Product Description

Canine Long Hair – L Locus

Hair length in dogs is generally classified as either canine long hair (the Golden Retriever) or short (the Labrador Retriever), and is under the control of two alleles: L > l. Taking a candidate approach, Housley an Venta (2006) identified a coding variant in FGF5 gene (fibroblast growth factor), associated with long hair. A later survey showed that FGF5^59F alele was fixed (or nearly fixed) within most long hair breeds, consistent with a general theme that most traits shared across breeds have a common genetic basis.

The Afghan Hound and the Yorkshire Terrier are notable exceptions, however, for which long hair is not associated with the FGF5^59F allele, indicating that an additional FGF5 allele or a different gene is responsible for increased hair length in these breeds.

References:

Cadieu, E., Neff, M.W., Quignon, P., Walsh, K., Chase, K., Parker, H.G., Vonholdt, B.M., Rhue, A., Boyko, A., Byers, A., et al. (2009). Coat variation in the domestic dog is governed by variants in three genes. Science 326, 150–153.

Housley, D.J.E., and Venta, P.J. (2006). The long and the short of it: evidence that FGF5 is a major determinant of canine “hair”-itability. Anim. Genet. 37, 309–315.