.M.B.)
| | - Janelle M. Belanger
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (N.K.); (J.M.B.)
| | - Paul J. J. Mandigers
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 108, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands; (P.J.J.M.); (P.A.L.)
| | - Peter A. Leegwater
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 108, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands; (P.J.J.M.); (P.A.L.)
| | - Tiina Heinonen
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (T.H.); (M.K.H.); (H.L.)
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Folkhälsan Research Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marjo K. Hytönen
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (T.H.); (M.K.H.); (H.L.)
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Folkhälsan Research Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hannes Lohi
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (T.H.); (M.K.H.); (H.L.)
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Folkhälsan Research Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elaine A. Ostrander
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Anita M. Oberbauer
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (N.K.); (J.M.B.)
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3
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Webb M, Thwaites B, Mullineaux E, Calder C, Waddon V, Hayes E, Gaines S, Flynn M. Dog behaviour influenced by more than genetics. Vet Rec 2023; 193:415-416. [PMID: 37975441 DOI: 10.1002/vetr.3697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
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4
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Ruijter BEW, Bik CA, Schofield I, Niessen SJM. External validation of a United Kingdom primary-care Cushing's prediction tool in a population of referred Dutch dogs. J Vet Intern Med 2023; 37:2052-2063. [PMID: 37665189 PMCID: PMC10658492 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A prediction tool was developed and internally validated to aid the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome in dogs attending UK primary-care practices. External validation is an important part of model validation to assess model performance when used in different populations. OBJECTIVES To assess the original prediction model's transportability, applicability, and diagnostic performance in a secondary-care practice in the Netherlands. ANIMALS Two hundred thirty client-owned dogs. METHODS Retrospective observational study. Medical records of dogs under investigation of Cushing's syndrome between 2011 and 2020 were reviewed. Dogs diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome by the attending internists and fulfilling ALIVE criteria were defined as cases, others as non-cases. All dogs were scored using the aforementioned prediction tool. Dog characteristics and predictor-outcome effects in development and validation data sets were compared to assess model transportability. Calibration and discrimination were examined to assess model performance. RESULTS Eighty of 230 dogs were defined as cases. Significant differences in dog characteristics were found between UK primary-care and Dutch secondary-care populations. Not all predictors from the original model were confirmed to be significant predictors in the validation sample. The model systematically overestimated the probability of having Cushing's syndrome (a = -1.10, P < .001). Calibration slope was 1.35 and discrimination proved excellent (area under the receiver operating curve = 0.83). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE The prediction model had moderate transportability, excellent discriminatory ability, and overall overestimated probability of having Cushing's syndrome. This study confirms its utility, though emphasizes that ongoing validation efforts of disease prediction tools are a worthwhile effort.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Céline Anne Bik
- MCD‐AniCura – Internal Medicine, Isolatorweg 45Amsterdam 1014ASThe Netherlands
| | - Imogen Schofield
- Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead LaneHatfield AL9 7TAUnited Kingdom
| | - Stijn Johannes Maria Niessen
- Royal Veterinary College – Veterinary Clinical Sciences, North MimmsHertsUnited Kingdom
- Veterinary Specialist ConsultationsHilversumThe Netherlands
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5
