Heterozygous ATP2A2 missense variant identified in a Shih Tzu with Darier disease

Abstract

Darier disease is caused by heterozygous loss of function variants in the ATP2A2 gene encoding the endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ pump ATP2A2. Defective intracellular calcium signaling in the epidermis results in a loss of desmosomal adhesion and the development of characteristic skin lesions. In this study, we investigated a Shih Tzu that developed erythematous papules on the ventrum and, over time, the dorsal neck and a nodule in the right ear canal with secondary ear infection. Histopathologic examination demonstrated discrete foci of acantholysis affecting suprabasal layers of the epidermis. Whole genome sequencing of the affected dog identified a heterozygous missense variant, p.N809H, affecting an evolutionarily conserved amino acid residue of the ATP2A2 protein. The highly characteristic clinical and histopathologic findings together with a plausible variant in the only known functional candidate gene establish the diagnosis of canine Darier disease in the studied dog and highlight the potential of genetic analyses as complementary diagnostic approach in veterinary medicine.

Keywords: Canis lupus familiaris; dermatology; dog; precision medicine; skin.