Real-time detection of the mutation responsible for progressive rod-cone degeneration in Labrador Retriever dogs using locked nucleic acid TaqMan probes

J Vet Diagn Invest. 2009 Sep;21(5):689-92. doi: 10.1177/104063870902100515.

Abstract

Progressive rod-cone degeneration (prcd) is a late onset, autosomal recessive, inherited disease in dogs caused by a G > A substitution in the PRCD locus. prcd has been reported in more than 18 breeds, including Labrador Retriever dogs. In this study, a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, exploiting the features of locked nucleic acid (LNA) fluorescent-labeled probes, was developed to genotype the sequence variants responsible for the disease. Two Labrador Retrievers were diagnosed with prcd by ophthalmological examination performed by a panelist of the Italian hereditary eye disease control program. The 2 dogs, as well as 8 related and 14 unrelated Labrador Retrievers, were genotyped with both direct sequencing of the disease locus and real-time LNA TaqMan PCR assay. Even though the region surrounding the mutation was predicted to be highly structured, making probe annealing difficult, the real-time PCR assay allowed researchers to correctly genotype the dogs in all cases with a sensitivity threshold of 4 ng/reaction of genomic DNA. A real-time PCR assay will allow a high-throughput analysis of a larger cohort of dogs, thereby enabling researchers to investigate the prevalence of the mutated allele in the affected breeds.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Atrophy
  • Blindness / genetics
  • Blindness / veterinary
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17
  • DNA Primers
  • Dogs / genetics*
  • Eye Proteins / genetics
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Mutation*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Retina / pathology*
  • Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / pathology*
  • Retinal Degeneration / genetics*
  • Retinal Degeneration / pathology
  • Retinal Degeneration / veterinary*
  • Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / pathology*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • Eye Proteins