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VGL Clients Help Advance Our Understanding of MYHM in Quarter Horses!

A recent study sheds new light on the prevalence and penetrance of the missense mutation in the type 2X myosin heavy chain (MYH1) gene that is associated with myosin-heavy chain myopathy (MYHM) in Quarter Horses. The UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory offers a genetic test for MYHM and reports the presence of this mutation as My and the absence of this mutation as N.

New Agouti Test Available for Dogs!

The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory is excited to announce a new Agouti test that better explains the different coat color patterns seen in dogs.

New Name for Immune-Mediated Myositis (IMM) Test

To more accurately reflect the genetic mechanism that underpins both immune-mediated myositis (IMM) and non-exertional rhabdomyolysis, the name of the VGL’s DNA test has been updated from Immune-mediated Myositis (IMM/MYH1) to myosin-heavy chain myopathy (MYHM).

VGL-led Team Identifies Genetic Variant Associated with Distichiasis in Friesians

An interdisciplinary team led by VGL Director Dr. Rebecca Bellone identified a genetic variant associated with distichiasis in Friesian horses. This is the first identification of a genetic variant linked to equine distichiasis, an ocular disease characterized by eyelashes that grow from abnormal positions along the edge of the eyelid and often lead to corneal irritation and damage.

Veterinary Genetics Laboratory Receives Highest Level of Accreditation

The UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory recently achieved the ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation by the American National Standards Institute National Accreditation Board, the highest level of accreditation available to testing laboratories. According to their website, ANAB is the largest multi-disciplinary accreditation body in the western hemisphere, with more than 2,500 organizations accredited in approximately 80 countries.

New Dog DNA Test: Cocoa Coat Color

The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory is excited to announce the launch of a new dog coat color test for a visually distinct brown coat color, known as cocoa, that occurs in French Bulldogs.

VGL's Dr. Rebecca Bellone Featured in Equine Veterinary Journal Podcast

In early April, VGL Director Dr. Rebecca Bellone joined the Equine Veterinary Journal podcast "EVJ in Conversation" to discuss catastrophic breakdown in racehorses as well as her recent paper, which found no evidence of linkage between catastrophic breakdown and the mutation that causes Warmblood fragile foal syndrome type 1 (WFFS).