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Alf V, Opmeer Y, Shelton GD, Grinwis GCM, Matiasek K, Rosati M, Mandigers PJJ. Pathologic Changes in and Immunophenotyping of Polymyositis in the Dutch Kooiker Dog. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2519. [PMID: 39272303 PMCID: PMC11394232 DOI: 10.3390/ani14172519] [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: 06/30/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Earlier, we described a breed-specific inflammatory myopathy in Dutch Kooiker dogs (Het Nederlandse Kooikerhondje), one of the nine Dutch breeds. The disease commonly manifests itself with clinical signs of difficulty walking, muscle weakness, exercise intolerance, and/or dysphagia. In nearly all dogs' creatine kinase (CK) activity was elevated. Histopathology reveals the infiltration of inflammatory cells within the skeletal muscles. The objective of this study was to further investigate and characterize the histopathological changes in muscle tissue and immunophenotype the inflammatory infiltrates. FFPE fixed-muscle biopsies from 39 purebred Kooiker dogs were included and evaluated histopathologically according to a tailored classification scheme for skeletal muscle inflammation. As in other breed-related inflammatory myopathies, multifocal, mixed, and predominantly mononuclear cell infiltration was present, with an initial invasion of viable muscle fibres and the surrounding stroma leading to inflammation, necrosis, and tissue damage. Immunophenotyping primarily revealed lymphohistiocytic infiltrates, with CD3+ T-cells being the predominant inflammatory cell type, accompanied by CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells. The concurrent expression of MHC-II class molecules on myofibres suggests their involvement in initiating and maintaining inflammation. Additionally, CD20+ B-cells were identified, though in lower numbers compared to T-cells, and IBA-1-positive macrophages were frequently seen. These findings suggest a breed-specific subtype of polymyositis in Kooiker dogs, akin to other breeds. This study sheds light on the immune response activation, combining adaptive and innate mechanisms, contributing to our understanding of polymyositis in this breed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Alf
- Section of Clinical and Comparative Neuropathology, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Yvet Opmeer
- Expertise Centre of Genetics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - G Diane Shelton
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093-0709, USA
| | - Guy C M Grinwis
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kaspar Matiasek
- Section of Clinical and Comparative Neuropathology, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Marco Rosati
- Section of Clinical and Comparative Neuropathology, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Paul J J Mandigers
- Expertise Centre of Genetics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Becker GM, Thorne JW, Burke JM, Lewis RM, Notter DR, Morgan JLM, Schauer CS, Stewart WC, Redden RR, Murdoch BM. Genetic diversity of United States Rambouillet, Katahdin and Dorper sheep. Genet Sel Evol 2024; 56:56. [PMID: 39080565 PMCID: PMC11290166 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-024-00905-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Managing genetic diversity is critically important for maintaining species fitness. Excessive homozygosity caused by the loss of genetic diversity can have detrimental effects on the reproduction and production performance of a breed. Analysis of genetic diversity can facilitate the identification of signatures of selection which may contribute to the specific characteristics regarding the health, production and physical appearance of a breed or population. In this study, breeds with well-characterized traits such as fine wool production (Rambouillet, N = 745), parasite resistance (Katahdin, N = 581) and environmental hardiness (Dorper, N = 265) were evaluated for inbreeding, effective population size (Ne), runs of homozygosity (ROH) and Wright's fixation index (FST) outlier approach to identify differential signatures of selection at 36,113 autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). RESULTS Katahdin sheep had the largest current Ne at the most recent generation estimated with both the GONe and NeEstimator software. The most highly conserved ROH Island was identified in Rambouillet with a signature of selection on chromosome 6 containing 202 SNPs called in an ROH in 50 to 94% of the individuals. This region contained the DCAF16, LCORL and NCAPG genes that have been previously reported to be under selection and have biological roles related to milk production and growth traits. The outlier regions identified through the FST comparisons of Katahdin with Rambouillet and Dorper contained genes with known roles in milk production and mastitis resistance or susceptibility, and the FST comparisons of Rambouillet with Katahdin and Dorper identified genes related to wool growth, suggesting these traits have been under natural or artificial selection pressure in these populations. Genes involved in the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathways were identified in all FST breed comparisons, which indicates the presence of allelic diversity between these breeds in genomic regions controlling cytokine signaling mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS In this paper, we describe signatures of selection within diverse and economically important U.S. sheep breeds. The genes contained within these signatures are proposed for further study to understand their relevance to biological traits and improve understanding of breed diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle M Becker
- Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Jacob W Thorne
- Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas A&M University, San Angelo, TX, USA
| | - Joan M Burke
- USDA, ARS, Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, Booneville, AR, USA
| | - Ronald M Lewis
- Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - David R Notter
- School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | | | - Christopher S Schauer
- Hettinger Research Extension Center, North Dakota State University, Hettinger, ND, USA
| | - Whit C Stewart
- Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - R R Redden
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas A&M University, San Angelo, TX, USA
| | - Brenda M Murdoch
- Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
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3
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Subramanian S, Kumar M. The Association between the Abundance of Homozygous Deleterious Variants and the Morbidity of Dog Breeds. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:574. [PMID: 39194512 DOI: 10.3390/biology13080574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
It is well known that highly inbred dogs are more prone to diseases than less inbred or outbred dogs. This is because inbreeding increases the load of recessive deleterious variants. Using the genomes of 392 dogs belonging to 83 breeds, we investigated the association between the abundance of homozygous deleterious variants and dog health. We used the number of non-routine veterinary care events for each breed to assess the level of morbidity. Our results revealed a highly significant positive relationship between the number of homozygous deleterious variants located within the runs of homozygosity (RoH) tracts of the breeds and the level of morbidity. The dog breeds with low morbidity had a mean of 87 deleterious SNVs within the RoH, but those with very high morbidity had 187 SNVs. A highly significant correlation was also observed for the loss-of-function (LoF) SNVs within RoH tracts. The dog breeds that required more veterinary care had 2.3 times more homozygous LoF SNVs than those that required less veterinary care (112 vs. 50). The results of this study could be useful for understanding the disease burden on breed dogs and as a guide for dog breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sankar Subramanian
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
- School of Science, Technology, and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, QLD 4502, Australia
| | - Manoharan Kumar
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4502, Australia
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4
