Genetic Origins of the Two Canis lupus familiaris (Dog) Freight Dog Populations

Abstract Despite periodic drops in popularity, Arctic sled dogs continue to play a vital role in northern societies, providing both freight transit and recreational race activities. In this study, we selected the Mackenzie River Husky, a freight dog of complex history, and the Chinook, an American K...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Heredity
Main Authors: Ali, Muhammad Basil, Dreger, Dayna L, Buckley, Reuben M, Mansoor, Shahid, Khan, Qaiser M, Ostrander, Elaine A
Other Authors: vonHoldt, Bridgett, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Oxford University Press (OUP) 2022
Subjects:
Genetics (clinical)
Genetics
Molecular Biology
Biotechnology
Arctic
Canis lupus
Greenland
Mackenzie river
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esac002
https://academic.oup.com/jhered/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/jhered/esac002/42981452/esac002.pdf
https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article-pdf/113/2/160/49832245/esac002.pdf
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Summary:Abstract Despite periodic drops in popularity, Arctic sled dogs continue to play a vital role in northern societies, providing both freight transit and recreational race activities. In this study, we selected the Mackenzie River Husky, a freight dog of complex history, and the Chinook, an American Kennel Club recognized freight dog breed whose heritage reportedly overlaps that of the MKRH, for detailed population analysis. We tested each to determine their component breeds and used admixture analysis to ascertain their population structure. We utilized haplotype analysis to identify genomic regions shared between each population and their founding breeds. Our data show that the Alaskan Malamutes and modern Greenland sled dog contributed to both populations, but there are also unexpected contributions from the German Shepherd dog and Collie. We used haplotype analysis to identify genomic regions nearing fixation in population type and identify provocative genes in each region. Finally, in response to recent reports regarding the importance of dietary lipid genes in Arctic dogs, we analyzed 8 such genes in a targeted analysis observing signatures of selection in both populations at the MLXIPL gene loci. These data highlight the genetic routes that breeds of similar function have taken toward their occupation as successful sled dogs.

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