Testing and Submitting Canine DNA Samples

In this edition of Genome Barks we hear from Dr. Roe Froman, a practicing veterinarian and a researcher at the Van Andel Institute in their Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium (CHCC). Dr. Froman discusses the importance of testing and submitting DNA samples to organizations like the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC), and how dog owners and clubs can encourage sample collection from both healthy and affected dogs.

This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, a KeyBank Trust.

Coat Color Genetics

In this edition of Genome Barks we hear from Dayna Dreger, a Ph. D. student at the University of Saskatchewan. Dreger discusses agouti signaling proteins (ASIP) and how testing for agouti alleles offers breeders / owners the opportunity to determine possible coat color outcomes from specific matings.

This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, a KeyBank Trust.

Canine Herpes Virus (CHV)

In this edition of Genome Barks we bring you an interview with Dr. Eric Ledbetter, an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. Dr. Ledbetter discusses Canine Herpes Virus (CHV) and the signs and symptoms in dogs and puppies.

This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, a KeyBank Trust.

Leonberger Polyneuropathy (LPN)

In this edition of Genome Barks we hear from Dr. Kari Ekenstedt who discusses Leonberger Polyneuropathy (LPN). Through her research Dr. Ekenstedt, along with a team of researchers at the University of Minnesota, the University of Bern, and the University of California San Diego, has identified a genetic mutation that points to the early onset of inherited LPN. In identifying this genetic mutation, Dr. Ekenstdet has been able to develop a genetic test for the leonberger breed. By testing leonbergers, an early diagnosis can be made and carriers of the mutation can be identified for breeding purposes.

This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, a KeyBank Trust.

Health Testing Canine Breeding Stock

In this edition of Genome Barks we bring you an interview with Dr. Jerry Bell, Clinical Associate Professor of Genetics at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and a small animal veterinarian at Freshwater Veterinary Hospital in Enfield, CT. Dr. Bell discusses the importance of testing canine breeding stock to screen for preventable genetic diseases.

This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, a KeyBank Trust.

Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD) and Legg-Calve-Perthes (LCP)

In this edition of Genome Barks we bring you an interview with Dr. Alison Starr, a scientific investigator at the Clemson Canine Genetics Research Group, which studies hereditary diseases in the domestic dog. Dr. Starr has received funding from the AKC Canine Health Foundation and her current research is focused on the development of genetic tests to help predict and screen for Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD), a bone disease that usually affects young, rapidly growing, large breed dogs, and Legg-Calve-Perthes (LCP), a disease that results in the abnormal deformity of the ball of the hip joint and usually occurs in young miniature and small breeds of dogs. For both HOD and LCP, Dr. Starr is hoping to discover the gene or genes responsible for these diseases so that genetic tests might be developed as a tool for producing better and healthier dogs.

The Genetics of Canine Behavior

In this edition of Genome Barks we bring you and interview with Dr. Mark Neff, scientific investigator and Director of program for canine health and performance at the Van Andel Research Institute. Dr. Neff has received funding from the AKC Canine Health Foundation and his current research is focused on neurological and behavioral disorders in the dog.

In this podcast Dr. Neff discusses how researchers are learning about the genes responsible for behaviors like pointing and herding and how understanding the principals of the mind can help them understand the intrinsic reward system that motivates dogs to do what they do.

This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, a KeyBank Trust.

Bioinformatics

In this edition of Genome Barks, we bring you an interview with Dr. Meg Staton from Clemson University. Dr. Staton works in bioinformatics helping researchers find the causes of genetic disease. Bioinformatics is the application of computer science and information technology to the field of biology and medicine. In this podcast Dr. Staton discusses the role of the bioinformaticist in successful canine health research.

This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, a KeyBank Trust.

Morphology

In this edition of Genome Barks we bring you an interview with Dr. Heidi Parker, a staff scientist at the National Human Genome Research Institute. Dr. Parker’s research has included the relatedness of the many different breeds of dogs to one another and investigation of the genetic causes of diseases such as malignant histiocytosis in the Bernese Mountain Dog and traits such as athletic performance in Whippets. In this podcast, Dr. Parker defines morphology; discusses the similarities between the canine and human genomes related to morphology; and provides examples of how morphological changes can affect dogs such as improper coat in the Portuguese Water Dog.

We are grateful to the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, a KeyBank Trust, for their support of the Genome Barks Podcast Series.

Canine Compulsive Disorder

In this edition of Genome Barks we bring you and interview with Dr. Elinor Karlsson with the Broad Institute and the Sebeti Lab at Harvard. Dr. Karlsson has focused her research on the genetic cause of disease, including diseases associated with coat color traits such as ridgelessness in the Rhodesian Ridgeback and behavioral traits such as aggression. In this podcast Dr. Karlsson discusses the technique of genome wide mapping; her research on canine compulsive disorder; the discovery of the gene for flank sucking in the Doberman Pinscher; and the implications of her research for human psychiatric disorders.