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Rebhun RB, York D, De Graaf FMD, Yoon P, Batcher KL, Luker ME, Ryan S, Peyton J, Kent MS, Stern JA, Bannasch DL. A variant in the 5'UTR of ERBB4 is associated with lifespan in Golden Retrievers. GeroScience 2024; 46:2849-2862. [PMID: 37855863 PMCID: PMC11009206 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00968-2] [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: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in long-lived human populations have led to identification of variants associated with Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular disease, the latter being the most common cause of mortality in people worldwide. In contrast, naturally occurring cancer represents the leading cause of death in pet dogs, and specific breeds like the Golden Retriever (GR) carry up to a 65% cancer-related death rate. We hypothesized that GWAS of long-lived GRs might lead to the identification of genetic variants capable of modifying longevity within this cancer-predisposed breed. A GWAS was performed comparing GR dogs ≥ 14 years to dogs dying prior to age 12 which revealed a significant association to ERBB4, the only member of the epidermal growth factor receptor family capable of serving as both a tumor suppressor gene and an oncogene. No coding variants were identified, however, distinct haplotypes in the 5'UTR were associated with reduced lifespan in two separate populations of GR dogs. When all GR dogs were analyzed together (n = 304), the presence of haplotype 3 was associated with shorter survival (11.8 years vs. 12.8 years, p = 0.024). GRs homozygous for haplotype 3 had the shortest survival, and GRs homozygous for haplotype 1 had the longest survival (11.6 years vs. 13.5 years, p = 0.0008). Sub-analyses revealed that the difference in lifespan for GRs carrying at least 1 copy of haplotype 3 was specific to female dogs (p = 0.009), whereas survival remained significantly different in both male and female GRs homozygous for haplotype 1 or haplotype 3 (p = 0.026 and p = 0.009, respectively). Taken together, these findings implicate a potential role for ERBB4 in GR longevity and provide evidence that within-breed canine lifespan studies could serve as a mechanism to identify favorable or disease-modifying variants important to the axis of aging and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert B Rebhun
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Daniel York
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Flora M D De Graaf
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Paula Yoon
- Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Kevin L Batcher
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Madison E Luker
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Stephanie Ryan
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jamie Peyton
- Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Michael S Kent
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Joshua A Stern
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Danika L Bannasch
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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5
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Sweetalana, Mooney JA, Szpiech ZA. Genotypic and phenotypic consequences of domestication in dogs. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.01.592072. [PMID: 38746159 PMCID: PMC11092585 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.01.592072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Runs of homozygosity (ROH) are genomic regions that arise when two copies of an identical ancestral haplotype are inherited from parents with a recent common ancestor. In this study, we performed a novel comprehensive analysis to infer genetic diversity among dogs and quantified the association between ROH and non-disease phenotypes. We found distinct patterns of genetic diversity across clades of breed dogs and elevated levels of long ROH, compared to non- domesticated dogs. These high levels of F ROH (inbreeding coefficient) are a consequence of recent inbreeding among domesticated dogs during breed establishment. We identified statistically significant associations between F ROH and height, weight, lifespan, muscled, white head, white chest, furnish, and length of fur. After correcting for population structure, we identified more than 45 genes across the three examined quantitative traits that exceeded the threshold for suggestive significance, indicating significant polygenic inheritance for the complex quantitative phenotypes in dogs.
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6
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Morel E, Malineau L, Venet C, Gaillard V, Péron F. Prioritization of Appearance over Health and Temperament Is Detrimental to the Welfare of Purebred Dogs and Cats. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1003. [PMID: 38612242 PMCID: PMC11011023 DOI: 10.3390/ani14071003] [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: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Fashions in the appearance of purebred dogs and cats are encouraged by celebrity culture, social media, and online impulse buying. The popularity of characteristics perceived as cute, quirky, and anthropomorphic has driven increasingly exaggerated breed features appealing to aesthetics rather than health. 'Hypertypes' of some breeds have emerged that take a breed's distinctive appearance to extremes beyond the intended interpretation of breed standards. This has severe, direct and indirect health and welfare consequences. Extreme conformations are associated with chronic health conditions including brachycephalic obstructive airway disorder, ocular, dental, skin, and musculoskeletal disorders. Puppy and kitten farms and illegal traders that meet the demand for hypertypes are associated with poor husbandry that neglects the physical, behavioral, and mental health of parents and offspring. A multidimensional approach involving collaboration between breeders, geneticists, owners, veterinarians, kennel clubs, cat fanciers' associations, animal charities, the academic and research communities, commercial enterprises, and governments is needed to safeguard breeds and tackle these challenges. There are many ongoing initiatives by national kennel clubs and global partnerships to educate pet owners and support responsible pet ownership and sustainable breeding. The resounding message is that health, temperament, and well-being must be prioritized over appearance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Virginie Gaillard
- Royal Canin, 30470 Aimargues, France; (E.M.); (L.M.); (C.V.); (F.P.)
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7
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Santovito A, Saracco M, Scarfo' M, Nota A, Bertolino S. Purebred dogs show higher levels of genomic damage compared to mixed breed dogs. Mamm Genome 2024; 35:90-98. [PMID: 37864685 PMCID: PMC10884103 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-023-10020-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Inbreeding is a common phenomenon in small, fragmented or isolated populations, typical conditions of many threatened species. In the present paper, we used a new non-invasive approach based on the buccal micronucleus assay to evaluate the possible relationships between inbreeding and genomic damage using the dog as model species. In particular, we assessed the frequencies of micronuclei and other nuclear aberrations in a group of purebred dogs (n = 77), comparing the obtained data with those from a control group represented by mixed breed dogs (n = 75). We found a significant increase of micronuclei, nuclear buds and total nuclear aberrations frequencies in purebred dogs compared to mixed-bred dogs. The absence of significant differences in the frequency of micronuclei and other nuclear aberrations amongst different breeds reinforces the hypothesis that the observed increased genomic damage amongst purebred dogs may not be due to a different genomic instability typical of a particular breed, but to inbreeding itself. This hypothesis is further confirmed by the fact that other endogen confounding factors, such as sex, age and weight, do not contribute significantly to the increase of genomic damage observed amongst purebred dogs. In conclusion, results presented in this study showed that, in purebred dogs, inbreeding may increase the levels of genomic damage. Considering that genomic damage is associated with increased physiological problems affecting animal health, the results we obtained may represent a stimulus to discourage the use of intensive inbreeding practices in captive populations and to reduce the fragmentation of wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Santovito
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy.
