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A Deletion in the Canine POMC Gene Is Associated with Weight and Appetite in Obesity-Prone Labrador Retriever Dogs.


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Authors

Dennis, Rowena J 
O'Donovan, Conor J 
Becker, Julia Monika  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5130-0543
Scott, Robert A 

Abstract

Sequencing of candidate genes for obesity in Labrador retriever dogs identified a 14 bp deletion in pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) with an allele frequency of 12%. The deletion disrupts the β-MSH and β-endorphin coding sequences and is associated with body weight (per allele effect of 0.33 SD), adiposity, and greater food motivation. Among other dog breeds, the deletion was only found in the closely related flat-coat retriever (FCR), where it is similarly associated with body weight and food motivation. The mutation is significantly more common in Labrador retrievers selected to become assistance dogs than pets. In conclusion, the deletion in POMC is a significant modifier of weight and appetite in Labrador retrievers and FCRs and may influence other behavioral traits.

Description

Keywords

Adiposity, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Appetite, Base Pairing, Base Sequence, Body Weight, COS Cells, Chlorocebus aethiops, Dogs, Feeding Behavior, Gene Deletion, Genotype, Obesity, Pro-Opiomelanocortin, Receptors, Melanocortin, beta-MSH

Journal Title

Cell Metab

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1550-4131
1932-7420

Volume Title

23

Publisher

Elsevier BV
Sponsorship
Wellcome Trust (095515/Z/11/Z)
Wellcome Trust (100574/Z/12/Z)
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12012/5)
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12012/1)
Medical Research Council (MC_PC_12012)
We are grateful to Rachel Moxon of Guide Dogs UK for collecting the assistance dog samples; Stephen J Sharp of the MRC Epidemiology Unit for his statistical advice; Jens Häggström, Karin Hultin Jäderlund and Berndt Klingeborn for the Swedish dog samples; Anne White for efforts to develop a canine beta MSH assay and adaptation of her original for figure 1b; and the Dogslife Consortium for samples from British Labrador retrievers (supported by an Institute Core Strategic Grant from the BBSRC to the Roslin Institute). A full list of the investigators who contributed to the Dogslife project is available from www.dogslife.ac.uk/who-runs-dogslife. AJG's academic post at the University of Liverpool is financially supported by Royal Canin. The work was primarily supported by the Wellcome Trust (Senior Investigator Award 095515/Z/11/Z and Strategic Award 100574/Z/12/Z), MRC (MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, award 4050281695 and MRC_MC_UU_12012/5), and Dogs Trust. The authors would like to thank all the veterinary surgeons and nurses, owners and dogs who contributed samples.