AVALIAÇÃO GENÉTICA DA PELAGEM DE CÃES DA RAÇA DÁLMATA

Abstract

The Dalmatian breed is one of the most popular breeds, and, according to its racial pattern, should have a white coat color with black spots or liver. Several loci are involved in determining the coat color of dogs. In the Dalmatian, the major are the locus B and the locus E, because these locus have influence on each other, causing a genetic interaction called epistasis, where the effect of one gene modifies the effect of another, altering the phenotype of the animal. With the advancement of cynophilia, genetic improvement in dogs has become more important, making knowledge of these genes a necessary tool for breeders. The objective of this work was to demonstrate the importance of the genetic test for gene E, and its aid in the planning of mating in dalmatians kennels. For this, a litter born in Fortaleza was used, in which genetic tests were performed for the E gene of the black-spotted and two randomly selected puppies, one black and one lemon. The test was performed using the PCR technique, and as a result it was seen that the parent is heterozygous (Ee). In relation to the offspring, the dominant homozygous (EE) was created for the offspring and the recessive homozygote (ee) for the offspring. In this breed epistasis occurred, causing it to present orange spots. Thus, it can be concluded that the genotype can not be defined only by the phenotype, making the genetic test an important tool for the selection of stud holders.