Lees verder Het juiste – en onjuiste – gebruik van DNA tests
Met toestemming overgenomen van Institute of Canine Biology (ICB)
The development of ever better and cheaper tools for the analysis of DNA have driven the development of a genetic testing industry that allows breeders to identify potential genetic defects before breeding. Through pedigree research and careful selection of tested animals, breeders can now produce a litter of puppies that is essentially guaranteed to be free of particular genetic disorders that plague the breed. Lees verder Why DNA tests won’t make dogs healthier
Met toestemming overgenomen van Institute of Canine Biology (ICB)
Most genetic disorders in dogs are caused by single, autosomal recessive mutations. These are genes that somewhere along the line were copied improperly or damaged somehow, but have no ill effects as long as the animal has a copy of the normal gene. These mutations can lurk in the genome for generations, passed on just like any other gene, and never causing a problem as long as they are bachelors. Lees verder Eliminating genetic disorders in dogs – too little, too late?
Met toestemming overgenomen van Institute of Canine Biology (ICB)
The most common admonition of the geneticist to the dog breeder is to “avoid the Popular Sire Syndrome”. At the same time, the most common advice from breeder to breeder is “breed the best to best”. So the conundrum is obvious and the consequence predictable – the “best” dogs are the most sought after, so they sire the most offspring and become popular sires.
Lees verder The Pox of Popular Sires
Met toestemming overgenomen van Institute of Canine Biology (ICB)
By Carol Beuchat PhD
In many breeds, dodging genetic disorders is becoming a significant problem because troublesome recessive mutations can be widespread in the population. The need to avoid producing dogs that are homozygous for a particular mutation drives the search for the gene and subsequent development of a genetic test. In many cases, these efforts are funded by breeders who believe that “identify-and-eliminate” is the best strategy for dealing with the problem. (See Managing genetic disorders: “Just eliminate the bad gene”.)
Unfortunately, because there can be dozens or even hundreds of disease-causing mutations in every dog, there will always be another genetic problem waiting in the wings to suddenly pop up in a breed. If we had tests for all the mutations found in purebred dogs, both the ones we know about and the ones that have not yet been identified, it would become impossible to breed if breeders wanted to avoid every risk. Lees verder Three key strategies to reduce genetic disorders in dogs