Feline Genetics and Genomics

Dear Colleagues,

The domestic cat is valued by many for companionship, and with more than 500 million cats worldwide, they are amongst the most common household pets. After 150 years of selective breeding, there are now 42 cat breeds recognised globally, with individual breeds being recognised by their phenotypic characteristics. As a result of the close relationship between household cats and their owners, they are increasingly the subject of veterinary medical surveillance. This has resulted in the identification of more than 340 heritable traits to date. The genomic resources available for the domestic cat have dramatically improved over recent years, resulting in the availability of SNP genotyping array, annotated reference genomes, radiation hybrid, and linkage maps. These recent extensions of genetic tools to the domestic cat have been essential for studying the genetic networks underlying their phenotypic traits and diseases. Their homogeneous genetic architecture and the fact that cats naturally share many diseases with humans, has further made the cat a valuable model system for heritable diseases in humans. Efforts to further decipher the feline genome are not only important in order to better understand the genetic basis of breed traits and diseases in cats, but also to assist with understanding the fundamental biological mechanisms, to improve disease diagnosis, and treatment across species.

This Special Issue is dedicated to reports on progress and recent advances in feline genetics and genomics, and authors are encouraged to submit original research and review articles. Reports on high-throughput technologies, such as RNA-seq and RAD-seq, are particularly welcomed.

Dr. Bianca Waud
Guest Editor

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