What's with the wrinkles

An interesting report that appeared in the journal of Veterinary Dermatology and Journal of Heredity has discovered the source of the Shar-pei's characteristic wrinkles. It states that a genetic alteration multiplies the activity of a certain enzyme responsible for excessive production of hyaluronic acid, a substance which gathers under the skin and produces wrinkles. This genetic alteration came to be because of breeders in the United States. The breed was originated in South China and was primary used as guard dogs and shepards by the Han dynasty. However, after the communist revolution of Mao Tse-Tung the breed almost disappeared. Then, in the early 1970s a breeder from Hong Kong sent a number of Shar Peis to the United States which began the process of recovering the breed. Today, Shar-pei's are considered to be the rarest breed in the world.

During the recovery process, the characteristic wrinkles of the Shar Pei were enhanced and the offspring of the original dogs appeared with thicker skin and more wrinkles. The increase in thickness and the formation of excessive wrinkles are the cause of the inherited skin disorder cutaneous mucinosis, defined by a build-up of mucin in the layers of the skin. The source of the build-up of mucin was unknown until this research was complete.

The results of this research have many practical applications such as that the knowledge of the genetic and hereditary bases of mucinosis will be used to design reproduction programs aimed at improving the health of Shar-pei's, which suffer from many hereditary disorders due to massive inbreeding. The dogs have been a valuable model for the study of human disorders such as FMF or hereditary mucinosis and results could lead to cures for these disorders.

Who knew those cute wrinkles could be so informative?