The second-generation linkage map of the canine genome was developed as a collaboration between:

• Dr Elaine Ostrander's lab at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
• Dr Jasper Rine's lab at the University of California, Berkeley

• Dr Gustavo Aguirre's group at Cornell University

Canine reference pedigrees

A total of 247 animals were genotyped for this study. The majority of pedigrees are from the Cornell Canine Reference Families, that contain a total of 163 F2 individuals. A further intercross (border collie / Newfoundland) family consisting of 20 F2 animals was also analyzed.

The Second Generation Map

The number of mapped markers has increased from 150 to 277, and the genetic distance contained within intervals increased from about 900 cM to about 1500 cM. An estimated 75-90% of the genome is within 10 cM of a marker. Of 277 informative markers, 269 markers are linked to at least one other with a Lod score > or = 3. There are now 40 linkage groups (formed with Lod scores >= 5), four of these are assigned to specific canine chromosomes based upon cytogenetic data. The other groups are numbered in order of decreasing size.

This map continues the development of a resource for mapping canine traits of interest and is a further step towards the completion of a comprehensive canine genetic map.

This work was published March 1999 in the journal Genetics. Map figures are reproduced with permission from the journal. The reference for this paper is

Neff M.W., Broman K.W. Mellersh, C.S., Ray, K., Acland, G.M., Aguirre, G.D., Ziegle J.S. Ostrander, E.A. and Rine J. A Second-generation genetic linkage map of the domestic dog, Canis familiaris. (1999) Genetics 151: 803-820