Grant Amount: $90,000

Dr. James R. Mickelson, PhD, University of Minnesota

July 20, 2000 - September 30, 2002

Breed(s): -All Dogs

Disease(s): Genome Mapping

Abstract

The field of molecular genetics has produced remarkable medical advances in the last decade. For example, the underlying genetic basis for inherited diseases such as cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, Huntington�s disease, and certain forms of cancer have now been revealed. This research has produced sensitive tests for susceptibility to, and early diagnosis of, many types of diseases in humans, and the latest treatments based on this research have improved the quality of life and life span of numerous individuals. Molecular genetics is also contributing to an enhanced understanding of normal and disease processes in domestic and companion animals. Animal breeders have intuitively recognized for decades that certain traits in their animals may be inherited, and there is increasing awareness among breeders that genetics plays an important role in many other facets of animal health including disease susceptibility and resistance. In this proposal we hope to greatly increase the number of genes expressed in the canine brain and central nervous system whose DNA sequence and precise location on a canine chromosome is known. This work will help further efforts to identify those canine nervous system genes which greatly impact the health and other characteristics of all dogs by making the extensive human genome mapping information more directly transferable to knowledge of the canine genome.