International Journal of Molecular Veterinary Research, 2024, Vol.14, No.6, 244-253 http://animalscipublisher.com/index.php/ijmvr 245 2 Genetic Basis of Disease Resistance in Canids 2.1 Genetic variations and their role in immunity Genetic variations play a crucial role in the immunity of canids, influencing their ability to resist diseases. Studies have shown that domestication and selective breeding have led to an increase in deleterious genetic variants in domestic dogs compared to their wild counterparts, such as gray wolves. This is primarily due to population bottlenecks and artificial selection, which have reduced the efficiency of natural selection in removing harmful variants (Marsden et al., 2015). Structural variations (SVs) in the genome, including insertions, deletions, and copy number variations (CNVs), also contribute significantly to phenotypic diversity and disease susceptibility in canids. For instance, specific SVs in dogs are enriched in genes related to immune systems, indicating their role in disease resistance (Serres-Armero et al., 2017; Wang et al., 2018; Xuan, 2024). 2.2 Key genes associated with disease resistance Several key genes have been identified that are associated with disease resistance in canids. For example, the ADGRE1 gene, which is linked to severe malaria resistance in humans, has been found to provide protective host defense against Plasmodium infections in dogs, suggesting its role in resistance to similar parasitic diseases (Figure 1) (Liu et al., 2018). Additionally, genes such as DCK, ICAM4, GAPDH, and BSG, which are related to immune function, are more highly expressed in wolves, indicating a potentially greater resistance to pathogens compared to domestic dogs (Yang et al., 2018). The AKR1B1 gene, which has been duplicated in dogs, is associated with increased antioxidant ability and may contribute to their adaptation to different environments (Wang et al., 2018; Zhao, 2018). Figure 1 Population structure and genetic diversity of the canids analyzed in this study (Adopted from Liu et al., 2018) Image caption: (A) Geographic locations of the 55 canids studied. (B) Principal component analysis. EGW, Eurasian gray wolves; AGW, African golden wolves; CIDY, Chinese indigenous dogs from Yingjiang; MEVD, Middle Eastern village dogs; EB, European breeds; NID, Nigerian indigenous dogs. (C) Phylogenetic tree using bootstrapping analysis. (D) Structure analysis of the 55 canids. (E) Genetic diversity for the five inferred canid groups (Adopted from Liu et al., 2018) 2.3 Methods used in genetic analysis Various methods are employed to analyze genetic variations and their implications for disease resistance in canids. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a powerful tool that provides comprehensive insights into the genetic
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