Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Big dogs, little dogs...

Dogs, interestingly enough, show greater size variation than any other terrestrial mammal. Last week in Science, Sutter et al. reported finding the locus controlling size variation among dogs. A single allele (with a single nucleotide difference from large dogs) at the IGF1 locus is found in all small dogs (but probably not Sarah, at right). IGF1 produces an insulin-like growth factor and is linked to size mice and humans. Presumably, if you knock out IGF1 function, you will get a dog no bigger than a large rodent. Although Sutter et al. didn't speculate as such, I will boldly predict that this locus is pleiotropic (i.e. one gene, many functions). My guess is that IGF1 also functions as a Yap repressor. In the absence of IGF1, the Yap pathway is active and much yapping ensues. For want of a Yap repressor, those very small friends of ours have an unfortunate tendency to yap incessantly.

7 comments:

  1. Welcome (via Pharyngula)!

    Sarah's a cute dog -- I saw that rope curling up and thought, "that is the weirdest dog tail I've ever seen, with those stripes and monkey-like flexibility..."

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  2. Yes, a yap repressor that is exactly what I need... darned dog even yaps in his dreams

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  3. Just popping in to say welcome to the blogosphere. I arrived via Pharyngula as well.

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  4. That's no tail! I believe it is one of Pharyngula's cephalopods trying to violate my dog.

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  5. OK a yap repressor explains small dogs incessant yapping. But is there anything yet that explains Huskies incessant talking?

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  6. Welcome! I am sure we will all enjoy reading your output.

    However, I would appreciate it, and I am sure I am not the only one, if you would use a more "normal" background scheme.

    I don't know if it's because I'm geting old, or just the fact that all the other blogs I read are black(ish) print on white background, but is extremely annoying to see the white font on black background.

    If it's just because you want to be different, then be different with the content! If it's just because it's your blog, and that's the way it is, hey I can deal with that too.

    My $.02

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  7. Hmm. A Yap repressor. Is that another name for a rolled up newspaper?

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