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Miyamae J, Okano M, Katakura F, Kulski JK, Moritomo T, Shiina T. Large-Scale Polymorphism Analysis of Dog Leukocyte Antigen Class I and Class II Genes ( DLA-88, DLA-12/88L and DLA-DRB1) and Comparison of the Haplotype Diversity between Breeds in Japan. Cells 2023; 12:cells12050809. [PMID: 36899945 PMCID: PMC10001263 DOI: 10.3390/cells12050809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymorphisms of canine leukocyte antigen (DLA) class I (DLA-88 and DLA-12/88L) and class II (DLA-DRB1) genes are important for disease susceptibility studies, but information on the genetic diversity among dog breeds is still lacking. To better elucidate the polymorphism and genetic diversity between breeds, we genotyped DLA-88, DLA-12/88L, and DLA-DRB1 loci using 829 dogs of 59 breeds in Japan. Genotyping by Sanger sequencing identified 89, 43, and 61 alleles in DLA-88, DLA-12/88L, and DLA-DRB1 loci, respectively, and a total of 131 DLA-88-DLA-12/88L-DLA-DRB1 haplotypes (88-12/88L-DRB1) were detected more than once. Of the 829 dogs, 198 were homozygotes for one of the 52 different 88-12/88L-DRB1 haplotypes (homozygosity rate: 23.8%). Statistical modeling suggests that 90% of the DLA homozygotes or heterozygotes with one or other of the 52 different 88-12/88L-DRB1 haplotypes within somatic stem cell lines would benefit graft outcome after 88-12/88L-DRB1-matched transplantation. As previously reported for DLA class II haplotypes, the diversity of 88-12/88L-DRB1 haplotypes varied remarkably between breeds but was relatively conserved within most breeds. Therefore, the genetic characteristics of high DLA homozygosity rate and poor DLA diversity within a breed are useful for transplantation therapy, but they may affect biological fitness as homozygosity progresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiro Miyamae
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Okayama University of Science, 1-3 Ikoino-oka, Imabari 794-8555, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-898-52-9126
| | - Masaharu Okano
- Department of Legal Medicine, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Katakura
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Science, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Jerzy K. Kulski
- Department of Molecular Life Science, Division of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara 259-1143, Japan
| | - Tadaaki Moritomo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Science, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Takashi Shiina
- Department of Molecular Life Science, Division of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara 259-1143, Japan
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6
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Hill EW, McGivney BA, MacHugh DE. Inbreeding depression and durability in the North American Thoroughbred horse. Anim Genet 2023; 54:408-411. [PMID: 36843349 DOI: 10.1111/age.13309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
The proportion of the genome containing runs of homozygosity (ROH) affects production traits in livestock populations. In European and Australasian Thoroughbreds inbreeding, quantified using ROH (FROH ), is associated with the probability of ever racing. Here, we measured FROH using 333 K SNP genotypes from 768 Thoroughbred horses born in North America to evaluate the effect of inbreeding on racing traits in that region. Among North American horses, FROH was not associated (p = 0.518) with the probability of ever racing but was significantly associated with the number of race starts (p = 0.002). Among raced horses, those with a 10% higher FROH than the mean inbreeding coefficient were predicted to have 3.5 fewer race starts compared to horses with a mean inbreeding coefficient. Considering the trend of increasing inbreeding and a decline in the average number of race starts per runner in North America, mitigating inbreeding in the population could positively influence racing durability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmeline W Hill
- Plusvital Ltd., The Highline, Dun Laoghaire Industrial Estate, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Beatrice A McGivney
- Plusvital Ltd., The Highline, Dun Laoghaire Industrial Estate, Dublin, Ireland
| | - David E MacHugh
- UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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7
