title: Segregation analysis of overweight body condition in an experimental cat population.
abstract: The goal of this study was to analyze the mode of inheritance of an overweight body condition in an experimental cat population. The cat population consisted of 95 cats of which 81 cats could be clearly classified into lean or overweight using the body condition scoring system according to Laflamme. The lean or overweight classification was then used for segregation analyses. Complex segregation analyses were employed to test for the significance of one environmental and 4 genetic models (general, mixed inheritance, major gene, and polygene). The general genetic model fit the data significantly better than the environmental model (P ≤ 0.0013). Among all other models employed, the major gene model explained the segregation of the overweight phenotype best. This is the first study in which a genetic component could be shown to be responsible for the development of overweight in cats.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Nutrition, Vetsuisse Faculty Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Häring
authors.forename: Brigitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wichert
authors.forename: Gaudenz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dolf
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Haase
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001824:Body Constitution; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D040582:Inheritance Patterns / Q000235:genetics*; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D050177:Overweight / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary*; D010375:Pedigree; D013557:Switzerland