| | - Martina Saracco
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - Manuel Scarfo'
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandro Nota
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - Sandro Bertolino
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
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8
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McMillan KM, Bielby J, Williams CL, Upjohn MM, Casey RA, Christley RM. Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Sci Rep 2024; 14:531. [PMID: 38302530 PMCID: PMC10834484 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w] [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: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The companion dog is one of the most phenotypically diverse species. Variability between breeds extends not only to morphology and aspects of behaviour, but also to longevity. Despite this fact, little research has been devoted to assessing variation in life expectancy between breeds or evaluating the potential for phylogenetic characterisation of longevity. Using a dataset of 584,734 unique dogs located within the UK, including 284,734 deceased, we present variation in longevity estimates within the following: parental lineage (purebred = 1 breed, crossbred ≥ 2 breeds), breed (n = 155), body size (large, medium, small), sex (male, female) and cephalic index (brachycephalic, mesocephalic, dolichocephalic). Survival estimates were then partitioned amongst phylogenetic clades: providing evidence that canine evolutionary history (via domestication and associated artificial selection) is associated with breed lifespan. This information provides evidence to inform discussions regarding pedigree health, whilst helping current/prospective owners, breeders, policy makers, funding bodies and welfare organisations improve decision making regarding canine welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jon Bielby
- Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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9
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Nunney L. The effect of body size and inbreeding on cancer mortality in breeds of the domestic dog: a test of the multi-stage model of carcinogenesis. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231356. [PMID: 38298404 PMCID: PMC10827441 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Cancer is a leading cause of death in domestic dogs. Deaths due to cancer vary widely among breeds, providing an opportunity for testing the multi-stage model of carcinogenesis. This model underpins evolutionary and basic studies of cancer suppression and predicts a linear increase in cancer with breed size, an expectation complicated by bigger breeds having a shorter lifespan (decreasing risk). Using three independent datasets, the weight and lifespan of breeds provided a good fit of lifetime cancer mortality to the multi-stage model, the fit suggesting many canine cancers are initiated by four driver mutations. Of 85 breeds in more than one dataset, only flat-coated retriever showed significantly elevated cancer mortality, with Scottish terrier, Bernese mountain dog and bullmastiff also showing notable risk (greater than 50% over expected). Analysis of breed clades suggested terriers experience elevated cancer mortality. There was no evidence that the lower mass-specific metabolic rate of larger breeds reduced cancer risk. Residuals indicated increased breed inbreeding shortened expected lifespan, but had no overall effect on cancer mortality. The results provide a baseline for identifying increased breed risk for specific cancers and demonstrate that, unless selection promotes increased cancer suppression, the evolution of larger longer-lived animals leads to a predictable increased cancer risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Nunney
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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10
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Heinonen T, Flegel T, Müller H, Kehl A, Hundi S, Matiasek K, Fischer A, Donner J, Forman OP, Lohi H, Hytönen MK. A loss-of-function variant in canine GLRA1 associates with a neurological disorder resembling human hyperekplexia. Hum Genet 2023; 142:1221-1230. [PMID: 37222814 PMCID: PMC10449970 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-023-02571-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Hereditary hyperekplexia is a rare neuronal disorder characterized by an exaggerated startle response to sudden tactile or acoustic stimuli. In this study, we present a Miniature Australian Shepherd family showing clinical signs, which have genetic and phenotypic similarities with human hereditary hyperekplexia: episodes of muscle stiffness that could occasionally be triggered by acoustic stimuli. Whole genome sequence data analysis of two affected dogs revealed a 36-bp deletion spanning the exon-intron boundary in the glycine receptor alpha 1 (GLRA1) gene. Further validation in pedigree samples and an additional cohort of 127 Miniature Australian Shepherds, 45 Miniature American Shepherds and 74 Australian Shepherds demonstrated complete segregation of the variant with the disease, according to an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. The protein encoded by GLRA1 is a subunit of the glycine receptor, which mediates postsynaptic inhibition in the brain stem and spinal cord. The canine GLRA1 deletion is located in the signal peptide and is predicted to cause exon skipping and subsequent premature stop codon resulting in a significant defect in glycine signaling. Variants in GLRA1 are known to cause hereditary hyperekplexia in humans; however, this is the first study to associate a variant in canine GLRA1 with the disorder, establishing a spontaneous large animal disease model for the human condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiina Heinonen
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Thomas Flegel
- Department of Small Animals, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hanna Müller
- Tieraerztliches Fachzentrum Muehlhausen Dr. Ortmann & Dr. Stief, Muehlhausen/Thueringen, Germany
| | | | - Sruthi Hundi
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kaspar Matiasek
- Section of Clinical and Comparative Neuropathology, Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea Fischer
- Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jonas Donner
- Wisdom Panel Research Team, Wisdom Panel, Kinship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Oliver P Forman
- Wisdom Panel Research Team, Wisdom Panel, Kinship, Leicestershire, UK
| | - Hannes Lohi
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Marjo K Hytönen
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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11
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Mata F, Mata A. Investigating the relationship between inbreeding and life expectancy in dogs: mongrels live longer than pure breeds. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15718. [PMID: 37483958 PMCID: PMC10362839 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the establishment of relationship between inbreeding and life expectancy in dogs. A dataset of N = 30,563 dogs sourced from the VetCompass™ Program, UK was made available by the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, containing information about breed and longevity and was subject to survival analysis. A Cox regression proportional hazards model was used to differentiate survivability in three groups of dogs (mongrel, cross-bred and pure breed). The model was found highly significant (p < 0.001) and we found that mongrel dog had the highest life expectancy, followed by cross-bred dogs with only one purebred ancestor and purebred dogs had the lowest life expectancy. A second Cox regression was also found highly significant (p < 0.001) differentiating the lifespan of different dog breed and correlating positively the hazard ratio and the Genetic Illness Severity Index for Dogs (GISID). The results show that survivability is higher in mongrel dogs followed by cross-bred with one of the ancestor only as a pure breed, and pure breed dog have the highest morbidity level. Higher morbidity is associated with higher GISID scores, and therefore, higher inbreeding coefficients. These findings have important implications for dog breeders, owners, and animal welfare organizations seeking to promote healthier, longer-lived dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Mata
- Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Portugal
| | - Andreia Mata
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
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12
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Schmökel H, Farrell A, Balisi MF. Subchondral defects resembling osteochondrosis dissecans in joint surfaces of the extinct saber-toothed cat Smilodon fatalis and dire wolf Aenocyon dirus. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287656. [PMID: 37436967 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Skeletal disease may hamper the behavior of large predators both living and extinct. We investigated the prevalence of osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD), a developmental bone disease affecting the joints, in two Ice Age predators: the saber-toothed cat Smilodon fatalis and dire wolf Aenocyon dirus. As published cases in modern Felidae and wild Canidae are rare, we predicted that subchondral defects resembling OCD would be rare in the extinct predators. We examined limb joints in juvenile and adult S. fatalis: 88 proximal humeri (shoulder), 834 distal femora (stifle), and 214 proximal tibiae. We also examined limb joints in juvenile and adult A. dirus: 242 proximal humeri, 266 distal femora, and 170 proximal tibiae. All specimens are from the Late Pleistocene Rancho La Brea fossil locality in Los Angeles, California, USA. While the Smilodon shoulder and tibia showed no subchondral defects, subchondral defects in the Smilodon femur had a prevalence of 6%; most defects were small (<7mm); and nine adult stifles with defects also showed osteoarthritis. Subchondral defects in the A. dirus femur had a prevalence of 2.6%; most defects were large (>12mm); and five stifles further developed mild osteoarthritis. Subchondral defects in the A. dirus shoulder had a prevalence of 4.5%; most defects were small, and three shoulders developed moderate osteoarthritis. No defects were found in the A. dirus tibia. Contrary to our prediction, we found a high prevalence of subchondral defects in the stifle and shoulder of S. fatalis and A. dirus resembling OCD found in humans and other mammals. As modern dogs affected by OCD are highly inbred, this high prevalence in the fossil taxa may suggest that they experienced inbreeding as they approached extinction. The deep-time history of this disease supports the need for monitoring of animal domestication, as well as conservation, to avoid unexpected surges in OCD under conditions like inbreeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Schmökel
- Evidensia Academy, Division of Orthopaedics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Aisling Farrell
- La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, National History Museums of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Mairin F Balisi
- La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, National History Museums of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Raymond M. Alf Museum of Palaeontology, Claremont, California, United States of America
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de Sousa AA, Rigby Dames BA, Graff EC, Mohamedelhassan R, Vassilopoulos T, Charvet CJ. Going beyond established model systems of Alzheimer's disease: companion animals provide novel insights into the neurobiology of aging. Commun Biol 2023; 6:655. [PMID: 37344566 PMCID: PMC10284893 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05034-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by brain plaques, tangles, and cognitive impairment. AD is one of the most common age-related dementias in humans. Progress in characterizing AD and other age-related disorders is hindered by a perceived dearth of animal models that naturally reproduce diseases observed in humans. Mice and nonhuman primates are model systems used to understand human diseases. Still, these model systems lack many of the biological characteristics of Alzheimer-like diseases (e.g., plaques, tangles) as they grow older. In contrast, companion animal models (cats and dogs) age in ways that resemble humans. Both companion animal models and humans show evidence of brain atrophy, plaques, and tangles, as well as cognitive decline with age. We embrace a One Health perspective, which recognizes that the health of humans is connected to those of animals, and we illustrate how such a perspective can work synergistically to enhance human and animal health. A comparative biology perspective is ideally suited to integrate insights across veterinary and human medical disciplines and solve long-standing problems in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra A de Sousa
- Centre for Health and Cognition, Bath Spa University, Bath, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Brier A Rigby Dames
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Department of Computer Science, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Emily C Graff
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Rania Mohamedelhassan
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Tatianna Vassilopoulos
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Christine J Charvet
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
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14
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Wade CM, Nuttall R, Liu S. Comprehensive analysis of geographic and breed-purpose influences on genetic diversity and inherited disease risk in the Doberman dog breed. Canine Med Genet 2023; 10:7. [PMID: 37277858 DOI: 10.1186/s40575-023-00130-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Publicly available phenotype data and genotyping array data from two citizen science projects: "Doberman Health Surveys" and "The Doberman Diversity Project" were analyzed to explore relative homozygosity, diversity, and disorder risk according to geographical locale and breeding purpose in the Doberman. RESULTS From the phenotypic data cohort, life expectancy of a Doberman at birth is 9.1 years. The leading causes of death were heart disease (accounting for 28% of deaths) and cancers (collectively accounting for 14% of deaths). By genotyping, the world Doberman population exists as four major cohorts (European exhibition-bred, Americas exhibition-bred, European work, Americas pet/informal). Considering the entire Doberman population, four genomic regions longer than 500 Kb are fixed in 90% or more of 3,226 dogs included in this study. The four fixed regions reside on two autosomal chromosomes: CFA3:0.8-2.3 Mb (1.55 Mb); CFA3: 57.9-59.8 Mb (1.8 Mb); CFA31:0-1.2 Mb (1.2 Mb); and CFA31:4.80-6.47 Mb (1.67 Mb). Using public variant call files including variants for eight Doberman pinschers, we observed 30 potentially functional alternate variants that were evolutionarily diverged relative to the wider sequenced dog population within the four strongly homozygous chromosomal regions. Effective population size (Ne) is a statistical measure of breed diversity at the time of sampling that approximates the number of unique individuals. The major identified sub-populations of Dobermans demonstrated Ne in the range 70-236. The mean level of inbreeding in the Doberman breed is 40% as calculated by the number of array variants in runs of homozygosity divided by the assayed genome size (excluding the X chromosome). The lowest observed level of inbreeding in the Dobermans assayed was 15% in animals that were first generation mixes of European and USA bred Dobermans. Array variant analysis shows that inter-crossing between European and USA-bred Dobermans has capacity to re-introduce variation at many loci that are strongly homozygous. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that efforts to improve breed diversity first should focus on regions with the highest fixation levels, but managers must ensure that mutation loads are not worsened by increasing the frequencies of rarer haplotypes in the identified regions. The analysis of global data identified regions of strong fixation that might impact known disorder risks in the breed. Plausible gene candidates for future analysis of the genetic basis of cardiac disease and cancer were identified in the analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire M Wade