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Donner J, Freyer J, Davison S, Anderson H, Blades M, Honkanen L, Inman L, Brookhart-Knox CA, Louviere A, Forman OP, Chodroff Foran R. Genetic prevalence and clinical relevance of canine Mendelian disease variants in over one million dogs. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010651. [PMID: 36848397 PMCID: PMC9997962 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Hundreds of genetic variants implicated in Mendelian disease have been characterized in dogs and commercial screening is being offered for most of them worldwide. There is typically limited information available regarding the broader population frequency of variants and uncertainty regarding their functional and clinical impact in ancestry backgrounds beyond the discovery breed. Genetic panel screening of disease-associated variants, commercially offered directly to the consumer or via a veterinary clinician, provides an opportunity to establish large-scale cohorts with phenotype data available to address open questions related to variant prevalence and relevance. We screened the largest canine cohort examined in a single study to date (1,054,293 representative dogs from our existing cohort of 3.5 million; a total of 811,628 mixed breed dogs and 242,665 purebreds from more than 150 countries) to examine the prevalence and distribution of a total of 250 genetic disease-associated variants in the general population. Electronic medical records from veterinary clinics were available for 43.5% of the genotyped dogs, enabling the clinical impact of variants to be investigated. We provide detailed frequencies for all tested variants across breeds and find that 57% of dogs carry at least one copy of a studied Mendelian disease-associated variant. Focusing on a subset of variants, we provide evidence of full penetrance for 10 variants, and plausible evidence for clinical significance of 22 variants, on diverse breed backgrounds. Specifically, we report that inherited hypocatalasia is a notable oral health condition, confirm that factor VII deficiency presents as subclinical bleeding propensity and verify two genetic causes of reduced leg length. We further assess genome-wide heterozygosity levels in over 100 breeds, and show that a reduction in genome-wide heterozygosity is associated with an increased Mendelian disease variant load. The accumulated knowledge represents a resource to guide discussions on genetic test relevance by breed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Donner
- Wisdom Panel Research Team, Wisdom Panel, Kinship, Helsinki, Finland
- * E-mail:
| | - Jamie Freyer
- Wisdom Panel Research Team, Wisdom Panel, Kinship, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Stephen Davison
- Wisdom Panel Research Team, Wisdom Panel, Kinship, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Heidi Anderson
- Wisdom Panel Research Team, Wisdom Panel, Kinship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matthew Blades
- Wisdom Panel Research Team, Wisdom Panel, Kinship, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Leena Honkanen
- Wisdom Panel Research Team, Wisdom Panel, Kinship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Laura Inman
- Wisdom Panel Research Team, Wisdom Panel, Kinship, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Casey A. Brookhart-Knox
- Wisdom Panel Research Team, Wisdom Panel, Kinship, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Annette Louviere
- Wisdom Panel Research Team, Wisdom Panel, Kinship, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Oliver P. Forman
- Wisdom Panel Research Team, Wisdom Panel, Kinship, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Chodroff Foran
- Wisdom Panel Research Team, Wisdom Panel, Kinship, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
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8
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Evaluation of Genetic Diversity in Dog Breeds Using Pedigree and Molecular Analysis: A Review. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14121054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Domestic dogs are important for many economic and social reasons, and they have become a well-known model species for human disease. According to research, dog breeds exhibit significant levels of inbreeding and genetic diversity loss, decreasing the population’s ability to adapt in certain conditions, and indicating the need of conservation strategies. Before the development of molecular markers, pedigree information was used for genetic diversity management. In recent years, genomic tools are frequently applied for accurate estimation of genetic diversity and improved genetic conservation due to incomplete pedigrees and pedigree errors. The most frequently used molecular markers include PCR-based microsatellite markers (STRs) and DNA sequencing-based single-nucleotide polymorphism markers (SNP). The aim of this review was to highlight genetic diversity studies on dog breeds conducted using pedigree and molecular markers, as well as the importance of genetic diversity conservation in increasing the adaptability and survival of dog breed populations.
