Whole genome sequencing of Persian cats with severe dermatophytosis

Dermatophytosis is an infection, typically of the hair, skin, and nails, caused by a group of keratinophilic fungi known as dermatophytes. It is one of the most common infectious diseases of both humans and animals in the world with reports of up to 1 billion people affected globally. While the disease is generally mild and self-limiting, its impact on human and animal welfare can be enormous. Persian cats are prone to developing a severe form of dermatophytosis characterized by extensive, chronic, and/or deep infections not seen in other cat breeds. We sought to identify genetic variation associated with this phenotype with a combination of whole genome sequencing (WGS), genome-wide association study (GWAS), and functional assays.