CANINE GENOMICS & GENETICS PROJECTS Dogs share many similar diseases with humans and appear to be becoming the geneticist's best friend. The purebred dog is now a popular and useful model organism for genetic studies of disease and more recently, behavior. Its popularity stems from the history of breeding practices that have produced and maintain the phenotypic diversity of dog breeds, combined with relative intra-breed genetic homogeneity. All these characteristics are now used for successful linkage-based and association-based approaches for gene-mapping. Dog genetics is going to tell us more about human and tell us more about biology in general. At the university of Rennes1, CNRS-umr6061, France, we use the canine model for:  The analysis of the domestic dog gene repertoire and its comparison to other mammals [-see more-]  Studies that assess genetic diversity and genome evolution in dog [ see more...]  The functional and genetic analysis of the canine olfactory receptors (OR) repertoire [-see more-]  Development of comparative genomics bioinformatic tools [-AutoGRAPH-] and genome resources for the canine model [-Canine genome maps-] .  Studies on several genetic diseases, with simple or complex inheritance, that affect dogs but also the human population. See the new web site dedicated to genetic disease studies at : [ -web site-]   Analysis of the domestic dog gene repertoire Lineage-specific gene-loss detection is an essential step to pinpoint the evolutionary forces that occur across species and to characterize species specificity. Gene loss can derive from the process of pseudogenization (genes becoming pseudogenes). We combine comparative genomics, gene predition and nucleotide substitution rates analysis to refine gene catalogs and the evolutionary history of the gene repertoires. We recently identified 55 gene-loss candidates in the canine species that in contrast are functional in primates and rodents. Revisiting the missing protein-coding gene catalog of the domestic dog [Derrien T. et al.] BMC Genomics, 2009 [ Read Full Text ]   Canine population structure It is assumed that purebred dogs constitute separate, closed, inbred populations, given registration practices that dictate a dog cannot be considered purebred unless both of its parents are registered purebreds. However, dog breeds often separate into lines or types based on geography or divergent selection regimes suggesting that the assumption of homogeneity within breeds may be faulty. Here, we present studies that assess the phenomenon of breed splits and its impact for association studies. Identification of loci governing common and rare phenotypic traits in dog breeds using selection mapping [Vaysse et al.] PLos Genetics 2011 [-enter-] Assessment and impact of intra-breed stratification on SNP-based association studies [Quignon P. et al.] PLos ONE 2007 [ Read Full Text ]   Functional and genetic analysis of the canine olfactory receptors (OR) repertoire Olfactory receptors, to which odorant molecules specifically bind, are encoded by the largest gene family yet identified in the mammalian genome. We investigate polymorphism due to the possible existence of multiple alleles dispersed in different dog breeds by carrying out a survey of the sequences of the olfactory receptor genes. Genetic diversity of canine olfactory receptors. Robin S. et al. BMC Genomics, 2009 [ Read Full Text ] BMC Genomics, 2009 The dog and rat olfactory receptor repertoires. Quignon P. et al. Genome Biol., 2005 [ Read more... ] Genome Biol., 2005 Olfactory receptor sequence polymorphism within and between breeds of dogs. Tacher S. et al. J. Hered., 2005 [ Read more... ] J. Hered., 2005 Comparison of the canine and human olfactory receptor gene repertoires. Quignon P. et al. Genome Biol., 2003 [ Read Full Text ] Genome Biol., 2003   Development of bioinformatic tools AutoGRAPH : a web server for automating and visualizing comparative genome maps. Derrien T. et al. Bioinformatics 2007 [-Web server-] CRH_Server : Comparative and Radiation Hybrid Server for the Canine Genome. Hitte C. et al. Bioinformatics 2004 [-Web server-] DogDB : Canine Genome Maps Database [-enter-]   Genomic resources for the canine model Dog Genome Sequencing Project Lindblad-Toh K. et al. ; Nature, 2005 A 10,000 Canine Gene RH Map  Hitte C. et al. ; Nat. Rev. Genet., 2005 An integrated FISH-RH Map  Breen M.*, Hitte C.*, Lorentzen T.* et al.; BMC Genomics, 2004 A 1-Mb Resolution RH map of the canine genome Guyon R. et al. ; Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2003