Biochemical Variation of Blood Proteins in Sighthounds
Summary by Dr. Dominique de Caprona
© de Caprona 2009

All photographs copyrighted to the photographers. Please do not use text or photos for any purpose without asking.

According to the comparative studies of K.Bruchmüller on the blood proteins of various Sighthounds and other dogs, Afghan hound, Azawakh, Saluki and Sloughi have distinct genetic profiles. 

More specifically,  the Sloughi and the Azawakh, both African Sighthounds, are the only Sighthound breeds to date in which an additionnal allele B was found on the Glucose-Phosphate-Isomerase (GPI) locus.  This allele had been found otherwise in the fox, the jackal, the coyote, an Italian wolf population and a few dog breeds (German sheperd, poodles, Epagneul papillon).

The Saluki and the Afghan hound are the only Sighthound breeds with a third allele C on the Esterases (ES) locus, the Greyhound is the only breed with only allele A, the remaining breeds having alleles A & B on that locus. 

Further, the Afghan hound and the Borsoi have an additionnal allele B on the Tetrazoliumoxidase (TO) locus, not seen in the Saluki. 

The Saluki, the Afghan hound and the Borsoi have an additionnal allele B on the Glucose-6-Phosphat-Dehydrogenase(G6pd) locus, whereas the Azawakh, Greyhound and Sloughi have only the allele A on that locus. 

The Afghan hound is the only Sighthound examined in this study in which only one allele B (no allele A) was found on the Postalbumin 1(Pa 1) locus. 

The Greyhound and the Borsoi are the only Sighthounds in this study with a third allele C on the Leuciaminopeptidase (Lap) locus.

The blood proteins of the Sloughi and Azawakh are almost identical whereas each other breed shows a difference on at least one locus.  In spite of these differences, the Afghan, Azawakh, Borsoi, Greyhound, Saluki and Sloughi all have one thing in common.  All show alleles A & B on the Postalbumine 3 (Pa3) locus.

References
Scherer (Bruchmüller) K. and R.Kluge (1993): Biochemical Variation of Blood Proteins in Race Hounds, J.Vet.Med.A 39, Paul Parey Scientific Publishers, Berlin and Hamburg, Germany.