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | | | - Sophie Liu
- Doberman Diversity Project, Oakland, CA, USA
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15
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Kraus C, Snyder-Mackler N, Promislow DEL. How size and genetic diversity shape lifespan across breeds of purebred dogs. GeroScience 2023; 45:627-643. [PMID: 36066765 PMCID: PMC9886701 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-022-00653-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
While the lifespan advantage of small body size and mixed breed status has been documented repeatedly, evidence for an effect of genetic diversity across dog breeds is equivocal. We hypothesized that this might be due to a strong right-censoring bias in available breed-specific lifespan estimates where early-dying dogs from birth cohorts that have not died off completely at the time of data collection are sampled disproportionately, especially in breeds with rapidly growing populations. We took advantage of data on owner reported lifespan and cause of death from a large public database to quantify the effect of size and genetic diversity (heterozygosity) on mortality patterns across 118 breeds based on more than 40,000 dogs. After documenting and removing the right-censoring bias from the breed-specific lifespan estimates by including only completed birth cohorts in our analyses, we show that small size and genetic diversity are both linked to a significant increase in mean lifespan across breeds. To better understand the proximate mechanisms underlying these patterns, we then investigated two major mortality causes in dogs - the cumulative pathophysiologies of old age and cancer. Old age lifespan, as well as the percentage of old age mortality, decreased with increasing body size and increased with increasing genetic diversity. The lifespan of dogs dying of cancer followed the same patterns, but while large size significantly increased proportional cancer mortality, we could not detect a significant signal for lowered cancer mortality with increasing diversity. Our findings suggest that outcross programs will be beneficial for breed health and longevity. They also emphasize the need for high-quality mortality data for veterinary epidemiology as well as for developing the dog as a translational model for human geroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
| | - Daniel E. L. Promislow
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
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16
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Genomic Diversity and Runs of Homozygosity in Bernese Mountain Dogs. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030650. [PMID: 36980922 PMCID: PMC10048372 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bernese mountain dogs are a large dog breed formed in the early 1900s in Switzerland. While originally farm dogs that were used for pulling carts, guarding, and driving cattle, today they are considered multi-purpose companion and family dogs. The breed is predisposed to several complex diseases, such as histiocytic sarcoma, degenerative myelopathy, or hip dysplasia. Using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data, we assessed the genomic architecture of 33 unrelated dogs from four countries: France, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Analysis of runs of homozygosity (ROH) identified 12,643 ROH with an average length of 2.29 Mb and an average inbreeding coefficient of 0.395. Multidimensional scaling analysis of the genetic relatedness revealed limited clustering of European versus USA dogs, suggesting exchanges of breeding stock between continents. Furthermore, only two mtDNA haplotypes were detected in the 33 studied dogs, both of which are widespread throughout multiple dog breeds. WGS-based ROH analyses revealed several fixed or nearly fixed regions harboring discreet morphological trait-associated as well as disease-associated genetic variants. Several genes involved in the regulation of immune cells were found in the ROH shared by all dogs, which is notable in the context of the breed’s strong predisposition to hematopoietic cancers. High levels of inbreeding and relatedness, strongly exaggerated in the last 30 years, have likely led to the high prevalence of specific genetic disorders in this breed.
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17
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Rowland T, Pike TW, Reaney-Wood S, Mills DS, Burman OHP. Using network analysis to detect associations between suspected painful health conditions and behaviour in dogs. Vet J 2023; 293:105954. [PMID: 36781017 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2023.105954] [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: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
Pain associated with chronic health conditions in non-human animals is an important animal welfare issue. To identify animals in pain and develop an understanding of the mechanisms by which pain affects behaviour, it is therefore important to establish the direct behavioural effects of painful health conditions. We reanalyse data from a cross-sectional survey that considered the presence or absence of a painful condition in dogs and quantified their affective predispositions using the Positive and Negative Activation Scale (PANAS). By applying ideas from network theory, we conceptualise pain as a stressor that exerts direct effects on a network of interacting behavioural variables, and subsequently estimated a network model of conditional dependence relations. Painful health conditions were positively conditionally associated with age (posterior mean partial correlation, ρ = 0.34; standard deviation [SD]=0.05), and negatively conditionally associated with the item 'your dog is full of energy' (ρ = -0.14; SD=0.06). In turn, the energy item was conditionally associated with other PANAS items which were marginally associated with pain, such as items representing ease of excitability and persistence in play. This suggests these marginal effects might be indirectly mediated via the energy item. Further, utilising the posterior predictive distribution we estimated that the median conditional probability (95% credible interval) of a painful health condition given an answer of 'strongly agree' on the energy item was 0.08 (0.05, 0.11), which increased to 0.32 (0.09, 0.58), given a response of 'strongly disagree'. This provides a potentially clinically useful interpretation of the conditional dependencies detected in the network.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Rowland
- Animal Behaviour, Cognition, and Welfare Research Group, Department of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool Campus, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK.
