Pastoral Breeds Health Foundation
29 January 2008
We thank the PBHF for the 4th instalment of the donation to the Border Collie TNS research that we are undertaking here at UNSW. We greatly appreciate the support of the PBHF. It has allowed us to identify the genetic basis for this immune dysfunction and to develop a DNA test in a much shorter time than would have been otherwise possible. The funds have provided a scholarship, which supported Jeremy Shearman financially while he carried out the research.
Jeremy continues to work on TNS in Border Collies and is currently looking at the extent of the DNA region that is inherited with the TNS disease allele. This may give an indication of the age of the mutation. For this work, he is utilising the DNA SNP chips that examine 127,000 sites in the dog genome simultaneously. Jeremy has been using this new technology in his search for the gene responsible for Cerebellar Abiotrophy in the kelpies. PBHF’s funding of Jeremy’s research has also contributed to this project by supporting him while he carries out the cutting edge work with the SNP chips to see if the gene can be identified using a small number of affected dogs and unaffected controls instead of all family members of litters with affecteds. The extent of the success of this work will determine whether we can use it to look at other diseases in the Border Collie such as monorchidism, PRA, CA, glaucoma.
TNS testing results can now be sent directly to the Kennel Club for inclusion on the register if permission is given on the request form when the test is ordered or at a later date. All samples that had permission granted to publish the results have been sent directly to the Kennel Club. An email is all that is required to grant permission for a test already done.
Over 3000 animals have now been tested for the TNS mutation and the frequency of carriers in the population is estimated to be around 10% in most populations around the world (see table). We have not yet made the test available to other labs but the system of mailing samples to Sydney is working well. Certificates for the TNS tests have been printed and are being mailed to the address provided by the owners.
Yours sincerely
Alan Wilton
|
Numbers since TNS tested as of 26 Jan 2008 |
|
||||||
|
|
Country |
No. Tested |
TNS carriers |
TNS affected |
Percentage |
|
|
|
|
Austria |
45 |
12 |
1 |
29% |
|
|
|
|
Belgium |
150 |
42 |
1 |
29% |
|
|
|
|
Czech |
14 |
1 |
0 |
7% |
|
|
|
|
Denmark |
52 |
5 |
0 |
10% |
|
|
|
|
Finland |
93 |
23 |
0 |
25% |
|
|
|
|
France |
7 |
2 |
0 |
29% |
|
|
|
|
Germany |
228 |
47 |
0 |
21% |
|
|
|
|
Hungary |
28 |
7 |
0 |
25% |
|
|
|
|
Ireland |
8 |
1 |
0 |
13% |
|
|
|
|
Italy |
7 |
1 |
0 |
14% |
|
|
|
|
Luxemburg |
2 |
1 |
0 |
50% |
|
|
|
|
Netherlands |
132 |
41 |
1 |
32% |
|
|
|
|
Spain |
7 |
2 |
0 |
29% |
|
|
|
|
UK |
714 |
163 |
3 |
23% |
|
|
|
|
others |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Europe Total |
1495 |
348 |
6 |
24% |
|
|
|
|
ISDS only |
78 |
8 |
0 |
10% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
USA |
280 |
93 |
6 |
35% |
|
|
|
|
Australia |
1195 |
225 |
7 |
19% |
|
|
|
|
New Zealand |
45 |
7 |
1 |
18% |
|
|
|
|
Japan |
20 |
5 |
0 |
25% |
|
|
|
|
China |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0% |
|
|
|
|
South Africa |
10 |
0 |
0 |
0% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overall Total |
3050 |
678 |
20 |
23% |
|
|
True population frequencies will be much less than these as lines carrying the TNS mutation are preferentially sent for testing and it includes litters from TNS carrier matings. The population frequency is estimated to be around 10%.
Yours sincerely
Alan Wilton