Differences in allele frequencies of personality-related genes in three varieties of Shiba Inu in Japan

Abstract

Shiba Inu is a Japanese dog breed that originally functioned as a hunting dog but is now widely kept as a pet. This study conducted whole genome sequencing on two varieties of Shiba Inu, Mino-Shiba and San'in-Shiba, which are believed to strongly retain the hunting function, and compared them with the common pet Shiba Inu. The results showed that populations of the three varieties formed distinct clusters. We calculated the F_ST values for each site between each of the two varieties and identified genomic regions with significant differences that might affect function. LRRTM4 and OXTR found in previous studies on dogs related to personality traits are indicated in this study, and KIF27, associated with Williams syndrome in humans, was also suggested to potentially influence hunting traits. This study highlights the unique genetic lineage of regional Shiba varieties compared to the commonly kept pet Shiba Inu, and provides a foundation for further research into how these genetic differences may affect current personality traits.