CMO Project

Health Committee Update
Spring 1999 Newsletter

Robert E. McCaskill, DVM, MPH
Westie Foundation Medical Chairperson

PROGRESS REPORT: RESEARCH PROJECTS

CMO Project

(Development of DNA-Based Diagnostic Test for Craniomandubular Osteopathy of the Cairn Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, and Scottish Terrier Breeds)

This is the Foundation's second funded grant. We combined with the AKC Canine Health Foundation, The Cairn Foundation, and the Scottish Terrier Health Trust to support a grant to the Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan. Our senior researcher is Patrick J. Venta, Ph.D. Dr. Venta is a published geneticist who has done research in both human and small animal genetics.

CMO is a single-gene recessive trait.

Craniomandibular osteopathy (CMO) is a penetrant, recessively inherited disease that causes fever, swelling, and painful chewing for affected animals. It is a painful bone disease that affects the quality of life of both the affected animals and their owners. It is most prevalent in the Cairn Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, and Scottish Terrier breeds. Although it is possible to identify carriers of the disease gene by test breeding, this method has many undesirable aspects to it and is not often used. The phenotype of the disease is easily recognized. Therefore, the goal of this research is to develop a simple DNA-based test that will allow breeders to easily identify carrier and homozygous normal animals at any age. This information will allow them to make informed decisions about which animals to use in their breeding programs. Simple breeding rules can then be applied to prevent the occurrence of affected animals and thus improve the lives ofboth animals and owners.

Looking for a DNA-based test to identify carriers and genetically normal dogs

The goal of this proposal is to give breeders of West Highland White Terriers the ability to eliminate CMO from the breed. The specific objectives of the grant are: (1) to test the hypothesis that the causative gene is the Paget's disease (human homologue) gene; (2) if the hypothesis is rejected, to perform an intelligent, genome wide search for the CMO gene; and (3) develop a linkage-based test for carriers of the diseases. The ultimate objective of this grant will be to develop a direct test for the mutation that causes the diseases in Westies. If they find a linked marker early in this work, they will request that the funding for the remaining time be applied to developing a direct test.