ANTAGENE, a DNA research laboratory, has commercialized a DNA test that detects Cerebellar Ataxia in American Staffordshire Terriers (AmStaff).
Cerebellar Ataxia is an autosomal recessive neurological disease. The first signs of the disease usually appear between 3 and 5 years of age in affected dogs. They are: loss of balance, difficulty cornering, and falling when shaking their head. As the signs progress, most dogs seem to have difficulty initiating movements. When they became unable to walk without falling repeatedly, owners usually make the difficult choice to euthanize.
The incidence of Cerebellar Ataxia has increased greatly in the last few years due to affected dogs being bred before they exhibited the first symptoms. Until the availability of this new DNA test, it was impossible to detect carriers. Two carriers bred together produce litters that have the potential of affected dogs.
Identification of the implicated gene and validation of the test resulted from collaborative research efforts between the laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Genetics (Dr Marie Abitbol, Dr Laurent Tiret) and the laboratory of Neurobiology (Dr Stéphane Blot) from the Alfort School of Veterinary Medicine (ENVA), as well as the CNRS-University of Rennes and ANTAGENE.
Pilot studies achieved during the development of the test revealed a high frequency of carrier dogs in the french population of AmStaff (30%). In addition, collaboration with Dr Natasha Olby (North Carolina State University, Raleigh) confirmed that dogs in the United States carry the same disease-causing mutation as the one identified in french dogs.
This new DNA test is a revolution for breeders and owners of Amstaffs. Thanks to a simple non-invasive cheek swab (cytobrush), a veterinarian can provide cell samples that can be analyzed by ANTAGENE to identify affected AmStaffs before the first clinical signs as well as detecting carriers. This allows breeders to exclude matings at risk (carrier x carrier producing affected dogs) and transmission of the disease-causing copy of the gene. Identification of carriers as well as affected AmStaffs is important to avoid the dissemination of the genetic defect in the breed.
The test is patented world-wide by INRA and ENVA. ANTAGENE has an exclusive international license to provide this test.
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cerebellar ataxia note.pdf 70.83 KB 16.09.2008