| | - T W Pike
- Animal Behaviour, Cognition, and Welfare Research Group, Department of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool Campus, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - S Reaney-Wood
- Sheffield Institute of Education, College of Social Sciences and Arts, Sheffield Hallam University, City Campus, Howard Street, Sheffield S1 2NH, UK
| | - D S Mills
- Animal Behaviour, Cognition, and Welfare Research Group, Department of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool Campus, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - O H P Burman
- Animal Behaviour, Cognition, and Welfare Research Group, Department of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool Campus, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
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18
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Leeb T, Bannasch D, Schoenebeck JJ. Identification of Genetic Risk Factors for Monogenic and Complex Canine Diseases. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2023; 11:183-205. [PMID: 36322969 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-050622-055534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Advances in DNA sequencing and other technologies have greatly facilitated the identification of genetic risk factors for inherited diseases in dogs. We review recent technological developments based on selected examples from canine disease genetics. The identification of disease-causing variants in dogs with monogenic diseases may become a widely employed diagnostic approach in clinical veterinary medicine in the not-too-distant future. Diseases with complex modes of inheritance continue to pose challenges to researchers but have also become much more tangible than in the past. In addition to strategies for identifying genetic risk factors, we provide some thoughts on the interpretation of sequence variants that are largely inspired by developments in human clinical genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tosso Leeb
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland;
| | - Danika Bannasch
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, California, USA;
| | - Jeffrey J Schoenebeck
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School for Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom;
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19
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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: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [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
| | - 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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20
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Perfilyeva A, Bespalova K, Bespalov S, Begmanova М, Kuzovleva Y, Zhaniyazov Z, Vishnyakova O, Nazarenko I, Perfilyeva Y, Khamdiyeva O, Bekmanov B. Kazakh national dog breed Tazy: What do we know? PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282041. [PMID: 36888576 PMCID: PMC9994743 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The Tazy or Kazakh National sighthound has been officially recognized as the national heritage of Kazakhstan. Comprehensive genetic studies of genetic diversity and population structure that could be used for selection and conservation of this unique dog breed have not been conducted so far. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic structure of the Tazy using microsatellite and SNP markers and to place the breed in the context of the world sighthound breeds. Our results showed that all 19 microsatellite loci examined were polymorphic. The observed number of alleles in the Tazy population varied from 6 (INU030 locus) to 12 (AHT137, REN169D01, AHTh260, AHT121, and FH2054 loci) with a mean of 9.778 alleles per locus. The mean number of effective alleles was 4.869 and ranged from 3.349 f to 4.841. All markers were highly informative (PIC values greater than 0.5) and ranged from 0.543 (REN247M23 locus) to 0.865 (AHT121 locus). The observed and expected heterozygosities in a total population were 0.748 and 0.769 and ranged from 0.746 to 0.750 and 0.656 to 0.769, respectively. Overall, the results confirmed that the Tazy breed has a high level of genetic diversity, no significant inbreeding, and a specific genetic structure. Three gene pools underlie the genetic diversity of the Tazy breed. SNP analysis using the CanineHD SNP array, which contains more than 170,000 SNP markers, showed that the Tazy breed is distinct from other sighthound breeds and genetically related to ancient eastern sighthound breeds sharing the same branch with the Afghan Hound and the Saluki. The results, together with archeological findings, confirm the ancient origin of the breed. The findings can be used for the conservation and international registration of the Tazy dog breed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastassiya Perfilyeva
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Kira Bespalova
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Almaty, Kazakhstan.,Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Sergey Bespalov
- Department of Theriology, Institute of Zoology, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Мamura Begmanova
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Yelena Kuzovleva
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Zhassulan Zhaniyazov
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Almaty, Kazakhstan.,Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Olga Vishnyakova
- Department of Сynology, Republican Federation of Public Associations of Hunters and Hunting Societies "Kansonar", Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Inna Nazarenko
- Department of Сynology, Republican Federation of Public Associations of Hunters and Hunting Societies "Kansonar", Astana, Kazakhstan
| | - Yuliya Perfilyeva
- Department of Immunology, M.A. Aitkhozhin's Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Ozada Khamdiyeva
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Bakhytzhan Bekmanov
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Almaty, Kazakhstan.,Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
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21
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Sanders AR, Bhongir N, vonHoldt B, Pellegrini M. Association of DNA methylation with energy and fear-related behaviors in canines. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1025494. [PMID: 36591016 PMCID: PMC9794564 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1025494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Behavioral traits are influenced by gene by environment interactions. To study the genetic and epigenetic components of behavior, we analyzed whether dog behavioral traits could be predicted by their DNA methylation and genotypes. Methods We conducted an analysis on dog behaviors such as sociability, trainability and energy as measured by Canine Behavioral and Research Assessment Questionnaire (C-BARQ) behavioral surveys paired with buccal swabs from 46 dogs. Previously we used targeted bisulfite sequencing to analyze DNA methylation and collected genotype data from over 1,500 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Owner-reported C-BARQ responses were used to quantify 14 behavioral trait values. Results Using Partial Least Squares (PLS) Regression analysis we found behavioral traits such as energy, attachment/attention-seeking, non-social fear, and stranger-directed fear to be significantly associated with DNA methylation across 3,059 loci. After we adjusted for age as a confounding variable, energy and stranger-directed fear remained significantly associated with methylation. We found that most behavioral traits were not predictable by our limited set of SNPs. Discussion By identifying individual genes whose methylation is significantly associated with behavioral traits, we generate hypotheses about possible mechanisms involved in behavioral regulation. Overall, our study extends previous work in behavioral epigenetics, shows that canine behaviors are predictable by DNA methylation, and serves as a proof of concept for future studies in behavioral epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail R. Sanders
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Neha Bhongir
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Matteo Pellegrini,
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Neonatology: Topics on Puppies and Kittens Neonatal Management to Improve Neonatal Outcome. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12233426. [PMID: 36496947 PMCID: PMC9739440 DOI: 10.3390/ani12233426] [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: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The productivity of kennels and catteries is directly linked to maternal prolificacy and neonatal survival. During the neonatal period, mortality is high, not only due to environmental factors after birth but also with regard to gestational fetal life, complications during delivery, and management errors. Neonatology is an area of veterinary medicine where having a strong knowledge base of applied physiology and common clinical presentations for newborns can often favor better outcomes and greater neonatal survival. The teaching of animal theriogenology topics, particularly neonatal medicine, in the veterinary curriculum has evolved significantly in recent years. It is essential that the veterinarian understands the maternal and neonatal particularities and the main aspects involved in the handling of puppies and kittens for the instruction of the correct handling to the breeders and better medical conduct. The breeder of dogs and cats, experienced or not, must count on the help of a veterinarian in their breeding. Proper management, constant monitoring of the litter, and prompt assistance are the keys to successful breeding.
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23
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Bennett NE, Gray PB. A Study Evaluating Consumer Motivations, Perceptions, and Responses to Direct-to-Consumer Canine Genetic Test Results. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12233360. [PMID: 36496881 PMCID: PMC9741277 DOI: 10.3390/ani12233360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct-to-consumer genetic services allow companion animal guardians to purchase a DNA test and receive detailed results about their pet's ancestry, health, and traits results. In collaboration with Wisdom Panel, we present novel findings about consumer motivations, perceptions, and responses to their use of canine genomic services. Wisdom Panel customers were invited to complete an online survey anonymously in which they were asked about their reasons for using a genetic test for their dog, how they perceived the test's results, and how they responded to the results they received. Participant data revealed most utilized a test that provided more ancestry/breed results (75.9%) as compared to health-related results. The majority of participants perceived the breed test results as accurate (52.0% strongly agree, 27.6% somewhat agree) and the genetic services provided as having great value (49.6% strongly agree, 32.7% somewhat agreed). In responding to their dog's results, participants indicated they shared the information with family (88.1%) and friends (84.2%). Collectively, our study indicates consumers are more focused on their dog's ancestry than other test results. Using these findings and previous literature on human direct-to-consumer genetic testing, human-animal dyads, and identity construction, we consider the possibility of "breed options theory" and future areas of research.
