Exploration of a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in the GALK1 Gene as a Potential Marker for Juvenile Cataracts in the Boston Terrier

No mutatin was found in thecoding protion of the GALK1 gene in Boston Terriers. A SNP{ (Single nucleotide polymorphism) was found in intron 3 (non-coding portion) in the affected fog and its carrier dam. Both the dam and offsprring were heterozygous for this allele. This may mean it is unlikely that this SNP is very close to the cataract gene, or we may find that the majority of other affected dogs are indeed homozygous for this marker. The frequency of this marker in affected dogs will be compared to the frequency of its occurence in our normal group of dogs. Only thenm can we determine if it is useful as an indicator of the presence of the cataract gene elsewhere on chromosome 9.