Allele frequency of the variant associated with canine degenerative myelopathy (SOD1:c.118G>A) in Golden Retriever dogs in Brazil

• Grant number: 23/03709-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: May 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: José Paes de Oliveira Filho
• Grantee: Fabio Issamu Urushibata Ito
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Canine degenerative myelopathy (CDM) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the spinal cord, characterized by general proprioceptive ataxia and spastic paresis and associated with the SOD1:c.118G>A mutation in more than 124 canine breeds. Clinical signs start late, being observed in animals from the age of eight, and in most cases, tutors opt for early euthanasia of their animals. The definitive diagnosis of MDC is made through post mortem histopathology and molecular biology techniques, such as the polymerase chain reaction. In Brazil, there are few studies and knowledge of MDC and the SOD1:c.118G>A mutation in Brazilian dogs, especially in Golden Retrievers. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the allele frequency of the SOD1:c.118G>A mutation, responsible for MDC, in a Brazilian population of Golden Retriever dogs.