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The domestication of dogs began as long as 40,000 years ago. Today, there are more than 400 different breeds of dog. However, breeding was often accompanied by inbreeding, a consequence of the desire to fix certain characteristics. This mating of close relatives, however, also carries health risks. Moreover, a small population size inevitably leads to inbreeding. This was the case with the sheep poodle, an old German herding dog. The population of this breed, which was widespread along the German-Polish border, shrank to probably just a few dozen individuals after German reunification due to the decline in transhumance. The population is now growing again, partly because the sheep poodle is being bred as a therapy and family dog. Genes that cause disease have remained, for example those responsible for undescended testicles (cryptorchidism).
This is one of the most common disorders of sexual development in male dogs, but it also affects other mammals, including humans. The causes of this condition remain unclear. It is assumed that there are multifactorial triggers. As part of her Master’s thesis in Professor Wünschiers’ research group, under the supervision of his PhD student Nils Schön, Lisa Lorenz-Grolle set out to shed more light on the genetic background of this condition. She successfully defended her thesis in June 2023.
In her thesis, Lisa investigated six specifically selected genetic loci in around two hundred individuals. To do this, she first amplified these loci using PCR and then sequenced them. Although she was able to identify a new genetic variation in her thesis – one that is presumably specific to sheep poodles – none of the variations found correlated with cryptorchidism. This is an important finding in that it shows that the selected genetic loci are not informative enough. Nils is therefore now expanding the genetic analysis.
We would like to thank Lisa for her scientific contribution to our research project and wish her all the best for the future.
