Cloning of Canine Galactokinase (GALK1) and Evaluation as a Candidate Gene for Hereditary Cataracts in Labrador Retrievers

We identified a pedigree of Labrador retrievers (LR) that develop hereditary cataracts between 6 and 18 months of age. In humans, galactokinase deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by juvenile onset of cataracts.1 In order to evaluate GALK1 as a candidate gene, we cloned and sequenced the canine GALK1 gene and tested a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the gene for segregation with cataracts in the LR pedigree.