马毛色遗传机理研究进展

动物毛色是人类正向选择产生的表型之一,在遗传与进化过程中扮演着重要角色。其中马的毛色丰富多变,单从表型无法准确判别其属于哪种毛色,造成马品种登记时毛色性状记录不准确,因此研究马毛色形成机理在育种工作中具有重要意义。随着基因组学及测序技术的日益成熟,马毛色形成遗传机理的研究不断深入,并发现不同毛色性状与特定疾病之间的相关性。本文从遗传学的角度对马的毛色进行归类,对与其形成的相关基因、作用机理及应用等研究进展进行了综述,以期为马毛色形成机理的系统性研究和马匹选育提供借鉴和参考。     

无眠基因被发现

毛色雪白的马常被赋予纯洁、神圣的内涵,然而,科学家研究称白马实为变异马种,它们的毛色是由于体内携带一种变异基因促使马衰老,以至华发早生。约每10匹马中有1匹马携带变异基因,携带这种基因的马出生时,毛色是棕色、褐色或黑色,随着年龄增长,毛色在6年之内渐渐变为白色。     

马毛色遗传的分子基础与应用

毛色不仅是马品种和个体识别的重要依据,而且还可以作为某些疾病筛查的有力工具和手段。马的毛色主要由黑色素细胞产生的真黑素和褐黑素两种黑色素的分布及比例所决定,许多基因对黑色素的产生和分布的调控起着重要的作用,各基因相互间共同作用最终形成各种单毛色和复毛色,这些基因主要包括MC1R、ASIP、KIT、TYRP和EDNRB。另外STX17、MATP和PMEL17也在马毛色形成过程具有重要的作用,同时还发现个别毛色基因与黑色素瘤疾病有关。文章对近年来马主要毛色候选基因的作用机理、DNA序列多态性与毛色性状及黑色素瘤疾病的关系等研究进行了详细的阐述,为今后马匹育种工作和疾病防治提供重要理论依据。     

MC1R基因多态性与豚鼠隐性黄毛色的相关性分析

豚鼠Cavia porcellus的隐性黄毛色表型是由编码黑素皮质激素受体1(MC1R)的extension基因座位的等位基因e控制。本研究对野生型和黄毛色豚鼠MC1R基因位点所在区域进行PCR扩增与测序发现,在黄毛色豚鼠中存在1个2 760 bp的基因组缺失,该缺失涵盖了MC1R基因的整个编码区。采用三引物扩增体系对豚鼠MC1R基因缺失突变进行群体基因分型,在随机选择的58只野生型个体中,36只为EE纯合子,22只为Ee杂合子,而31只黄毛色个体均为ee纯合子;在15只测交后代中,8只黄毛色个体均为ee纯合子,而7只野生型个体均为Ee杂合子。基因分型结果表明,MC1R基因2 760 bp的缺失与隐性黄毛色完全相关。本研究为进一步探究MC1R基因在哺乳动物毛色遗传机制中的作用以及豚鼠的分子标记辅助育种提供了理论依据。     

中国地方猪种黑素皮质激素受体1基因(MC1R)的单核苷酸多态性

以黑素皮质激素受体1基因作为影响猪毛色性状的候选基因, 应用PCR-SSCP(单链构象多态)法对11个中国地方猪种该基因的编码区进行单核苷酸多态性检测. 作为比较, 还研究了3个引入猪种. 结果发现11个品种的所有个体都存在3个突变: G284A, T309C和T364C, 与以往报道中欧洲大黑猪发生的突变相同, 推测中国地方猪种的毛色属于显性黑毛色性状. 而3个引入猪种发生的突变为68CC, C492T, G728A, 与地方猪种有明显区别, 二者分属截然不同的毛色遗传体系. 黑素皮质激素受体1基因对于中国地方猪种之间毛色的差异没有起到关键的影响作用, 但是它可为猪的分子进化研究提供一定的凭据.     

酪氨酸酶与羊驼毛色相关性的研究

为揭示羊驼毛色形成机理以及毛用性状改良奠定基础,选用羊驼作为试验动物群体,以酪氨酸酶作为影响羊驼毛色性状的候选基因,采用荧光定量PCR技术、免疫组织化学、免疫印迹等生物学方法从基因与蛋白方面分析了羊驼酪氨酸酶(tyrosinase,TYR)在不同毛色个体的表达量.荧光定量PCR结果显示TYR基因在棕色个体中的mRNA表...     

