The Shar Pei dog is famous for its wrinkles. But hidden within the folds is the story of a genetic mutation enhanced by inbreeding, and a skin disorder.

Researchers in Barcelona have now discovered how this disorder, mucinosis, originated in the dogs, and they hope that their results will, they say, help in understanding nasty disorders like Familial Mediterranean Fever, as well as aging processes (press release).

Lluis Ferrer and Anna Bassols from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona discovered that mucinosis in Shar Peis is caused by a build up of hyaluronic acid in skin cells. This acid is found in the spaces between tissue cells.

In the dogs, hyaluronic acid is produced in abnormally high amounts because of the overexpression of the HAS2 enzyme. This is one of three enzymes responsible for the acid’s production in mammals. The ultimate consequence is that too much mucin builds up under the skin, leading to the big, furry folds on the skin of the Shar Pei.

The inbreeding that Shar Peis have been subject to could actually help to work out how mucinosis is inherited, the researchers say.

This seems to make it clear that a bit of botox isn’t going to be any use to the Shar Pei at all.

Image by M.Peinado courtesy of Flickr