Objective To detect the correlation between the SNP locus of SLCIA2 gene and the activity of Labrador and Golden Retriever, in order to screen effective genetic molecular markers for the early selection of guide dogs.
Method 99 dogs (80 Labrador retrievers and 19 golden retrievers) from the Dalian Guide Dog Training Base in China were selected, and the Passive test (PT) behavior test method was used to evaluate the large activity. At the same time, the venous blood of the 99 dogs was collected, the genomic DNA samples from the blood cells were extracted, and the three SNP sites of the SLCIA2 gene T129C, T1549G and T47IC of 99 dogs were genotyped by PCR/sequencing method, and the dog’s statistics were analyzed. The correlation between activity and SLCIA2 SNP locus.
Results Among the 3 SNP loci of the SLCIA2 gene, there is no polymorphism in T129C and T1549G, and only C/C and G/G types are present respectively. There are 3 genotypes of T47IC locus: T/T, T/C and C/C. There was no significant correlation between these 3 genotypes and activity, gender and breed (P>0.05). In addition, there was no significant correlation between breed and activity (P>0.05), but there was a significant correlation between gender and activity (P=0.049).
Conclusion The T129C, TI549G, and T471C loci of SLCIA2 gene do not have a significant correlation with the activity of the caterpillar, and cannot be used as an index for genetic screening of guide dogs. Since there is a significant correlation between sex and activity, in behavioral testing, the scoring criteria for dog activity should be different between males and females.