Pulse - August 2022 - 14

UC DAVIS UPDATE
Discover the UC Davis
Veterinary Genetics Laboratory
Rob Warren, UC Davis VMTH Communications & Marketing Officer
T
he Veterinary Genetics Laboratory
(VGL) at the UC Davis
School of Veterinary Medicine was
established in the 1950s for the purpose
of verifying parentage for cattle
registries. Blood typing was developed
for horses in the 1960s and
for llamas and alpacas in the 1980s.
In the early 1990s, VGL became one
of the first laboratories to use DNA
markers for parentage verification.
Shortly thereafter, the discovery of
genetic causes for heritable disorders
was unraveled, making DNA testing
available for diagnostic purposes.
In the past decade, advanced tools have
accelerated discovery of genetic variants
behind traits of interest, enabling markerassisted
mate selection and providing tools
to inform clinical management decisions.
Today, under the direction of Dr.
Rebecca Bellone, the laboratory provides
animal parentage verification, identification,
forensic services, genetic diagnostic
testing, and genetic research across more
than 20 species. VGL offers more than 220
genetic tests to clients all over the world.
The laboratory has achieved the ISO/
IEC 17025 accreditation by the American
National Standards Institute National Accreditation
Board (ANAB), the highest level of
accreditation available to testing laboratories.
According to their website, ANAB is the
largest multi-disciplinary accreditation body
in the western hemisphere, with more than
2,500 organizations accredited in approximately
80 countries. This accreditation specifies
VGL's requirements for competency to
carry out its high-quality, accurate laboratory
testing and sets the standard for the laboratory's
general operational management and
quality control relating to genetic testing.
Over the years, VGL research has identified
causes of genetic disorders and shed
light into the application of DNA testing
across various animal populations. The
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For several decades, the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory has been a leader in genetic and
genomic research and discovery.
laboratory has been a leader in equine
genetic and genomic research for several
decades, and actively contributes to the
international effort to better understand
and characterize the horse genome.
VGL has developed, and currently
offers, diagnostic tests for a number of
equine genetic diseases and coat colors
and has an active equine genetics
research team. A recent publication by
VGL researchers, in collaboration with
the Royal Veterinary College, was the first
to fully characterize a case of Fragile Foal
Syndrome (FFS) in Thoroughbreds. VGL
had previously identified the FFS mutation
in several horse breeds but, until now,
the lethal condition had only been diagnosed
in Warmblood breeds.
The study is one of many significant
contributions to the veterinary community
and highlights the importance of
genetic testing to confirm clinical diagnosis
and inform breeding decisions to prevent
disease.
Another important contribution was
made possible due to the tremendous support
of VGL clients who participated in
a retrospective survey study that allowed
researchers at UC Davis and Michigan State
University to determine the prevalence of
muscle atrophy and stiffness in American
Quarter Horses with the myosin-heavy
chain myopathy (MYHM) mutation.
The most recent equine discovery by
VGL is a de novo, or novel mutation, causing
a sabino-like white pattern in a Standardbred
foal, which was not inherited by
its sire or dam but instead occurred during
the development of the foal. The discovery
originated from a filly in New Zealand
that was born with a unique coloring
varying from her known parentage.
VGL also conducts genetic research in a
wide variety of other species, including cat,
dog, camelids, and several wildlife species,
leading to novel discoveries that improve
the understanding of animal biology, animal
and human health, and wildlife conservation
and management.
With nearly 70 employees-exceptional
in their knowledge of the genetics
of a variety of species-VGL is dedicated
to delivering accurate, reliable, and timely
results with the backing of high-level
research and decades of experience.
For information about VGL and its available
tests, please visit www.vgl.ucdavis.edu. P
AUGUST 2022
PULSE

http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu

Pulse - August 2022

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