Norwich Terriers are a breed of dog that struggles with wheezing just as Bulldogs and French dogs do. However, unlike bulldogs and French dogs, this struggle is not due to the shape of their snouts. Scientists have established that this wheezing could be due to the wayward gene. This was established by contracting DNA from 401 Norwich Terriers. This research revealed that those struggling with a respiratory tract disorder shared the same variant of gene ADAMTS3. Which is otherwise known as the wayward gene. This gene is associated with swelling around airways and roughly ⅓ of the dogs that had two copies of the mutated gene ADAMTS3. Furthermore, those who had two copies of the mutated gene scored significantly worse on their airway-functioning test than those who only had one copy. This is the first piece of evidence that suggests that it's not just skull shape. This research could ultimately help dog breeders breed healthier puppies. Breeders could use the test to keep dogs that have the genetic variant and keep from reproducing and passing the mutation along. I thought this was interesting because I would have thought it would have been more likely to be linked to a gene that expressed a distinctive skull shape rather than a gene associated with swelling of the airways. Furthermore, I’m shocked that this gene has not been selected out of the population considering breathing is so vital.
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