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Epilepsy DNA Research - Some History

In March 1998, Dr. Gary Johnson, from the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, agreed to initiate research into the inheritance of epilepsy in Standard Schnauzers. Samples from affected individuals and their families in additional breeds have been added gradually, and the research is now expanding to all breeds. Preliminary results with the Standard Schnauzers are encouraging, and the research is continuing. Markers or mutations located in one breed may be the same or closely related to mutations in other breeds, or there may be different mutations.

Dr. Johnson is also involved in an all-breed cateract research project. This project is also funded, and requires no funding from the parent club. Again, if there are families with affected individuals, we need samples from all relatives, just as outlined for the epilepsy research.

The following is a short excerpt from a progress report Dr. Johnson wrote for the Standard Schnauzer Club of America's board and membership last August that explains briefly what the lab does. "In the last few years our laboratory at the University of Missouri has emphasized the production of DNA markers that identify mutant genes responsible for heritable diseases in domestic animals. We have identified markers for bovine protoporphyria (a photosensitivity formerly common among Limousin beef cattle), ataxia (extreme uncoordination) in English Pointers and hemophilia A (a bleeding disease) in Portuguese Water Dogs. Once these markers became available, breeders could use samples taken shortly after birth to determine which animals would eventually develop the disease and which animals would be asymptomatic carriers. They could also use this information prior to breeding to avoid producing offspring likely to become affected. Armed with this information, the breeders have been able to maintain their lines while eliminating the diseased gene."

July 1999

The grants to support epilepsy research for ALL breeds at no cost to participants or parent clubs are coming in - 2 of the 3 are approved, and the 3rd looks good (we should hear for certain in September). Please get the word out to anyone with a seizing dog of any breed that we need samples from their dog, and as many relatives as possible! We currently have samples from 15 breeds, and are aiming for good families of samples in at least 50 breeds within a year. This will create a fantastic database for the research consortium to work with, and hopefully will result in some real progress towards some answers for all breeds. We have good families in several breeds already, and some of these are being tested with the markers identified so far to search for possible linkage to the disease - some of these markers appear to be working for Standard Schnauzers, and may work for other breeds. Nothing is proven yet though, so more research, and more families are needed. Also, for those I haven't told yet, the information sheets and forms are now downloadable at www.cvm.missouri.edu/cen/ - this will become the location for the website under construction.

As I'm working on content for the Canine Epilepsy Network (CEN) website, something I intend to include are "Questions and Answers" pages. I would like some input from those likely to be using the site, in terms of what questions do people have? What are your questions about the research, epilepsy in general, treatments, tests, whatever? I have in mind some questions that I've already answered quite a few times, but if anyone would like to make a list of questions (perhaps by category) you would like to see answers for on the web page, please put "CEN Questions" in the subject line, and email your lists to the address below.

Liz Hansen
Coordinator of Veterinary Information
Dr. Gary Johnson's lab - Dept. of Vet. Path.
209A Connaway Hall
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
573-884-3712 (office)
573-884-5414 (department fax)
hansenl@missouri.edu