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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2012 15:09:43 GMT -5
Last year, one of the major sequencing centers released the DNA sequence for the first domesticated ferret. The reason for the study was to better understand ferrets as a model experimental organism. This single individual was a female sable from Marshall Farms.
The center is now working on understanding the genetic diversity of the domesticated ferret. Their populations right now are:
Sable (American)
Cinnamon (American)
Albino (American)
Albino (China)
Sable (China)
Albino Longhair (China)
Pastel Longhair (China)
Sable Longhair (China)
Australian
Black Footed Ferrets
All American populations are from Marshall Farms. They also have no european polecat..
What would you hope could come from a study like this? What other ferret populations do you think should be included?
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Post by Heather on Apr 2, 2012 15:39:20 GMT -5
I will have to try this again, lost everything of the last post  . I wonder why they chose China? Marshals I understand, because Marshals doesn't care what happens to their stock on the science table  Why no UK ferrets? We have more imported ferrets from the UK, Poland and Hungary than we ever get from China...unless Marshals imports from China?!! ciao |
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Post by Sherry on Apr 2, 2012 15:55:05 GMT -5
Australia would be another good example as well. What I'd like to see from it? How the genetics have messed up our wee farm babies, such as adrenal, insulinoma, lymphoma, and IBD. They are developing these diseases younger and younger.
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Post by joan on Apr 2, 2012 19:06:55 GMT -5
I'd love to see the DNA of the MF ones compared to private breeder ferrets, both those from the fancy color background and ones from a sable only background. I'd also like to see the genome of a true European polecat compared to all of them.
Heather, Soren sold much of his breeding stock (both Angoras and normal ferrets) to a commercial ferret breeder in China some years ago when he was forced to dispose of his excess stock because they were inadequately housed. I'd imagine they also have other breeding stock. It would be interesting to know what all they have, since he had other abnormal defects in addition to the Angoras.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2012 19:43:33 GMT -5
I know China has ferrets! They actually have three variations of pandas. One they call the European Panda, another they call the Chinese panda, and the last the American Panda. So they potentially are just as bad as American ferrets.
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Post by racheldaniels on Apr 2, 2012 20:41:50 GMT -5
total disclosure: I actually work at this sequencing center and have been bugging the group involved in this research (I study completely different organisms). From the information that I have, the proposal for the original research funding from the government involved persuading the granting agency that the genome was interesting for human research reasons - cancer, pulmonary issues, etc. But what an opportunity for breeders to have this resource! I wonder if perhaps there will be resources developed and available for other population comparisons since with enough information on diversity you likely won't have to sequence the entire genome. I'm disappointed that they're using the black-footed ferret in this study. They only commented that they didn't have polecat DNA, which makes me wonder if they'd be amenable they happened to have the appropriate sample..  |
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Post by Heather on Apr 2, 2012 22:54:40 GMT -5
It is I suppose it is unfortunate that the black footed ferret is included as they are so genetically different from the domestic ferret that they cannot be bred (or at least that is my understanding). I don't believe even our minks, weasels and ermine are genetically close either. No, I understood that China had ferrets, I just didn't realize that we had contributed to their genetic background or them to ours. Thanks Joan, I wasn't aware that there had been any of our own stock that had been exported. I knew that we had shared ferrets with Japan but wasn't aware that we had shared Chinese stock or had exported domestic ferret stock (I did know that we had exchanged mink ). As far as researching comparable human diseases cancer, IBD, cardiac issues, obesity...just to name a few. This will be a fantastic opportunity if they're going to allow total disclosure. I would also like to see some ferrets other than marshals, some breeders stock...just as a comparison. If we stay within the farm ferrets and the exotic stock it's not going to tell as much about normal or how close we are to the more exotic ferrets. Marshals is now throwing stock that is almost continuously "damaged". At one time it was a rare to see a deaf ferret or a neural crest ferret or it was even unheard of to have ferrets that have the extensive damage that Boris my boy has. In truth he is probably neural crest damage but the skull and heart are so badly damaged he will be lucky if he ever gets to see some semblance of old age. Unfortunately, I gather that Mashals also keeps two very different types of stock, one their lab ferrets and the other their "pet" stock. I gather from what I've read they're not the same base and are bred entirely separate. It would be nice to know which of their stock they released for this experiment. They're not the greatest for full disclosure  ciao |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2012 10:53:26 GMT -5
Given the white-paper for the sequencing, I'd assume that they sourced the research lines for these studies. The person with whom I've been corresponding I think doesn't know a lot of the details about the stock, but whoever is collaborating with them does. I haven't been able to find out who that is yet.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2012 11:06:18 GMT -5
That is amazing knowledge, if they use or allow it to be used to trace and eliminate genetic defects. However, it seems to me that the purpose is for mapping the combinations that contribute or are responsible for these defects, so it's unlikely (imho) that they will be forthcoming. Also, there is a corporate movement to trademark, correction patent DNA. It would be worthwhile to find out if this falls under that bailwick. European political will appears to be much more anti-genetic manipulation than US. I doubt the Chinese government has any qualms about genetic manipulation either. On the hopeful side of things, it would sooo help the ferret as a species if MF would put the knowledge to use in their pet bloodlines ensure their health of their ferrets. It could happen. [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ ![]() i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/0_0.gif"].gif[/IMG] |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2012 11:17:56 GMT -5
On the disinclusion(?) of polecat genetic information, it sounds like there was a contractual/legal interpretation of what a 'ferret' is and the people who did it, don't know what they are doing, which is common when you get lawyers/government (e.g. Canadian govt. (and other govt.) definition of the ferret) making determinations about things outside their knowledge base. Those determinations are what delineate what corporate can 'legally' do.
Then again, there could be another reason.
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Post by miamiferret2 on Apr 3, 2012 11:41:51 GMT -5
Very interesting. What are the odds that the big breeders will actually learn something from this. Heather I think MF does keep two different stocks. I know a girl that has a sable MF ferret. she bought him as a tiny baby. one day, at the vet's office, it was discovered that the ferret had a microchip in him. she contacted the microchip company, gave them the # and she was advised that the microchip was purchased by MF. this ferret was most likely supposed to go to a laboratory but he ended up being sold into the pet trade after he was microchipped (i guess they had a cancelled order from a lab or something- who knows). I hardly ever see real sable colors at the pet stores anymore down here. always the ones with the white patches, white paws. alot of blazes and pandas" (so called "fancy" colors).
i often wondered whether the sables ending up in the petcos they are the ones that are left over after the lab orders are filled.
BTW, the MF ferret that was purchased as a baby at a petstore and later found to have a microchip purchased by MF, he is a famous actor now. His name is Falcor and he was the ferret in the movie Jake & Jasper A Ferret Tale. what a real rags to riches story. Falcor was meant to go to a laboratory. Instead, he became an actor. LOL
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Post by katt on Apr 3, 2012 11:47:39 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2012 11:53:28 GMT -5
This is a government-funded project, so the actual genome assemblies for the single female ferret are already available, and there is generally a deadline for dissemination of this information to research communities. So no patenting of the genome allowed, either.
I suspect that for the genetic analyses for diversity, the group wanted an outlier. Something similar but not necessarily related. I don't know if the black footed ferret falls under that either!
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Post by miamiferret2 on Apr 3, 2012 11:56:37 GMT -5
I read the last article. it appears that this study will only increase the use of ferrets in laboratories. very sad.
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Post by Heather on Apr 3, 2012 14:46:29 GMT -5
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