a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify associated genetic markers with odor performance in dogs
Abstract
Olfaction is the oldest of the vertebrate special senses and yet remains the least understood. In nearly all mammals, it plays vital roles in detecting threats and finding food, water, and potential mates. Domestic dogs represent an ideal species to better understand the mechanisms that determine olfactory functions and abilities. They are known for heightened skills of scent detection and some are trained to detect specific odors (Helton 2009). Olfactory sensitivity in canines is determined by genetic, neurological, physiological and developmental factors. In recent years, several studies attempted to better understand the olfactory functions by studying more specifically canine anatomy (Craven et al. 2007, 2010; Lawson et al. 2012; Bird et al. 2018; Rygg et al. 2017; Jenkins et al. 2018), gene expression and genetic variation of olfactory receptors (Vanderhaeghen et al. 1992; Issel-Tarver L et al. 1996, Zhang et al. 2011; Chen et al. 2012; Quignon et al. 2012; Charruau et al. 2016; Li et al in prep; Mouton et al. in prep) however olfactory sensitivity has not well quantified using a behavioral assay (but see Konno et al. 2018 for a recent attempt to do so). In addition, the extent to which genetic architecture vary across behaviors and animal taxa is largely unexplored (York 2018).In this proposal, we propose to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) between genetic markers and behavior in a large sample size of dogs, sufficient to detect associations between variants of small to moderate effect on olfactory performance. Our quantitative traits will be provided by collaborator Adam Mikl~si (Hungary), a leader in behavior research in dogs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 25, 2019
- Source ID
- N000141912237
Entities
People
- Robert K. Wayne
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California, Los Angeles