Heritability of plasma von Willebrand factor antigen concentration in German Wirehaired pointers.
We applied quantitative genetic analyses to a population of German Wirehaired pointer dogs affected with type 2 von Willebrand disease. Plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) protein concentration measured as vWF antigen (vWF:Ag), clinical history, and pedigree data were compiled for 331 dogs over a 5-year test period. Eight dogs had histories of abnormal bleeding and had markedly decreased plasma vWF:Ag concentrations (<1%). Four per cent of the dogs were inbred, with an average inbreeding of 2.52%. The estimated heritability of plasma vWF concentration was 0.52. We found a major gene effect on vWF concentration. Using a single gene locus model and two different prediction methods, the upper threshold value for the aa genotype was less than 1% vWF:Ag, and the optimal threshold value for discrimination between the AA and Aa genotypes was between 68% and 72% vWF:Ag. Our analyses indicate that phenotype, assigned on the basis of a single vWF:Ag determination, is heritable and can be applied for selective breeding in a von Willebrand disease test programme.
Brooks
M B
MB
Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. mbb9@cornell.edu
Castillo-Juarez
H
H
Oltenacu
P
P
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D010641:Phenotype; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D014842:von Willebrand Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000662:veterinary*; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; C029417:Von Willebrand antigen; D014841:von Willebrand Factor