1847: Establishment of a Genetic Database for Disease Association Studies in the Major Histocompatibility complex for Purebred Dogs
Grant Status: Closed
Grant Amount: $50,825
Niels C Pedersen, PhD; University of California, Davis
August 10, 1999 - August 9, 2000
Sponsor(s):
Breed(s): -All Dogs
Research Program Area: Immunology and Infectious Disease
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Project Summary
As the trigger for the immune system, the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is an important risk factor in the development of autoimmune diseases. Researchers took the information they gathered in their prior studies of the MHC and applied it to 20 breeds at varying risk for autoimmune diseases. They collected and studied the DNA of four low-risk breeds, the Basenji, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, English Setter and Whippet; eight intermediate-risk breeds, the Beagle, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd Dog, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Rottweiler, Siberian Husky and Weimaraner; and eight high-risk breeds, the Akita, Cocker Spaniel, Chow Chow, Collie, Miniature Poodle, Miniature Schnauzer, Shetland Sheepdog, and Shih Tzu. They discovered significant differences in the variation of the MHC among the different breeds. This research determined, for the first time, the MHC alleles present in each of the breeds, greatly advancing the body of scientific knowledge about the MHC.Publication(s)
None at this time.
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