Scientists decipher dog's DNA; science may help human disease prevention

BOSTON -- Mankind's best friend for thousands of years is ready to teach new tricks to science.

The genetic makeup of the dog -- in this case a boxer named Tasha -- has been deciphered and should help identify genes that make both dogs and people vulnerable to cancers, heart disease, diabetes, epilepsy, blindness, deafness and even some psychiatric disorders, scientists said Wednesday.

The work is the first virtually complete decoding of the species and illuminates the blueprint that shapes everything from the smallest Chihuahua to the biggest Great Dane.

Dr. Francis Collins and other researchers made their announcement at a Boston dog show. The research, overseen by the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, was published in today's issue of the journal Nature.

The researchers used the DNA of a family pet whose owners wish to remain anonymous. The female boxer was chosen from more than 100 candidates because her DNA looked especially amenable to identifying its 2.4 billion chemical building blocks. But it turned out that any dog would do, said Eric Lander, director of the Broad Institute.

The results are more complete than those announced in 2003 for the DNA of a male poodle.

At the DNA level, two randomly chosen dogs differ only about as much as two randomly chosen people, yet the one narrow gene pool can produce Chihuahuas and Great Danes.