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. 2023 Jul 27;13(15):2438.
doi: 10.3390/ani13152438.

The Shepherd and the Hunter: A Genomic Comparison of Italian Dog Breeds

Arianna Bionda  1 , Matteo Cortellari  1 , Luigi Liotta  2 , Paola Crepaldi  1
Affiliations

The Shepherd and the Hunter: A Genomic Comparison of Italian Dog Breeds

Arianna Bionda et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Shepherd and hunting dogs have undergone divergent selection for specific tasks, resulting in distinct phenotypic and behavioural differences. Italy is home to numerous recognized and unrecognized breeds of both types, providing an opportunity to compare them genomically. In this study, we analysed SNP data obtained from the CanineHD BeadChip, encompassing 116 hunting dogs (representing 6 breeds) and 158 shepherd dogs (representing 9 breeds). We explored the population structure, genomic background, and phylogenetic relationships among the breeds. To compare the two groups, we employed three complementary methods for selection signature detection: FST, XP-EHH, and ROH. Our results reveal a clear differentiation between shepherd and hunting dogs as well as between gun dogs vs. hounds and guardian vs. herding shepherd dogs. The genomic regions distinguishing these groups harbour several genes associated with domestication and behavioural traits, including gregariousness (WBSRC17) and aggressiveness (CDH12 and HTT). Additionally, genes related to morphology, such as size and coat colour (ASIP and TYRP1) and texture (RSPO2), were identified. This comparative genomic analysis sheds light on the genetic underpinnings of the phenotypic and behavioural variations observed in Italian hunting and shepherd dogs.

Keywords: Italian dog breeds; SNP; canine genomics; hunting dogs; shepherd dogs.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Graphical representation of the first three principal components (PC) of the multidimensional scaling analysis. Each dog is represented by a dot, and each breed is represented by a colour. Hunting dogs: Bracco italiano (BRAC), Cirneco dell’Etna (CIRN), Lagotto Romagnolo (LAGO), Segugio Italiano Pelo Forte (SIPF), Segugio Italiano Pelo Raso (SIPR), and Spinone Italiano (SPIN). Shepherd dogs: Pastore Apuano (APUA), Bergamasco shepherd dogs (BERG), Pastore d’Oropa (DORO), Fonni’s dogs (FONN), Lupino del Gigante (LUGI), Mannara dogs (MANN), Maremma and the Abruzzi sheepdogs (MARM), Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai (PALA), and Pastore della Sila (SILA).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Phylogenetic tree based on Reynolds distances. Hunting dogs: Bracco italiano (BRAC), Cirneco dell’Etna (CIRN), Lagotto Romagnolo (LAGO), Segugio Italiano Pelo Forte (SIPF), Segugio Italiano Pelo Raso (SIPR), and Spinone Italiano (SPIN). Shepherd dogs: Pastore Apuano (APUA), Bergamasco shepherd dogs (BERG), Pastore d’Oropa (DORO), Fonni’s dogs (FONN), Lupino del Gigante (LUGI), Mannara dogs (MANN), Maremma and the Abruzzi sheepdogs (MARM), Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai (PALA), and Pastore della Sila (SILA).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Admixture analysis considering 2 and 11 (identified as the best-fitting model) clusters (K). Each cluster is represented by a different colour. Hunting dogs: Bracco italiano (BRAC), Cirneco dell’Etna (CIRN), Lagotto Romagnolo (LAGO), Segugio Italiano Pelo Forte (SIPF), Segugio Italiano Pelo Raso (SIPR), and Spinone Italiano (SPIN). Shepherd dogs: Pastore Apuano (APUA), Bergamasco shepherd dogs (BERG), Pastore d’Oropa (DORO), Fonni’s dogs (FONN), Lupino del Gigante (LUGI), Mannara dogs (MANN), Maremma and the Abruzzi sheepdogs (MARM), Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai (PALA), and Pastore della Sila (SILA).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Venn diagram representing the results of ROH analysis.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Manhattan plots of FST analysis comparing (A) Spinone Italiano (SPIN) vs. Bracco Italiano (BRAC) and (B) Segugio Italiano a Pelo Forte (SIPF) vs. Segugio Italiano a Pelo Raso (SIPR).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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