Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dong Liang, Pengju Zhao, Jingfang Si, Lingzhao Fang, Erola Pairo-Castineira, Xiaoxiang Hu, Qing Xu, Yali Hou, Yu Gong, Zhengwen Liang, Bing Tian, Huaming Mao, Marnoch Yindee, Md Omar Faruque, Siton Kongvongxay, Souksamlane Khamphoumee, George E. Liu, Dong-Dong Wu, James Stuart F. Barker, Jianlin Han, Yi Zhang
Summary: This study revealed that a 2,809-bp-long LINE-1 insertion in the ASIP gene is the causative mutation for the white coat phenotype in swamp buffalo. This LINE-1 insertion acts as a strong proximal promoter leading to increased transcription of ASIP, which prevents melanocyte maturation and results in absence of pigment in white buffalo skin and hairs. Phylogenetic analyses suggest the white buffalo-specific ASIP allele originated from a recent genetic transposition event. Furthermore, a similar LINE-1 insertion was identified in the cattle ASIP gene, indicating a convergent mechanism of coat color evolution in the Bovini tribe.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Beatriz Batista Trigo, Natalia Fonseca Alves, Marco Milanesi, Jose Fernando Garcia, Endashaw Terefe, Olivier Hanotte, Abdulfatai Tijjani, Yuri Tani Utsunomiya
Summary: A structural variant (SV1) in the agouti signaling protein gene (ASIP) has been found to be strongly associated with hair coat darkness in specific regions of zebu cattle from the Nellore breed. Analysis of whole-genome sequences of zebu and taurine cattle revealed that ASIP-SV1 is commonly found in 45.9% of zebu cattle and 6.3% of taurine cattle, with the taurine cattle showing zebu introgression or being from crossbreeding. This study provides evidence of the widespread presence of ASIP-SV1 in both zebu populations and taurine cattle with zebu admixture.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Stepan N. Belyakin, Daniil A. Maksimov, Maria A. Pobedintseva, Petr P. Laktionov, Dinara Voronova
Summary: The study found an association between the red sesame coat color in Shiba Inu dogs and specific ASIP gene promoter variants, providing insights for breeders to produce dogs with this rare phenotype.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Marie Abitbol, Tanushri Dargar, Vincent Gache
Summary: A golden coat modification called light-gold, akita or copper was found in British feline breed. This modification is caused by a variant in the CORIN gene, which shows an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. The identified variant, CORIN:c.2425C>T, results in a truncated CORIN protein, leading to wideband modification of the hairs. This variant is specific to copper British cats and represents the wb(BSH) allele in the domestic cat.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
H. Beauvois, C. Dufaure de Citres, V. Gache, M. Abitbol
Summary: Golden cats have been valued in the cat fancy world since the beginning. A specific golden phenotype, named sunshine, has been described in the Siberian breed, with pedigree analyses revealing an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern related to the CORIN gene variant. This variant, identified as CORIN:c.2383C>T, was found to be associated with distinct coat characteristics in Siberian cats compared to other breeds.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sandra Goutte, Imtiyaz Hariyani, Kole Deroy Utzinger, Yann Bourgeois, Stephane Boissinot
Summary: Traits shared among distantly related lineages indicate common evolutionary constraints, and the vertebral stripe has evolved multiple times in the history of anurans, favored in terrestrial habitats. A study on the African grass frog Ptychadena robeensis reveals that variation near the ASIP gene is responsible for different vertebral stripe phenotypes, and differential gene expression is linked to patterning in this species. Although the stripe phenotypes are shared with closely related species, P. robeensis alleles are species-specific, suggesting parallel evolution within the group.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiaochan Yan, Yohey Terai, Kanthi Arum Widayati, Akihiro Itoigawa, Laurentia Henrieta Permita Sari Purba, Fahri Fahri, Bambang Suryobroto, Hiroo Imai
Summary: Fixed differences in the MC1R gene in Sulawesi macaques result in different functional characteristics and may contribute to the divergence in coat color among the six species.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jiazhong Guo, Xueliang Sun, Ayi Mao, Haifeng Liu, Siyuan Zhan, Li Li, Tao Zhong, Linjie Wang, Jiaxue Cao, George E. Liu, Hongping Zhang
Summary: The study identified a 13,420-bp duplication upstream of the ASIP gene as a major locus affecting coat color phenotype in JT goats. This duplication was strongly associated with the coat color and was found in goats with Swiss markings but not in goats without Swiss markings. The variation in copy number of the duplication across different goat breeds points towards a threshold effect rather than a dose-response effect at the molecular level.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Jianxing Chen, Shuer Zhang, Shuqin Liu, Jianbao Dong, Yanhang Cao, Yujiang Sun
Summary: This study investigated the genome-wide changes in four Chinese indigenous donkey breeds and identified candidate gene loci associated with body size and coat color patterns. The results showed no obvious population structure among the donkey populations and provided valuable genetic resources for Chinese donkey breeding programs.
ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sandra Navarro, Diego Crespo, Rudiger W. Schulz, Wei Ge, Josep Rotllant, Jose Miguel Cerda-Reverter, Ana Rocha
Summary: Reproduction in both males and females is complex and controlled by various hormonal systems that communicate with the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) system. This study provides new insights into the effects of melanocortin system on gonadal physiology, highlighting the modulatory role of ACTH and MSH on steroid secretion and the need for further research to fully understand the impact of melanocortins on reproductive function. Our results suggest that melanocortins play a role in regulating vitellogenesis in females and testosterone production in males, indicating a potential endocrine involvement in the reproductive system.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hui Zhang, Zhongping Wu, Lijuan Yang, Zhen Zhang, Hao Chen, Jun Ren
Summary: The dilute coat color phenotype in C57BL/6 mice is likely caused by novel mutations in the Myo5a gene, resulting in dysfunctional proteins and deficient melanosome transport. This study sheds light on the molecular mechanism underlying pigmentation in mice and demonstrates a typical case of deciphering phenotypic variation through genomic analyses and functional work.
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Changfa Wang, Haijing Li, Yu Guo, Jinming Huang, Yan Sun, Jiumeng Min, Jinpeng Wang, Xiaodong Fang, Zicheng Zhao, Shuai Wang, Yanlin Zhang, Qingfeng Liu, Qiang Jiang, Xiuge Wang, Yijun Guo, Chunhong Yang, Yinchao Wang, Fang Tian, Guilong Zhuang, Yanna Fan, Qican Gao, Yuhua Li, Zhihua Ju, Jianbin Li, Rongling Li, Minghai Hou, Guiwen Yang, Guiqin Liu, Wenqiang Liu, Jiao Guo, Shanshan Pan, Guangyi Fan, Wei Zhang, Ruitao Zhang, Jie Yu, Xinhao Zhang, Qi Yin, Chuanliang Ji, Yuanchun Jin, Guidong Yue, Mei Liu, Jiake Xu, Shimin Liu, Jordi Jordana, Antonia Noce, Marcel Amills, Dong Dong Wu, Shuaicheng Li, Xiangshan Zhou, Jifeng Zhong
Summary: The paper has been corrected.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Mozhgan Abtahi, Aghafakhr Mirlohi, Ehsan Ataii, Mohammad R. Sabzalian, Parisa Jafari
Summary: The inheritance of seed color in flax is primarily determined by the maternal genotype, while flower color is controlled by three loci B-1, B-2, and C'. Different epistatic interactions between these loci contribute to the expression of different flower colors.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Zhanyu Du, Enrico D'Alessandro, Yao Zheng, Mengli Wang, Cai Chen, Xiaoyan Wang, Chengyi Song
Summary: This study identified and confirmed 42 retrotransposon insertion polymorphisms (RIPs) in 20 coat color genes of pigs. Some of these RIPs may be useful in distinguishing different pig breeds. These findings are important for understanding breed differences and genetic mechanisms in pigs.
Article
Ecology
Penelope W. Murphy, Jonathan N. Pauli, Amy A. Shipley, Benjamin Zuckerberg
Summary: Color polymorphism is an adaptive strategy that plays an important role in the survival of species in changing environments. This study focuses on the ruffed grouse and finds that color polymorphism mediates selective pressures in winter habitats. The results indicate that grouse with phenotype mismatched with snow cover have lower survival rates, but during winters with lower overall survival rates, red grouse exhibit higher survival in snow-free periods while gray grouse have higher survival when snow is present. Additionally, open habitats negatively impact survival rates regardless of color.