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9
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Moura E, Tasqueti UI, Mangrich-Rocha RMV, Filho JRE, de Farias MR, Pimpão CT. Inborn Errors of Metabolism in Dogs: Historical, Metabolic, Genetic, and Clinical Aspects. Top Companion Anim Med 2022; 51:100731. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tcam.2022.100731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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10
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O’Neill DG, Yin Y, Tetas Pont R, Brodbelt DC, Church DB, Pegram C, Mustikka M. Breed and conformational predispositions for prolapsed nictitating membrane gland (PNMG) in dogs in the UK: A VetCompass study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0260538. [PMID: 35081121 PMCID: PMC8791520 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Prolapsed nictitating membrane gland (PNMG) is the most common disorder of the third eyelid in dogs. However, the epidemiology of PNMG in the wider dog population remains understudied. Methods Using de-identified clinical data from the VetCompass Programme, this cohort study aimed to report the prevalence, demographic and breed-related risk factors of PNMG in dogs attending UK primary care veterinary practices in 2016. Results There were 1,802 PNMG cases identified from 905,543 dogs, yielding an annual prevalence of 0.20% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.19–0.21). The median age at first diagnosis was 0.63 years (IQR 0.33–1.98, range 0.11–18.00). Dogs aged under 1 year had 10.82 times the odds (95% CI 9.17–12.76) compared with dogs aged from 2 to under 4 years. Neutered animals had higher odds than entire animals within both sexes. Breeds with the highest odds of PNMG compared with crossbred dogs included Neapolitan Mastiff (odds ratio (OR) 34.26, 95%CI 15.92–73.75), English Bulldog (OR 24.08, 95% CI 20.62–28.13), Cane Corso (OR 14.66, 95% CI 8.18–26.28), Lhasa Apso (OR 12.37, 95% CI 10.26–14.92) and American Cocker Spaniel (OR 11.57, 95% CI 5.59–23.96). Purebred dogs had 1.43 times the odds (95% CI 1.26–1.63) of PNMG compared with crossbreed dogs. Breeds with brachycephalic skull conformation had 6.71 times the odds (95%CI 5.89–7.64) compared with breeds with mesocephalic skull conformation. Insured dogs had 1.89 times the odds (95% CI 1.65–2.16) compared with uninsured dogs. Conclusions This study reports the largest cohort of primary-care PNMG cases assembled to date. The results showing young age at diagnosis along with the breed, purebred and brachycephalic skull conformation predispositions suggest a hereditary involvement in PNMG development. These results may help to guide breeding strategies to reduce the prevalence of PNMG and improve welfare in predisposed individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan G. O’Neill
- Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Herts, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Yahui Yin
- Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Herts, United Kingdom
| | - Roser Tetas Pont
- Clinical Science and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Herts, United Kingdom
| | - Dave C. Brodbelt
- Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Herts, United Kingdom
| | - David B. Church
- Clinical Science and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Herts, United Kingdom
| | - Camilla Pegram
- Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Herts, United Kingdom
| | - Minna Mustikka
- Clinical Science and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Herts, United Kingdom
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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11
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Artificial Selection Drives SNPs of Olfactory Receptor Genes into Different Working Traits in Labrador Retrievers. Genet Res (Camb) 2022; 2022:8319396. [PMID: 35185392 PMCID: PMC8828343 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8319396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Labs as guide dogs or sniffer dogs in usage have been introduced into China for more than 20 years. These two types of working dogs own blunt or acute olfactory senses, which have been obtained by artificial selection in relatively closed populations. In order to attain stable olfactory attributes and meet use-oriented demands, Chinese breeders keep doing the same artificial selection. Though olfactory behavior is canine genetic behavior, genotypes of OR genes formed by breeding schemes are largely unknown. Here, we characterized 26 SNPs, 2 deletions, and 2 insertions of 7 OR genes between sniffer dogs and guide dogs in order to find out the candidate alleles associated with working specific traits. The results showed that there were candidate functional SNP alleles in one locus that had statistically severely significant differences between the two subpopulations. Furthermore, the levels of polymorphism were not high in all loci and linkage disequilibrium only happened within one OR gene. Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) tests showed that there was a higher ratio not in HWE and lower FST within the two working dog populations. We conclude that artificial selection in working capacities has acted on SNP alleles of OR genes in a dog breed and driven the evolution in compliance with people's intentions though the changes are limited in decades of strategic breeding.
