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L Locus (Long Hair; L4) - Afgan Hound and Eurasian Type
| Acronym: | L Locus; L4 |
| Gene: | FGF5 |
| Mutation: | c.559_560dupGG |
| Inheritance: | Autosomal recessive |
| Sample type: | CHS (Cheek Swab), WBE (Whole Blood EDTA) |
Genetics and characteristics
Hair length in dogs is an important characteristic along with coat color, growth pattern, and curl. In dogs, hair length 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. The main mutant gene leading to the long-hair phenotype in mammals is the fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5). FGF5 is also the main gene associated with long hair in most dog breeds, including the Afgan Hound and Eurasian dogs. The specific mutation causing long hair in those two dog breeds is duplication within the FGF5 gene that encodes a transcription factor, a protein that inhibits hair growth by promoting progression from anagen, the growth phase of the hair follicle, into catagen, the apoptosis-induced regression phase.
Long hair in Afgan Hound and Eurasian dogs is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait, meaning two copies of the gene causing long hair are required for long hair to be produced. Dogs with two copies of the variant of the FGF5 gene will have long hair due to the lack of the hair growth termination signal. Dogs with one copy or no copies of the mutated FGF5 gene will have short hair. Genetic testing can identify carriers and help breeders in future mating pairs selection.
Results Reported As
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References:
Dierks, C., Mömke, S., Philipp, U., Distl, O. (2013). Allelic heterogeneity of FGF5 mutations causes the long-hair phenotype in dogs. Animal genetics, 44(4), 425–431. https://doi.org/10.1111/age.12010
Housley, D. J., Venta, P. J. (2006). The long and the short of it: evidence that FGF5 is a major determinant of canine hair-itability. Animal genetics, 37(4), 309–315. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2052.2006.01448.x
Cadieu, E., Neff, M. W., Quignon, P., Walsh, K., Chase, K., Parker, H. G., Vonholdt, B. M., Rhue, A., Boyko, A., Byers, A., Wong, A., Mosher, D. S., Elkahloun, A. G., Spady, T. C., André, C., Lark, K. G., Cargill, M., Bustamante, C. D., Wayne, R. K., Ostrander, E. A. (2009). Coat variation in the domestic dog is governed by variants in three genes. Science (New York, N.Y.), 326(5949), 150–153. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1177808