The genetics of epilepsy in the Belgian tervuren and sheepdog

Idiopathic epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizure activity without an identifiable underlying anatomic defect. Dogs experiencing repeated bouts of severe seizures are given therapeutic medication to control their frequency and severity. Idiopathic epilepsy has been reported in many dog breeds and was identified as the predominant health issue facing dog breeds in a recent survey by the American Kennel Club. A growing body of evidence supports a hereditary basis for idiopathic epilepsy, with a variety of genetic inheritance models proposed. In the Belgian tervuren and sheepdog, epilepsy is highly heritable with a polygenic mode of inheritance, though apparently influenced by a single autosomal recessive locus of large effect. In an effort to establish molecular linkage between the epileptic phenotype and the locus of large effect, we have screened genomic DNA from families of affected tervuren and sheepdogs with 100 widely dispersed, polymorphic canine microsatellite markers (0.595 average PIC value). Although not significant (LOD scores <3.0), three genomic regions have shown nominal linkage between markers and the epileptic phenotype. Additional related dogs are being screened with these and additional markers to increase the power to detect the presence of a linked locus.