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Testing of dogs: Furnishing - Shedding
Shedding
The MC5R-gene has been identified as a gene that can impact the degree of shedding in certain dog breeds. The MC5R-gene is expressed in the hair follicle glands that produce the oily, waxy substance called sebum. This secretion of sebaceous glands keeps the hair flexible and assists in lubrication, thermo-regulation and water repellence. The variants of MCR5-gene disrupt the structure of sebum and result in increased shedding. There exist two variants of this gene: A and G. The G-variant is the original gene generated during evolution and is responsible for high degree of shedding. Dogs carrying one copy of this variant have increased shedding and dogs inheriting two copies of this variant have even higher degree of shedding.
.
MC5R
|
Genotype |
Degree of shedding |
|
A/A |
Low |
|
A/G |
Moderate |
|
G/G |
High |
The RSPO2-gene is another gene impacting the hair quality. The overall degree of dog shedding can be determined by genetic testing. It is necessary to test the combination of MC5R and RSPO2 genes.
RSPO2
INS/INS - 0 copy of variant responsible for high degree of shedding
WT/INS - 1 copy of variant responsible for high degree of shedding
WT/WT - 2 copies of variant responsible for high degree of shedding
.
MC5R and RSPO2 COMBINATION
|
Genotype |
INS/INS |
WT/INS |
WT/WT |
|
A/A |
A/A, INS/INS → 0 |
A/A, WT/INS → 1 |
A/A,WT/WT → 2 |
|
A/G |
A/G, INS/INS → 1 |
A/G, WT/INS → 2 |
A/G, WT/WT → 3 |
|
G/G |
G/G, INS/INS → 2 |
G/G, WT/INS → 3 |
G/G,WT/WT → 4 |
Degrees of shedding 0,1,2,3,4 – 0 low, 4 high
.
The genetic tests of MC5R-gene and RSPO2-gene reveal the degree of shedding in a dog and can help to select dogs suitable for breeding and thus reduce shedding in puppies. For example, the Labraddoodle is suitable for persons suffering from allergy as the degree of shedding is low. A Labraddoodle is created by crossing the Labrador retriever and the Puddle. The first generation is not suitable for allergy sufferers as the dogs are shedding a lot, but the second generation (produced by crossing of labradoodles) is more suitable. The genetic testing of MC5R and RSPO2 helps to determine the less shedding individuals. However, even a dog with zero degree of shedding cannot assure that no allergy occurs in any person as the allergy is a complex multifactorial mechanism.