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Updated: Oct 7, 2025

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Brachygnathia Inferior in Cloned Dogs Is Possibly Correlated with Variants of Wnt Signaling Pathway Initiators

Yong-Ho Choe1, Tai-Young Hur2, Sung-Lim Lee1,3

  • 1Department of Theriogenology and Biotechnology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|January 11, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Cloned dogs exhibited mandibular shortening (brachygnathia inferior) due to genetic variants in Wnt/cadherin signaling pathways. This research identifies potential causes for developmental abnormalities in cloned animals.

Area of Science:

  • Animal cloning
  • Developmental genetics
  • Canine genomics

Background:

  • Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) cloning can result in animal abnormalities.
  • Cloned dogs were produced for bomb-sniffing purposes using SCNT.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the genetic cause of brachygnathia inferior (mandibular shortening) in cloned dogs.
  • To identify genetic defects associated with developmental abnormalities in SCNT-derived canines.

Main Methods:

  • Karyotyping and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) were performed on cloned dogs.
  • Genetic analysis focused on identifying single-nucleotide variations and frameshifts.

Main Results:

  • No chromosomal numerical abnormalities were found in any cloned dogs.
  • Whole-genome sequencing revealed variants in Wnt signaling pathway genes (WNT5B, DVL2, DACT1, ARRB2, FZD 4/8) and cadherin genes (CDH11, CDH1like) in affected dogs.
  • Two cloned dogs showed normal development, while two exhibited brachygnathia inferior.

Conclusions:

  • Brachygnathia inferior in cloned dogs is potentially linked to variants in Wnt/cadherin signaling pathway components.
  • This study highlights the role of specific genetic pathways in SCNT-related developmental defects.
Keywords:
Wnt signaling pathwaybrachygnathia inferiorcloned dogwhole-genome sequencing

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