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12
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The effect of inbreeding, body size and morphology on health in dog breeds. Canine Med Genet 2021; 8:12. [PMID: 34852838 PMCID: PMC8638537 DOI: 10.1186/s40575-021-00111-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Dog breeds are known for their distinctive body shape, size, coat color, head type and behaviors, features that are relatively similar across members of a breed. Unfortunately, dog breeds are also characterized by distinct predispositions to disease. We explored the relationships between inbreeding, morphology and health using genotype based inbreeding estimates, body weight and insurance data for morbidity. Results The average inbreeding based on genotype across 227 breeds was Fadj = 0.249 (95% CI 0.235–0.263). There were significant differences in morbidity between breeds with low and high inbreeding (H = 16.49, P = 0.0004). There was also a significant difference in morbidity between brachycephalic breeds and non-brachycephalic breeds (P = 0.0048) and between functionally distinct groups of breeds (H = 14.95 P < 0.0001). Morbidity was modeled using robust regression analysis and both body weight (P < 0.0001) and inbreeding (P = 0.013) were significant (r2 = 0.77). Smaller less inbred breeds were healthier than larger more inbred breeds. Conclusions In this study, body size and inbreeding along with deleterious morphologies contributed to increases in necessary health care in dogs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40575-021-00111-4.
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13
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Hecht EE, Zapata I, Alvarez CE, Gutman DA, Preuss TM, Kent M, Serpell JA. Neurodevelopmental scaling is a major driver of brain-behavior differences in temperament across dog breeds. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:2725-2739. [PMID: 34455497 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02368-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral traits like aggression, anxiety, and trainability differ significantly across dog breeds and are highly heritable. However, the neural bases of these differences are unknown. Here we analyzed structural MRI scans of 62 dogs in relation to breed-average scores for the 14 major dimensions in the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire, a well-validated measure of canine temperament. Several behavior categories showed significant relationships with morphologically covarying gray matter networks and regional volume changes. Networks involved in social processing and the flight-or-fight response were associated with stranger-directed fear and aggression, putatively the main behaviors under selection pressure during wolf-to-dog domestication. Trainability was significantly associated with expansion in broad regions of cortex, while fear, aggression, and other "problem" behaviors were associated with expansion in distributed subcortical regions. These results closely overlapped with regional volume changes with total brain size, in striking correspondence with models of developmental constraint on brain evolution. This suggests that the established link between dog body size and behavior is due at least in part to disproportionate enlargement of later-developing regions in larger brained dogs. We discuss how this may explain the known correlation of increasing reactivity with decreasing body size in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- E E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - I Zapata
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Rocky Vista University, Parker, CO, 80134, USA
| | - C E Alvarez
- Center for Clinical and Translational Research, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - D A Gutman
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30029, USA
| | - T M Preuss
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30029, USA
| | - M Kent
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia at Athens, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - J A Serpell
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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14
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Microsatellite DNA Analysis of Genetic Diversity and Parentage Testing in the Popular Dog Breeds in Poland. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12040485. [PMID: 33810589 PMCID: PMC8066952 DOI: 10.3390/genes12040485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing concern that extreme breed standardization contributes to a reduction of the effective population size and high levels of inbreeding, resulting in the loss of genetic diversity in many breeds. This study examined genetic diversity among eight popular dog breeds in Poland and evaluated the effectiveness of a 21-microsatellite (STR) panel recommended by the International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG) for parent verification. The following breeds were characterized: German Shepherd, Maltese, Irish Wolfhound, Yorkshire Terrier, Biewer Yorkshire Terrier, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, and French Bulldog. STRUCTURE analysis showed breed distinctiveness among all the dog breeds under study. Reynold’s distance ranged between θw = 0.634 and θw = 0.260. The studied breeds showed a medium level of genetic differentiation; the mean number of alleles per locus ranged from 3.4 to 6.6, and the effective number of alleles from 2.1 to 3.5. The mean degree of heterozygosity varied from 49% to 69% and from 47% to 68% for HO and HE, respectively. The population inbreeding coefficient (FIS) indicated an absence of inbreeding in the studied breeds. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) values for most of the breeds were higher than 0.5. The cumulative power of discrimination (PD) for all the markers in all breeds reached high values (close to 1.0), while the probability of identity (PID) was low, ranging between 10−11 and 10−19. The cumulative exclusion probability when the genotypes of one (PE1) and both parents (PE2) are known and showed that the parentage can be confirmed with a probability of 94.92% to 99.95% and 99.78% to 99.9999%, respectively.
