Genetic variations of the coding region of the melanocortin receptor 1 ( <scp>MC</scp>1R ) gene in the fox

• Published in: Veterinary Dermatology
• Main Authors: Liu, Zhengzhu, Gong, Yuanfang, Feng, Minshan, Duan, Lingxin, Li, Yingjie, Li, Xianglong
• Other Authors: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2016
• Subjects: General Veterinary; Arctic; Vulpes lagopus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/vde.12303; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fvde.12303; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/vde.12303

Background The melanocortin 1 receptor ( MC 1R ) gene plays an important role in the control of coat colour in mammals. Genetic variation of the MC 1R gene and the relationship between genotype and coat colour are not well understood. Studies in the fox may improve our understanding of gene influence on coat colour in dogs and cats. Hypothesis/Objectives To investigate coat colour associated mutations in the coding region of MC 1R gene in foxes. Animals A total of 118 foxes, comprising 70 red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) (19 red, 10 white silver, 29 silver and 12 chocolate foxes) and 48 arctic foxes ( Vulpes lagopus ) (9 dominant white blue foxes and 39 normal blue foxes) were included in the study. Methods Evaluation of the DNA sequence of the coding region of MC 1R gene and its polymorphisms. Results Eight polymorphic sites (single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNP s) distributed throughout the 954‐bp coding region of the fox MC 1R gene were detected. Among them, c.13G&gt;T, c.124A&gt;G, c.289G&gt;A, c.373T&gt;C and c.839 T&gt;G were mis‐sense mutations, which resulted in codon change of p.G5C, p.N42D, p.V97I, p.C125R and p.F280C, respectively. Mutation and haplotype analysis indicated that c.373T&gt;C was associated with black and brown pigmented phenotypes in foxes, and c.13G&gt;T and c.839T&gt;G were important in distinguishing V. lagopus and V. vulpes . Conclusions and clinical importance SNP c.373T&gt;C in the coding region of the MC 1R gene is probably associated with the brown phenotype of chocolate foxes.