Clinical

New feline genome could help cats live longer, healthier lives

vetreportNovember 20, 2020

Despite cats suffering from many similar disease affecting humans, the level of genetic information available to develop new tests and treatments in human medicine has not been made available for cats.

Now, a new and improved cat genome reference model, developed by researchers at the University of Missouri and Texas A&M University, and funded in part by Purina, is helping to improve feline health by uncovering new links between DNA mutations and feline disease.

The first whole genome sequence for cats was published in 2007, with DNA from an Abyssinian cat named Cinnamon.¹ The new reference genome is vastly more accurate and improves scientists’ ability to identify DNA variations that influence the health of individual cats. This information will help develop tests to guide feline health decisions and improve disease treatment—precision medicine for cats.

In this study, researchers used the new genome as a reference guide to identify variations in DNA sequences from 54 cats that might explain the underlying cause of some diseases in domestic cats. Among the novel variants, they discovered one mutation that linked feline dwarfism with a gene (UGDH) never before associated with dwarfism in any species.

Genetic mapping studies by Purina scientists provided foundational information for this re-sequencing effort. These studies^2,3 highlighted how much information was missing from the first sequenced feline genome, and prompted Purina’s collaboration with other genomics researchers to create a more accurate new reference feline genome.

In the future, researchers hope the new genome model will be a resource that helps extend the use of precision medicine in feline veterinary care. With more accurate genetic information, scientists can develop more useful genetic screening tests, earlier disease detection, and treatment options with fewer side effects for cats and better health care outcomes.

Support for this research collaboration, and funding for DNA sequencing of the feline genome, reflects Purina’s long history of contributing to genomics research and the genomics community. Every advance in understanding pets’ genetic makeup offers new opportunities to improve the health and wellness of our companion animals through nutrition.

The full study can be found here.

Find out more information about Purina studies here.

References:

Pontius, J. U., Mullikin, J. C., Smith, D. R., Agencourt Sequencing Team, Lindblad-Toh, K., Gnerre, S., Clamp, M., Chang, J., Stephens, R., Neelam, B., Volfovsky, N., Schäffer, A. A., Agarwala, R., Narfström, K., Murphy, W. J., Giger, U., Roca, A. L., Antunes, A., Menotti-Raymond, M., Yuhki, N., … O’Brien, S. J. (2007). Initial sequence and comparative analysis of the cat genome. Genome research, 17(11), 1675–1689. https://doi.org/10.1101/gr.6380007

Farias, F., Tomlinson, C., Labuda, J., Perez-Camargo, G., Middleton, R., & Warren, W. C. (2017). The practical use of genome sequencing data in the management of a feline colony pedigree. BMC veterinary research, 13(1), 225.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-017-1144-y

Li, G., Hillier, L. W., Grahn, R. A., Zimin, A. V., David, V. A., Menotti-Raymond, M., Middleton, R., Hannah, S., Hendrickson, S., Makunin, A., O’Brien, S. J., Minx, P., Wilson, R. K., Lyons, L. A., Warren, W. C., & Murphy, W. J. (2016). A High-Resolution SNP Array-Based Linkage Map Anchors a New Domestic Cat Draft Genome Assembly and Provides Detailed Patterns of Recombination. G3 (Bethesda, Md.), 6(6), 1607–1616. https://doi.org/10.1534/g3.116.028746