Gene for seizures and aggression in Belgian Malinois (maybe)

In the dog, the dopamine transporter gene (DAT) contains a 38-base pair variable number tandem repeat (DAT-VNTR); alleles have either one or two copies of the 38-base pair sequence.   Most dog breeds that have been examined are homozygous for the DAT-VNTR allele with two tandem repeats.  In Belgian Malinois, the single copy allele of DAT-VNTR is over-represented and is associated with owner-reported seizures, loss of responsiveness to environmental stimuli, episodic aggression, and hyper-vigilance in MAL.  The authors caution that the findings should be considered preliminary until replicated in a larger sample.

Lit L, JM Belanger, D Boehm, N Lybarger, A Haverbeke, C Diederich, & AM Oberbauer.  2013. Characterization of a dopamine transporter polymorphism and behavior in Belgian Malinois.  BMC Genetics 14:45.  (pdf)