# Project 2: Genetics of aging and longevity related traits in the domesticated dog

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $568,879

## Abstract

Project 2: Genetics of aging and longevity related traits in the domesticated dog
Abstract
Benjamin Franklin famously remarked, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and
taxes”, and decades of research have led to remarkable progress in understanding the genetic and
environmental determinants of longevity. Nonetheless, considerable gaps in knowledge remain about how and
why individuals differ in aging and longevity related phenotypes, largely due to the complex interaction of
variables that influence the quantity and quality of life. The domesticated dog is an ideal model organism to
investigate the genetic architecture of aging and longevity related phenotypes given its simplified genetic
background and shared environmental exposures with humans. The goal of this project is to leverage state of
the art genomics, statistical, and computational tools to systematically probe the genetic architecture of aging
and longevity related traits in 10,000 dogs. Specifically, in Aim 1 we will develop powerful genomics resources
by performing whole-genome sequencing on 35 carefully selected dogs, and use this and existing genome-
scale data, to supplement existing high-density SNP genotyping chips. We will genotype all 10,000 dogs for
approximately 235,000 SNPs throughout the canine genome. These data will facilitate all downstream
analyses in this project, as well as analyses in other projects as part of the U19. In Aim 2, we will
comprehensively investigate the genetic architecture of longevity and disease related traits segregating in the
panel of 10,000 dogs. In particular, we will perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of common
diseases, cellular and immune related traits, and measures of frailty developed in Project 1. Importantly, we will
take advantage of the unique and powerful collection of environmental covariates collected by the Environment
Core D that will improve power for genetic mapping and enable detection of gene x environment interactions.
Finally, in Aim 3 we will investigate the genetic architecture of centenarian dogs (defined as individuals in the
top 1% of breed specific age distributions). To this end, we will perform GWAS with common variants and
targeted resequencing of 500 aging-related genes to test the hypothesis that rare and common variants in
these genes influence exceptional lifespan. Collectively, these data will profoundly increase our understanding
on the genetic determinants of aging and longevity related traits and how these factors interact with the
environment. Moreover, our data will be a considerable resource to the scientific community, and we will make
all project data easily accessible.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10213629
- **Project number:** 5U19AG057377-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Joshua Michael Akey
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $568,879
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10213629

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10213629, Project 2: Genetics of aging and longevity related traits in the domesticated dog (5U19AG057377-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10213629. Licensed CC0.

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