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Lenkei R, Carreiro C, Gácsi M, Pongrácz P. The relationship between functional breed selection and attachment pattern in family dogs (canis familiaris). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Letko A, Minor KM, Jagannathan V, Seefried FR, Mickelson JR, Oliehoek P, Drögemüller C. Genomic diversity and population structure of the Leonberger dog breed. Genet Sel Evol 2020; 52:61. [PMID: 33054768 PMCID: PMC7557023 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-020-00581-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leonberger is a giant dog breed formed in the 1850s in Germany. Its post-World War II popularity has resulted in a current global population of ~ 30,000 dogs. The breed has predispositions to neurodegenerative disorders and cancer, which is likely due in large part to limited genetic diversity. However, to date there is no scientific literature on the overall demography and genomic architecture of this breed. RESULTS We assessed extensive pedigree records, SNP array genotype data, and whole-genome sequences (WGS) on 142,072, 1203 and 39 Leonberger dogs, respectively. Pedigree analyses identified 22 founder animals and revealed an apparent popular sire effect. The average pedigree-based inbreeding coefficient of 0.29 and average kinship of 0.31 show a dramatic loss of genetic diversity. The observed average life span decreased over time from 9.4 years in 1989 to 7.7 years in 2004. A global health survey confirmed a high prevalence of cancer and neurological disorders. Analysis of SNP-based runs of homozygosity (ROH) identified 125,653 ROH with an average length of 5.88 Mb, and confirmed an average inbreeding coefficient of 0.28. Genome-wide filtering of the WGS data revealed 28 non-protein-changing variants that were present in all Leonberger individuals and a list of 22 potentially pathogenic variants for neurological disorders of which 50% occurred only in Leonbergers and 50% occurred rarely in other breeds. Furthermore, one of the two mtDNA haplogroups detected was present in one dog only. CONCLUSIONS The increasing size of the Leonberger population has been accompanied by a considerable loss of genetic diversity after the bottleneck that occurred in the 1940s due to the intensive use of popular sires resulting in high levels of inbreeding. This might explain the high prevalence of certain disorders; however, genomic data provide no evidence for fixed coding variants that explain these predispositions. The list of candidate causative variants for polyneuropathy needs to be further evaluated. Preserving the current genetic diversity is possible by increasing the number of individuals for breeding while restricting the number of litters per sire/dam. In addition, outcrossing would help optimize long-term genetic diversity and contribute to the sustainability and health of the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Letko
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Katie M. Minor
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108 USA
| | - Vidhya Jagannathan
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - James R. Mickelson
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108 USA
| | | | - Cord Drögemüller
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Analysis of Genetic Diversity in the Czech Spotted Dog. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10081416. [PMID: 32823819 PMCID: PMC7459660 DOI: 10.3390/ani10081416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss off genetic diversity negatively affects most of the modern dog breeds. However, no breed created strictly for laboratory purposes has been analyzed so far. In this paper, we sought to explore by pedigree analysis exactly such a breed-the Czech Spotted Dog (CSD). The pedigree contained a total of 2010 individuals registered since the second half of the 20th century. Parameters such as the mean average relatedness, coefficient of inbreeding, effective population size, effective number of founders, ancestors and founder genomes and loss of genetic diversity-which was calculated based on the reference population and pedigree completeness-were used to assess genetic variability. Compared to the founding population, the reference population lost 38.2% of its genetic diversity, of which 26% is due to random genetic drift and 12.2% is due to the uneven contribution of the founders. The reference population is highly inbred and related. The average inbreeding coefficient is 36.45%, and the mean average relatedness is 74.83%. The effective population size calculated based on the increase of inbreeding coefficient is 10.28. Thus, the Czech Spotted Dog suffered significant losses of genetic diversity that threaten its future existence.
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