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24
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Axnér E, Rasmus LS, Melangen T. Factors affecting reproductive performance in the Swedish Bernese mountain dog. Acta Vet Scand 2022; 64:28. [PMID: 36271408 PMCID: PMC9587626 DOI: 10.1186/s13028-022-00646-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Good reproductive performance is fundamental for the development of a breed. Previous studies have indicated that the Bernese mountain dog has a relatively high prevalence of reproductive problems such as a high prevalence of dystocia and a low mean litter size. When reproduction is impaired, selection for other traits, including improved health, will become more difficult. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate reproductive data and factors affecting these in the Bernese mountain dog. Data collected by the Swedish Sennenhund Club during the years 2010–2020 were evaluated by statistical analyses. Results Information from 1287 reported matings were included with a total of 614 bitches and 399 sires. For five reported matings that did not result in a litter, there was no information about the male identity. The reported matings resulted in 798 litters (62% whelping rate) from 502 bitches and 314 males. Paternal and maternal age had a significant effect on whelping rate with a negative effect of increasing age (P < 0.01). Median litter size at birth (LSB) was 6.00 (range 0–14) and was significantly affected by both paternal (P = 0.021) and maternal age (P < 0.001). Parity affected litter size at birth with a lower litter size in 4 year old bitches giving birth to their first litter compared to bitches giving birth to their second to fourth litters. Stillbirth occurred in 51.6% of the litters with a total of 15.4% puppies being stillborn. Total puppy mortality, including stillbirth, was 19.1%. The only factor affecting stillbirth was LSB while both LSB and season affected the risk of having post-natal puppy loss in the litter. The total prevalence of caesarean sections (CS) was 33.0%. The risk of CS decreased significantly with increasing parity and increased with increasing age. The risk of CS was significantly higher for litters with 1–2 puppies compared with litters with 3–9 puppies. The coefficient of inbreeding (F) calculated on 5 generations had no effect on any of the outcomes. Conclusions Parity and maternal age had opposite effects on reproductive outcomes with a positive effect of parity on increasing litter size and decreasing CS rate. The proportion of unsuccessful matings was high with a negative effect of increasing age of both males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Axnér
- Division of Reproduction, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 7054, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Linda Sofia Rasmus
- Division of Reproduction, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 7054, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.,, Björnmossestigen 9, 00890, Helsinki, Finland
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Batcher K, Varney S, York D, Blacksmith M, Kidd JM, Rebhun R, Dickinson P, Bannasch D. Recent, full-length gene retrocopies are common in canids. Genome Res 2022; 32:1602-1611. [PMID: 35961775 PMCID: PMC9435743 DOI: 10.1101/gr.276828.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Gene retrocopies arise from the reverse transcription and insertion into the genome of processed mRNA transcripts. Although many retrocopies have acquired mutations that render them functionally inactive, most mammals retain active LINE-1 sequences capable of producing new retrocopies. New retrocopies, referred to as retro copy number variants (retroCNVs), may not be identified by standard variant calling techniques in high-throughput sequencing data. Although multiple functional FGF4 retroCNVs have been associated with skeletal dysplasias in dogs, the full landscape of canid retroCNVs has not been characterized. Here, retroCNV discovery was performed on a whole-genome sequencing data set of 293 canids from 76 breeds. We identified retroCNV parent genes via the presence of mRNA-specific 30-mers, and then identified retroCNV insertion sites through discordant read analysis. In total, we resolved insertion sites for 1911 retroCNVs from 1179 parent genes, 1236 of which appeared identical to their parent genes. Dogs had on average 54.1 total retroCNVs and 1.4 private retroCNVs. We found evidence of expression in testes for 12% (14/113) of the retroCNVs identified in six Golden Retrievers, including four chimeric transcripts, and 97 retroCNVs also had significantly elevated F ST across dog breeds, possibly indicating selection. We applied our approach to a subset of human genomes and detected an average of 4.2 retroCNVs per sample, highlighting a 13-fold relative increase of retroCNV frequency in dogs. Particularly in canids, retroCNVs are a largely unexplored source of genetic variation that can contribute to genome plasticity and that should be considered when investigating traits and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Batcher
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Scarlett Varney
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Daniel York
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Matthew Blacksmith
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Kidd
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Robert Rebhun
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Peter Dickinson
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Danika Bannasch
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
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Burnett E, Brand CL, O'Neill DG, Pegram CL, Belshaw Z, Stevens KB, Packer RMA. How much is that doodle in the window? Exploring motivations and behaviours of UK owners acquiring designer crossbreed dogs (2019-2020). Canine Med Genet 2022; 9:8. [PMID: 35610665 PMCID: PMC9127489 DOI: 10.1186/s40575-022-00120-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Demand for intentional crosses of purebred dog breeds, often labelled ‘designer crossbreeds’ (e.g., Labrador Retriever X Poodle, the ‘Labradoodle’), has recently increased in the UK. This study aimed to explore this phenomenon by comparing pre-purchase motivations, pre-purchase and purchase behaviours of UK owners of designer crossbred puppies purchased during 2019-2020 with those of owners of purebred puppies purchased during the same period. Results Data were collected in an online cross-sectional survey between November-December 2020. Responses from n = 6293 puppies (designer crossbred puppies: n = 1575; purebred puppies: n = 4718) were analysed. Perceived hypoallergenicity was cited as a motivator for breed/crossbreed choice by almost half of designer crossbreed owners (47.1%), six times more than purebred dog owners (7.86%; odds ratio [OR]: 9.12, 95% CI: 7.70-10.8). Designer crossbred puppies were more likely to have been acquired via a general selling website (e.g., Gumtree; 13.8%) compared to purebred puppies (7.67%; OR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.77-2.71), or an animal-specific selling websites (e.g., Pets4Homes; 55.7%) compared to purebred puppies (37.4%; OR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.65-2.17). Designer crossbreed owners were less likely to see their puppy in person prior to purchase than purebred owners (60.4% vs. 67.0%, respectively; OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.64-0.85), and at purchase, designer crossbred puppies were less likely to be seen with their mother (73.1% vs. 79.8%, respectively; OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.70-0.95), and littermates (67.7% vs. 78.1%, respectively; OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.55-0.73). Designer crossbreeds had a significantly higher purchase price, with 25.7% of designer crossbreed puppies costing £2000-£2999 compared to 15.1% of purebred puppies (X2 = 207.31, p < 0.001). Conclusions The recent boom in designer crossbreeds in the UK has been fuelled by a desire for perceived hypoallergenic and generally healthy dogs that fit the lifestyles of households with children and limited experience with dogs. Some sought-after traits in designer crossbreeds are misconceptions that risk canine welfare, including relinquishment risk, if owner expectations are not met. Purchasing practices fuelling this boom support irresponsible breeding and selling practices, which combined with reduced pressure for health testing from buyers, may result in a higher disease burden and poorer future welfare for this growing designer dog population.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Burnett
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Herts, AL9 7TA, UK.,School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, The University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicester, UK
| | - C L Brand
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Herts, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - D G O'Neill
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Herts, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - C L Pegram
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Herts, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Z Belshaw
- EviVet Evidence-based Veterinary Consultancy, Nottingham, UK
| | - K B Stevens
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Herts, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - R M A Packer
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Herts, AL9 7TA, UK.
