By Elizabeth Palermo, Live Science Contributor | May 16, 2014 07:08am ET
Dogs and people have more in common than a love of Frisbees and long walks on the beach. A new study finds that certain dogs, just like certain humans, carry a gene mutation that causes albinism — a condition that results
in little or no pigment in the eyes, skin and hair.
in little or no pigment in the eyes, skin and hair.
The study by researchers at Michigan State University identifies the exact genetic mutation that leads to albinism in Doberman pinschers, a discovery that has eluded veterinarians and dog breeders until now. Interestingly, the same mutated gene that causes albinism in this dog breed is also associated with a form of albinism in humans.
"What we found was a gene mutation that results in a missing protein necessary for cells to be pigmented," study co-author Paige Winkler, a doctoral student in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, said in a statement.
of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, said in a statement.
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