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- Title
Altered expression of melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) in a yellow-coloured wild raccoon dog ( Nyctereutes procyonoides).
- Authors
Han, Jae-Ik; Yang, Hyun; Jung, Eui-Bae; Na, Ki-Jeong
- Abstract
Background - The melanocortin 1 receptor ( MC1R) gene plays a key role in determining coat colour in mammals by controlling the proportion of eumelanin and pheomelanin granules. Wild raccoon dogs have a mixed coat colour, with black to brown and grey hairs. Hypothesis/Objectives - The study was performed to identify the cause of the variant yellow coat colour in a wild raccoon dog. Animals - A wild raccoon dog that showed coat colour change to yellow and four wild-type raccoon dogs that showed normal coat colour were included. Methods - To identify the cause of the variant yellow coat colour, we examined the sequence of the MC1R gene and its expression at the mRNA and protein levels. Results - The coding region of the MC1R gene of this raccoon dog comprised 954 bp, the same as for wild-type raccoon dogs and domestic dogs. By comparing the gene with that in the wild-type raccoon dog, a 2 bp deletion was detected in the 5′-untranslated region, positioned 152 bp upstream of the start codon. However, there was no significant difference in the mRNA expression level. The yellow raccoon dog revealed a significantly decreased MC1R protein level compared with the wild-type raccoon dogs, indicating an increase in pheomelanin synthesis. Conclusions and clinical importance - These results suggest that the variant coat colour in the yellow raccoon dog was associated with decreased MC1R function.
- Subjects
MELANOCORTIN receptors; RACCOON dog; MAMMALS; GENES; MESSENGER RNA
- Publication
Veterinary Dermatology, 2012, Vol 23, Issue 3, p187
- ISSN
0959-4493
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1365-3164.2012.01036.x