Dr. Keith Murphy
Professor and Chair
Ph.D. Genetics
1989, Louisiana State University
Research Interests
Veterinary Medical Genetics
Office: 318 Biosystems Research Complex
Phone: (864) 656-0191
Email: kmurph2@clemson.edu
Research Activities
My laboratory moved from Texas A&M University to Clemson University in July 2008. We study the domestic dog, Canis familiaris. While the specific research projects change, the goal is the same: we want to improve the health and quality of life for all dogs through increased understanding of canine genetics. The current aims of our work are to understand 1) the genetics underlying hereditary diseases of the heart, kidney, pancreas, skin, and musculoskeletal system, 2) the role of cholesterol in canine development/diseases, 3) the genetics of auditory-pigmentation disorders; please see Figure 1 (taken from the cover of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) of a merle dog suffering from deafness and colobomas, 4) the regulation of collagen gene expression in the canine kidney and 5) the genetics of aging because there are widely differing life spans across breeds.
Figure 1. Merle is an autosomal dominant coat pattern in the dog that is characterized by patches of diluted pigment intermingled with normal melanin. Sequence analysis reveals that this phenotype results from a retrotransposon insertion in the pigmentation gene SILV. In the homozygous state, this mutation results in a wide range of phenotypic anomalies.
Obviously, our research also serves as models for study of certain human hereditary diseases as well as aging in humans. Funding for our work is from the NIH, Canine Health Foundation, private foundations, breed clubs and industrial sources. The lab is comprised of doctoral students and post-doctorates. For further information please visit our lab website.
Recent Publications
Greer, K.A., P. Daly, K.E. Murphy and J.J. Callanan (2009). A pilot study of gene expression analysis in greyhound meningoencephalitis highlights the upregulation of interferon-triggered genes common to viral infections and autoimmune processes. American Journal of Veterinary Research (in press).
Phavaphutanon J., R.G. Mateescu, K.L. Tsai, P.A. Schweitzer, E. Corey, M. Vernier-Singer, A. Williams, N. Dykes, K.E. Murphy, G. Lust and R.J. Todhunter (2009). Quantitative trait loci for hip dysplasia in the Labrador Retriever. American Journal of Veterinary Research (in press).
Greer, K.A., S.J. Schatzberg, B.F. Porter, K.A. Jones, T.R. Famula and K.E. Murphy (2009). Heritability and transmission analysis of Pug Dog encephalitis. Research in Veterinary Science 86: 438–442.
Strain, G.M., L.A. Clark, J.M. Wahl, A. Turner and K.E. Murphy (2008). Deafness prevalence in dogs heterozygous or homozygous for the merle allele. American Journal of Veterinary Research 23(2): 282-286.
Boggs, R.M., Z.M. Wright, M.J. Stickney, W.W. Porter and K.E. Murphy (2008). MicroRNA expression in canine mammary cancers. Mammalian Genome 19(7-8): 561-569.
Wahl, J.M., L.A. Clark, K.L. Tsai, S.M. Herbst and K.E. Murphy (2008). A review of hereditary diseases of the German Shepherd Dog. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 3: 255-265.
Bell, R.J., G.E. Lees and K.E. Murphy (2008). X-Chromosome inactivation patterns in normal and X-linked hereditary nephropathy carrier dogs. Cytogenetics and Genome Research 122(1):37-40.
Mateescu, R.G., N.I. Burton-Wurster, G. Lust, K.L. Tsai, K.E. Murphy, J. Phavaphutanon, Z. Zhang,and R.J. Todhunter (2008). Quantitative trait loci for osteoarthritis of hip joints in dogs. American Journal of Veterinary Research 69(10): 1294-1300.
Additional Publication Resources
