Shedding+

Quick Summary

The extent of shedding is impacted by several genes but two, MC5R and RSPO2, appear to have significant effect on the relative degree of shedding. Combinations of variants identified in these two genes result in decreased overall shedding rates.
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Click here for Price and Turnaround TimeDogs

Phenotype: Dogs with one or two copies of the variant alleles shed less than dogs with no copies

Mode of Inheritance:  Complex

Alleles: MC5R SD = low shedding variant, N = Normal shedding

                RSPO2 F = low shedding variant, IC = Normal shedding

Breeds appropriate for testing: Many

Explanation of results:

Shedding (SD locus) plus Furnishing and Improper coat

  • Dogs with SD/SD and F/F or SD/N and F/F genotypes are associated with minimal shedding.
  • Dogs with SD/SD and F/IC or N/N and F/F genotypes have low shedding associated variants and are predicted to have lower rates of shedding than would be considered average for the breed.
  • Dogs with SD/SD and IC/IC, SD/N and IC/IC or SD/N and F/IC genotypes have variants predicted to result in average shedding.

 

Note: To reach these conclusions, researchers rated breeds on a scale of 0 (minimal shedding breeds) to 1 (heavy shedding breeds), and Figure 1 below shows where the genotype combinations fall on that scale. Breeds were considered minimal shedders (0), average shedders (0.5) and heavy shedders (1) according to information provided on various websites, including akc.org. Shedding was not quantified as a part of this study.

Shedding scale
Figure 1. Shedding scale and corresponding genotype combinations. Adapted from Hayward et al., 2016, where shedding rates were scaled as 0 (in minimal shedding breeds) to 1 (in heavy shedding breeds). Seasonal shedding breeds were not included in the original publication.

 

Price

Shedding (SD Locus) plus Furnishings and Improper Coat (IC)

$70 one test per animal
$40 when added to one other coat color/fur type/bobtail test (same animal) 
$35 when added to two other coat color/fur type/bobtail tests (same animal) 
$30 when added to three other coat color/fur type/bobtail tests (same animal) 

 

Turnaround Time
At least 15 business days; may be delayed beyond 15 business days if sample requires additional testing, or a new sample is requested.
Additional Details

Multiple genes control the propensity for a dog to shed. Identified as the SD Locus (Shedding), the melanocortin 5 receptor (MC5R gene) variant c.709G>A is associated with decreased shedding in multiple dog breeds. High shedding is associated with two copies of the ancestral allele (N) with relatively less shedding in individuals with one ancestral and one variant (SD) allele.

Dogs with furnishings, which is caused by a 167 bp insertion in the untranslated region near R-spondin-2 (RSPO2), also have a propensity to shed less. The two genes have an additive effect, thus dogs with both variants exhibit the lowest amount of shedding while dogs lacking either variant have the highest amount of shedding. Combinations of heterozygous variants at both loci (MC5R and RSPO2) are predicted to result in intermediate shedding rates. However, quantification of the volume of shedding of these heterozygotes has not been determined.

Note: other laboratories identify the low shedding variant as the "n" or "sd" allele. However, the publication identifying the causal MC5R mutation suggests that the ancestral allele is the recessive, high shedding variant while the low shedding variant is the dominant mutated allele.

Species

Dog

Type of Test

Results Reported As

 

Test Results

 

 

Shedding (SD Locus) plus Furnishings and Improper Coat (IC)

Shedding

(SD Locus)

Furnishings

and IC

INTERPRETATION

SD/SD

F/F

Variant combination identified in minimal shedding breeds.

SD/N

F/F

Variant combination identified in minimal shedding breeds.

SD/SD

F/IC

Variant combination identified in dogs with a reduced shedding rate relative to average shedding breeds.

N/N

F/F

Variant combination identified in dogs with a reduced shedding rate relative to average shedding breeds.

SD/SD

IC/IC

Variant combination identified in dogs with an average shedding rate for the breed.

SD/N

F/IC

Variant combination identified in dogs with an average shedding rate for the breed.

SD/N

IC/IC

Variant combination identified in dogs with an average shedding rate for the breed.

N/N

F/IC

Variant combination identified in heavy shedding breeds.

N/N

IC/IC

Variant combination identified in heavy shedding breeds.

References

J.J. Hayward, M.G. Castelhano, K.C. Oliveira, E. Corey, C. Balkman, T.L. Baxter, M.L. Casal, S.A. Center, M. Fang, S.J. Garrison, S.E. Kalla, P. Korniliev, M.I. Kotlikoff, N.S. Moise, L.M. Shannon, K.W. Simpson, N.B. Sutter, R.J. Todhunter, A.R. Boyko. (2016) Complex disease and phenotype mapping in the domestic dog. Nature Communications, 7, 10460.