|
1
|
Morrill K, Hekman J, Li X, McClure J, Logan B, Goodman L, Gao M, Dong Y, Alonso M, Carmichael E, Snyder-Mackler N, Alonso J, Noh HJ, Johnson J, Koltookian M, Lieu C, Megquier K, Swofford R, Turner-Maier J, White ME, Weng Z, Colubri A, Genereux DP, Lord KA, Karlsson EK. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 2022; 376:eabk0639. [PMID: 35482869 DOI: 10.1126/science.abk0639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral genetics in dogs has focused on modern breeds, which are isolated subgroups with distinctive physical and, purportedly, behavioral characteristics. We interrogated breed stereotypes by surveying owners of 18,385 purebred and mixed-breed dogs and genotyping 2155 dogs. Most behavioral traits are heritable [heritability (h2) > 25%], and admixture patterns in mixed-breed dogs reveal breed propensities. Breed explains just 9% of behavioral variation in individuals. Genome-wide association analyses identify 11 loci that are significantly associated with behavior, and characteristic breed behaviors exhibit genetic complexity. Behavioral loci are not unusually differentiated in breeds, but breed propensities align, albeit weakly, with ancestral function. We propose that behaviors perceived as characteristic of modern breeds derive from thousands of years of polygenic adaptation that predates breed formation, with modern breeds distinguished primarily by aesthetic traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Morrill
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jessica Hekman
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Xue Li
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jesse McClure
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Brittney Logan
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Linda Goodman
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Fauna Bio Inc., Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Mingshi Gao
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Yinan Dong
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Marjie Alonso
- The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, USA.,IAABC Foundation, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, USA
| | - Elena Carmichael
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85251, USA.,School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85251, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85251, USA
| | - Jacob Alonso
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Hyun Ji Noh
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jeremy Johnson
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Charlie Lieu
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Darwin's Ark Foundation, Seattle, WA 98026, USA
| | - Kate Megquier
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ross Swofford
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Michelle E White
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Andrés Colubri
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Kathryn A Lord
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Elinor K Karlsson
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Darwin's Ark Foundation, Seattle, WA 98026, USA.,Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| |
Collapse
|
|
2
|
Ballif BC, Emerson LJ, Ramirez CJ, Carl CR, Sundin K, Flores-Smith H, Shaffer LG. The PMEL gene and merle (dapple) in the dachshund: cryptic, hidden, and mosaic variants demonstrate the need for genetic testing prior to breeding. Hum Genet 2021; 140:1581-1591. [PMID: 34370083 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-021-02330-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
One of the most unique coat color patterns in the domestic dog is merle (also known as dapple in the dachshund breed), characterized by patches of normal pigmentation surrounded by diluted eumelanin pigment. In dogs, this striking variegated pattern is caused by an insertion of a SINE element into the PMEL gene. Differences in the length of the SINE insertion [due to a variable-length poly(A)-tail] has been associated with variation in the merle coat color and patterning. We previously performed a systematic evaluation of merle in 175 Australian shepherds and related breeds and correlated the length of the merle insertion variants with four broad phenotypic clusters designated as "cryptic", "atypical", "classic", and "harlequin" merle. In this study, we evaluated the SINE insertions in 140 dachshunds and identified the same major merle phenotypic clusters with only slight variation between breeds. Specifically, we identified numerous cases of true "hidden" merle in dachshunds with light/red (pheomelanin) coats with little to no black/brown pigment (eumelanin) and thus minimal or no observable merle phenotype. In addition, we identified somatic and gonadal mosaicism, with one dog having a large insertion in the harlequin size range of M281 that had no merle phenotype and unintentionally produced a double merle puppy with anophthalmia. The frequent identification of cryptic, hidden, and mosaic merle variants, which can be undetectable by phenotypic inspection, should be of particular concern to breeders and illustrates the critical need for genetic testing for merle prior to breeding to avoid producing dogs with serious health problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Blake C Ballif
- Paw Print Genetics, Genetic Veterinary Sciences, Inc., 220 E Rowan, Suite 220, Spokane, WA, 99207, USA.
| | | | - Christina J Ramirez
- Paw Print Genetics, Genetic Veterinary Sciences, Inc., 220 E Rowan, Suite 220, Spokane, WA, 99207, USA
| | - Casey R Carl
- Paw Print Genetics, Genetic Veterinary Sciences, Inc., 220 E Rowan, Suite 220, Spokane, WA, 99207, USA
| | - Kyle Sundin
- Paw Print Genetics, Genetic Veterinary Sciences, Inc., 220 E Rowan, Suite 220, Spokane, WA, 99207, USA
| | - Helen Flores-Smith
- Paw Print Genetics, Genetic Veterinary Sciences, Inc., 220 E Rowan, Suite 220, Spokane, WA, 99207, USA
| | - Lisa G Shaffer
- Paw Print Genetics, Genetic Veterinary Sciences, Inc., 220 E Rowan, Suite 220, Spokane, WA, 99207, USA
- Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|