Browsing by Author "Niskanen, Julia"

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of hereditary skin disorders caused by mutations in the genes that code for adhesion molecules in keratinocytes. The symptoms of the disease include blisters and erosions in the skin as well as abnormalities in the mucosal membranes, nails and tooth enamel. Depending on the causative mutation the severity of the disease ranges from mild to lethal. This master s thesis was carried out in professor Hannes Lohi s canine genetics research group. It is a case study aiming to identify the genetic cause of EB present in Central Asian shepherd dogs. Furthermore, the mode of inheritance, frequency of the mutation in the breed and the effect of the mutation on the tissue were also examined. Primary research material included blood and tissue samples from a family of Central Asian shepherd dogs. Additional samples were obtained from other Central Asian shepherd dogs as well as from dogs of closely related breeds. All dogs included in this study are owned by private persons, and participation in this study was voluntary. The research methods used in this study included both wet laboratory experiments and bioinformatic in silico procedures. The genome of one affected dog was sequenced in order to identify the gene causing EB, and data from the sequencing was filtered with multiple programs according to recessive model. The model was decided after analyzing the pedigree of the affected dogs. After finding the likely causative gene the mutation was validated in a larger cohort with Sanger sequencing. Protein expression in the tissue of affected dogs was also studied using immunofluorescence staining. As a result of this study, a new mutation causing recessive dystrophic EB was identified. The mutation is specific to Central Asian shepherd dogs. Affected dogs have a homozygous mutation in the COL7A1 gene, which codes for collagen VII α1 protein. The mutation causes a premature stop codon in the mRNA sequence, which results in abnormal protein production and separation of skin layers. The frequency of the mutation allele in the sample is approximately 18 % and more than a fourth of the dogs in the sample are carriers. Based on the pedigree analysis, the mutation is relatively new and it is only found in a small population. The disease can be prevented from becoming more common in the breed with the help of a gene test, and the test will be available in the commercial MyDogDNA gene test panel.