Shar-pei wrinkles....

Madame Razz

Some interesting new findings here

star-pants

For those who can't access links in work - from BBC News

Just how did the Shar-pei get its famous wrinkled appearance?

Scientists who have analysed the genetics of 10 pedigree dog breeds believe they now have the answer.

Their research identifies 155 distinct locations in the animals' genetic code that could play a role in giving breeds their distinctive appearances.

In the Shar-pei, the team found differences in a gene known as HAS2 which makes an enzyme known to be important in the production of skin.

"There was probably a mutation that arose in that gene that led to a really wrinkly puppy and a breeder said, 'hey, that looks interesting, I'm going to try to selectively breed this trait and make more of these dogs'," explained Joshua Akey from the Department of Genome Sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle, US.

Small differences

The pedigree dog has become a fascination - and a remarkably useful research tool - for geneticists.

The domestication of the grey wolf more than 10,000 years ago, and the selective breeding that followed, has resulted in more than 400 breeds - each with a distinctive physique, coat colour and temperament.

These discrete populations give scientists the opportunity to compare and contrast the genetics of the different groups, making it easier to find the causes of specific traits.

"Man's best friend" is helping scientists locate the faulty genes that cause disease in both dogs and humans, as well giving a useful insight into how evolution works at a molecular level.

Dr Akey and colleagues studied 32 wrinkled and 18 smooth-coated Shar-peis and compared a specific stretch of their DNA with that of other breeds.

The team found four small, but significant, differences in the genetics of the two skin types of the Shar-pei versus the other breeds. These single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), as they are called, were located in the HAS2 gene.


New targets

"HAS2 makes hyaluronic acid synthase 2, and it's an enzyme that makes hyaluronic acid, and that's one of the principal constituents of the skin," explained Dr Akey.

"There are rare human cases where there are mutations that lead to really severe wrinkling in humans, too.

"So, that suggested it was a good candidate to look at; and sure enough, when we sequenced it we saw that that gene explained wrinkling in Shar-peis," he told BBC News.

As well as giving insights into the Shar-pei, the research has also identified a raft of other locations in the dog genome that can now be investigated further to understand better why pedigree animals look the way they do.

"The thing that excites me most about our study is that in the last five years, five genes have been identified that contribute to this vast diversity in dog breeds," said Dr Akey.

"So our study found all five of those genes and then we found 150 new targets to explore. It's a powerful approach to look at the genetic legacy of selective breeding."

Dr Akey and colleagues report their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Jonathan Amos

kildara

The little wrinkly fella in that article is gorgeous!

I'd love a bearcoat one myself.

fend

That's so weird this was brought up. Myself and himself were just saying that we were interested in getting a Shar-Pei.

Whats their temperament like? Have done some research using the old faithful [Google] but its pretty vague on this area.

kildara

fend wrote: »

That's so weird this was brought up. Myself and himself were just saying that we were interested in getting a Shar-Pei.

Whats their temperament like? Have done some research using the old faithful [Google] but its pretty vague on this area.

They can be quite aloof - (stand-offish, not particularly "cuddly"). Also quite independent. Quite bright too.

If you are getting one I would urge you to choose the breeder very, very carefully.
I mean, research the breeders past litters. If they cant, or wont, give you numerous names and numbers or contact details of a few of their past litters, walk away.

This means some serious research into the bloodline prior to you even seeing the pups. Ask the previous litter owners if they have had any health issues with their dogs - particularly any evidence of fevers. Shar Pei Fever is what you are looking out for there. If more than one of the litters have had unexplained fevers - walk away.
Do this for both the dam and the sire’s past litters.

They are a walking vet bill!
Eyes - many, if not most, are temporarily tacked while they are young - until the dog "grows into" its skin. This may be required many times before the dog is fully grown. Many need permanent surgery to prevent entropian.
Ear infections/conditions: They have an extremely narrow ear canal - which can be a haven for infections.
Skin conditions: Renowned to have skin issues. Some can be prevented by correct diet.

Slobber: If you are particularly house proud - walk away! They slobber alot, particularly when eating - the dreaded "head-shake" then deposits this drool and bits of their dinner on your walls, doors, table, counter-top - I've even noticed some on the ceiling!

Some (depending on the extent of their wrinkles) need to be dried every time they have a drink to prevent them dragging water all over the place - also, you don’t want to leave their jowls permanently wet.

Alot of owners will tell you that their Shar Pei has been attacked by other dogs. This may be because the Shar Pei doesn’t look like a normal dog, so other dogs don’t know how to treat them - big fat lips can’t be lifted as easily to indicate that they are snarling/showing their teeth. It is difficult for other dogs to read them.

Is there anyone in the household with allergies? The Shar Pei hair has been known to cause itching in some people (it is quite harsh). One of our vets has this and says our lad was the first one she treated that didn’t set her off in a dose of hives!

Snoring! They snore. Alot! Through a wall I can here or fella snoring, although it has lessened as he got older – it was ridicules when he was a pup.
Snorts – likes a pig. Sometimes I expect Babe on the end of the lead.

On the flip side – they are extremely clean. We got our lad at 10 weeks and he only went to the toilet in the house once, and that was because I didn’t let him out the back door when he was standing there.

Need very little grooming. They shed very little and even when they do a quick rub of a brush takes it away – not like other breeds where you can spend hours grooming.

Very food orientated. Great for training purposes!

All things considered I would never buy another Shar Pei without some very serious and time consuming research.