Who Stressed the Dogs Out: A Case for Studying Mitochondrial DNA as a Novel Biomarker for Stress in Canines
Abstract
Canines transiting through animal shelters experience extreme stress that is subsequently ameliorated by adoption into loving (human) homes. These transitions provide exceptional opportunities to study links between social stress and physiological processes, and to develop biomarkers for stress and social bonding with applications in both animal welfare and human health. Here, we propose a novel approach to the study of shelter-related stress in dogs, and of stress reversals following adoption. Specifically, we will quantify mtDNA dynamics in buccal swabs sampled during shelter intakes of canines at the Broward County animal shelter, as well as samples collected after these animals’ adoptions by Broward County residents.
mtDNA dynamics are emerging within the human psychiatric literature as a novel tool for studying mental illness and social stress. Despite their rich potential for studying other social mammals, our proposed methods remain virtually untested in other species (e.g., dogs). We will therefore compare measured mtDNA dynamics to better-established biomarkers associated with mammalian stress and/or social bonding (e.g., cortisol and oxytocin). Finally, we will test the relationship between each measured biomarker and behavioral assessments of the focal animals that quantify inter-individual variation in stress levels over time. Because mtDNA dynamics unfold within compartmentalized tissues and are also less subject to pleiotropy than circulating hormones, we predict mtDNA dynamics will comprise a more sensitive, robust, and cost-effective method for characterizing stress and stress attenuation than existing methods.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Eben Gering
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-6-2022 12:00 PM
End Date
4-7-2022 5:00 PM
Who Stressed the Dogs Out: A Case for Studying Mitochondrial DNA as a Novel Biomarker for Stress in Canines
Alvin Sherman Library
Canines transiting through animal shelters experience extreme stress that is subsequently ameliorated by adoption into loving (human) homes. These transitions provide exceptional opportunities to study links between social stress and physiological processes, and to develop biomarkers for stress and social bonding with applications in both animal welfare and human health. Here, we propose a novel approach to the study of shelter-related stress in dogs, and of stress reversals following adoption. Specifically, we will quantify mtDNA dynamics in buccal swabs sampled during shelter intakes of canines at the Broward County animal shelter, as well as samples collected after these animals’ adoptions by Broward County residents.
mtDNA dynamics are emerging within the human psychiatric literature as a novel tool for studying mental illness and social stress. Despite their rich potential for studying other social mammals, our proposed methods remain virtually untested in other species (e.g., dogs). We will therefore compare measured mtDNA dynamics to better-established biomarkers associated with mammalian stress and/or social bonding (e.g., cortisol and oxytocin). Finally, we will test the relationship between each measured biomarker and behavioral assessments of the focal animals that quantify inter-individual variation in stress levels over time. Because mtDNA dynamics unfold within compartmentalized tissues and are also less subject to pleiotropy than circulating hormones, we predict mtDNA dynamics will comprise a more sensitive, robust, and cost-effective method for characterizing stress and stress attenuation than existing methods.
