Mausberg, Eva-Maria; Drögemüller, Cord; Leeb, Tosso; Dolf, Gaudenz; Rüfenacht, Silvia; Welle, Monika Maria (2007). Evaluation of the CTSL2 gene as a candidate gene for alopecia X in Pomeranians and Keeshonden. Animal biotechnology, 18(4), pp. 291-6. New York, N.Y.: Marcel Dekker 10.1080/10495390701547461
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Alopecia X is a noninflammatory, progressive, bilateral symmetric alopecia in dogs. The disease is mainly found in Nordic breeds. The breed predisposition and a strong familial accumulation suggest a hereditary background. We analyzed the cathepsin L2 gene (CTSL2) as a candidate for alopecia X. The comparative sequencing of 14 affected and 18 control animals revealed ten polymorphisms; however, none of these polymorphisms affected the coding sequence. Haplotype analysis did not reveal an association of one particular CTSL2 haplotype with the disease phenotype; therefore, we conclude that the CTSL2 gene is probably not the causative gene for alopecia X.