Polymorphisms Detected in the Tyrosinase and MATP (SLC45A2) Genes Did Not Explain Coat Colour Dilution in a Sample of Alpaca (Vicugna pacos)

The molecular basis of inheritance of alpaca fibre colour is poorly understood. However, colour dilution genes are anticipated to be causing a major effect on alpaca fibre colour. Candidate genes for dilutions included tyrosinase (tyr) and membrane associated transport protein (matp), both of which...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cransberg, R., Munyard, Kylie
Other Authors: Alex Safari
Format: Conference Paper
Published: Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics 2009
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.aaabg.org/proceedings18/index.html
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/14864
Description
Summary:The molecular basis of inheritance of alpaca fibre colour is poorly understood. However, colour dilution genes are anticipated to be causing a major effect on alpaca fibre colour. Candidate genes for dilutions included tyrosinase (tyr) and membrane associated transport protein (matp), both of which have been associated with coat colour dilution in other species. The coding regions of the tyr and matp genes were sequenced in 24 animals with various colour phenotypes. No polymorphism found in the coding region of tyr and matp exons 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 could account for the dilutions in fibre colour observed.