Mutations in MC1R Gene Determine Black Coat Color Phenotype in Chinese Sheep

Abstract EN

The melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R) plays a central role in regulation of animal coat color formation.

In this study, we sequenced the complete coding region and parts of the 5′- and 3′-untranslated regions of the MC1R gene in Chinese sheep with completely white (Large-tailed Han sheep), black (Minxian Black-fur sheep), and brown coat colors (Kazakh Fat-Rumped sheep).

The results showed five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): two non-synonymous mutations previously associated with coat color (c.218 T>A, p.73 Met>Lys.

c.361 G>A, p.121 Asp>Asn) and three synonymous mutations (c.429 C>T, p.143 Tyr>Tyr; c.600 T>G, p.200 Leu>Leu.

c.735 C>T, p.245 Ile>Ile).

Meanwhile, all mutations were detected in Minxian Black-fur sheep.

However, the two nonsynonymous mutation sites were not in all studied breeds (Large-tailed Han, Small-tailed Han, Gansu Alpine Merino, and China Merino breeds), all of which are in white coat.

A single haplotype AATGT (haplotype3) was uniquely associated with black coat color in Minxian Black-fur breed (P=9.72E-72, chi-square test).

The first and second A alleles in this haplotype 3 represent location at 218 and 361 positions, respectively.

Our results suggest that the mutations of MC1R gene are associated with black coat color phenotype in Chinese sheep.