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Carrier Rate and Mutant Allele Frequency of GM1 Gangliosidosis in Miniature Shiba Inus (Mame Shiba): Population Screening of Breeding Dogs in Japan. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12101242. [PMID: 35625088 PMCID: PMC9137666 DOI: 10.3390/ani12101242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
GM1 gangliosidosis is a progressive, recessive, autosomal, neurodegenerative, lysosomal storage disorder that affects the brain and multiple systemic organs due to an acid β-galactosidase deficiency encoded by the GLB1 gene. This disease occurs in the Shiba Inu breed, which is one of the most popular traditional breeds in Japan, due to the GLB1:c.1649delC (p.P550Rfs*50) mutation. Previous surveys performed of the Shiba Inu population in Japan found a carrier rate of 1.02–2.94%. Currently, a miniature type of the Shiba Inu called “Mame Shiba”, bred via artificial selection to yield smaller individuals, is becoming more popular than the standard Shiba Inu and it is now one of the most popular breeds in Japan and China. The GM1 gangliosidosis mutation has yet to be surveyed in the Mame Shiba population. This study aimed to determine the frequency of the mutant allele and carrier rate of GM1 gangliosidosis in the Mame Shiba breed. Blood samples were collected from 1832 clinically healthy adult Mame Shiba Inus used for breeding across 143 Japanese kennels. The genotyping was performed using a real-time PCR assay. The survey found nine carriers among the Mame Shibas, indicating that the carrier rate and mutant allele frequency were 0.49% and 0.00246, respectively. This study demonstrated that the mutant allele has already been inherited by the Mame Shiba population. There is a risk of GM1 gangliosidosis occurrence in the Mame Shiba breed if breeders use carriers for mating. Further genotyping surveys are necessary for breeding Mame Shibas to prevent the inheritance of this disease.
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Domain G, Ali Hassan H, Wydooghe E, Bogado Pascottini O, Johannisson A, Morrell JM, Niżański W, Van Soom A. Influence of Single Layer Centrifugation with Canicoll on Semen Freezability in Dogs. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12060714. [PMID: 35327111 PMCID: PMC8944562 DOI: 10.3390/ani12060714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Freezing dog semen is not always possible due to low quality sperm or poor survival during freezing. In order to make this assisted reproductive technique available to a larger number of dogs, this study investigated the benefit of selecting the best spermatozoa before freezing using single layer centrifugation (SLC). The results indicated that this technique was effective in separating spermatozoa according to their quality, although this resulted in losing some good quality spermatozoa. After thawing, spermatozoa centrifuged by SLC were of better quality than after standard centrifugation. However, spermatozoa from suboptimal quality semen did not survive freezing as well as spermatozoa from semen of optimal quality, even after SLC. Single layer centrifugation, therefore, makes it possible to obtain better quality spermatozoa after thawing but is not sufficient on its own to improve the inferior freezing ability of spermatozoa from suboptimal quality semen. So far, eighteen pups were born after insemination with SLC-selected frozen-thawed semen, proving that these selected spermatozoa remain fertile. Abstract This study evaluated how semen selection by single layer centrifugation (SLC) with Canicoll affects semen freezability in dogs. A total of eighteen ejaculates, collected from dogs with optimal and suboptimal semen quality (optimal: normal morphology (NM) ≥ 80%, n = 9; suboptimal: NM between 60 and 79%, n = 9), were divided into two aliquots and subjected to standard centrifugation or SLC before cryopreservation. Motility, NM, membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and DNA integrity were improved in fresh samples after SLC, regardless of semen quality, but at the expense of some good quality spermatozoa. After thawing, NM and membrane integrity were improved in SLC-selected semen in both semen qualities. Interestingly, MMP was also higher but only in optimal quality semen. Still, spermatozoa from suboptimal quality semen did not survive freezing to the same extent as spermatozoa from optimal quality semen, even after selecting superior spermatozoa. Semen selection with Canicoll is, therefore, an effective technique to isolate a subpopulation of high-quality spermatozoa and obtain sperm samples of better quality after thawing, but is not sufficient to improve the intrinsic inferior freezability of suboptimal quality semen. So far, eighteen pups were born after insemination with SLC-selected frozen-thawed semen, proving that these selected spermatozoa remain fertile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Domain
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (H.A.H.); (E.W.); (O.B.P.); (A.V.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Hiba Ali Hassan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (H.A.H.); (E.W.); (O.B.P.); (A.V.S.)
| | - Eline Wydooghe
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (H.A.H.); (E.W.); (O.B.P.); (A.V.S.)
| | - Osvaldo Bogado Pascottini
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (H.A.H.); (E.W.); (O.B.P.); (A.V.S.)
- Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Anders Johannisson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Reproduction, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 756-51 Uppsala, Sweden; (A.J.); (J.M.M.)
| | - Jane M. Morrell
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Reproduction, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 756-51 Uppsala, Sweden; (A.J.); (J.M.M.)
| | - Wojciech Niżański
- Department of Reproduction and Clinic of Farm Animals, University of Environmental Science, Grundwaldzki Square 49, 50-357 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Ann Van Soom
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (H.A.H.); (E.W.); (O.B.P.); (A.V.S.)
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