白色基因座(I)在中国地方猪种毛色遗传中的作用研究

通过利用PCR—RFLP和PCR—SSCP技术对中国地方猪种KIT基因内含子17、18的序列进行多态性分析。结果表明：内含子17上的替换突变(G→A)发生于毛色为白色的个体——白色五指山猪、大白猪、长白猪上,其基因型(AB型)频率分别为1、1和0．8;其他中国地方猪种的此基因型频率均为0。内含子18上的缺失突变(AGTT)也同样发生在上述3个猪种的白色个体中,其基因型(AA型)频率分别为1、1和0．93;而且同样在其他的地方品种中其基因型频率均为0。这充分证明KIT基因对于猪的白毛色有重要的调控作用,而且I基因座对于其他的经典遗传基因座有上位作用。另一方面,中国地方猪种荣昌猪虽然在表型上与引入猪种大白猪、长白猪相似(白毛色),但是在KIT基因上发生的突变完全不同,推测它们分别属于不同的毛色遗传体系。     

云南岩陀及其近缘种质资源群体表型多样性

为有效保护和持续利用药用植物云南岩陀及其近缘种质资源提供基础数据,采用巢式方差分析和聚类分析等方法对岩陀及其近缘种质资源共4个种(包括变种)的15个居群150个单株16种表型性状进行表型多样性分析.结果表明:不同种间表型性状变异均超过20％,变异由大到小依次为光腹鬼灯檠、岩陀、羽叶鬼灯檠、七叶鬼灯檠;居群间表型性状变异较高,其地上部分干重、单株根状茎数变异较大,变异系数均超过50％;小叶表面毛被状态变异系数为100％、小叶背沿脉柔毛色变异系数为0,因此这些性状为种和变种分类的重要依据;4个种的居群内变异系数均大于居群间,变异主要来源于居群内.种的表型多样性指数相对较高,其中根粗最高,叶表面毛被状态和叶背面沿脉柔毛色最低,总体平均多样性指数为1.39;不同种间表型多样性指数变化在1.23-1.44,岩陀最高,七叶鬼灯檠最低;通过聚类分析可将15个居群分为4类.结果暗示:岩陀及其近缘种质资源的遗传改良应适当地减少抽样居群数,增加居群内的家系数,重视居群内优良单株的选择;种质资源的保护应尽量保护一个居群的完整性.     

灵长类毛色基因研究进展

毛色在动物生活中起着信息交流和伪装等作用。灵长类不同物种之间、同一物种不同个体之间都有着丰富的毛色,然而,毛色变化的分子机制却研究得较少。已有的研究发现,灵长类毛色变化既不能归因于某些毛色基因的序列差异,也不能归因于毛色基因表达量的差异。本文对灵长类的毛色、灵长类的毛色基因(主要是MC1R和ASIP基因)的研究进行了简要的概述,以期为灵长类毛色基因的进一步研究提供参考。     

基因敲除与学习、记忆：现状、问题和展望

基因敲除技术的应用使学习、记忆分子机制的研究出现了新的突破.目前已报道了多种学习、记忆以及LTP、LTD有缺陷的基因敲除动物,发现多种基因在学习、记忆的形成过程中必不可少.然而,现有研究的一个较大问题是忽视了遗传背景基因在表型改变中的作用,被认为由突变靶基因造成的表型缺陷实际上可能是由背景基因而不是由突变基因造成的.要排除背景基因的作用,必须建立新的ES细胞,选择纯遗传背景的小鼠品系,并且在时间、范围和程度上对基因敲除进行精细的控制.     

A missense mutation in the endothelin-B receptor gene is associated with Lethal White Foal Syndrome: an equine version of Hirschsprung Disease

Lethal White Foal Syndrome is a disease associated with horse breeds that register white coat spotting patterns. Breedings between particular spotted horses, generally described as frame overo, produce some foals that, in contrast to their parents, are all white or nearly all white and die shortly after birth of severe intestinal blockage. These foals have aganglionosis characterized by a lack of submucosal and myenteric ganglia from the distal small intestine to the large intestine, similar to human Hirschsprung Disease. Some sporadic and familial cases of Hirschsprung Disease are due to mutations in the endothelin B receptor gene (EDNRB). In this study, we investigate the role of EDNRB in Lethal White Foal Syndrome. A cDNA for the wild-type horse endothelin-B receptor gene was cloned and sequenced. In three unrelated lethal white foals, the EDNRB gene contained a 2-bp nucleotide change leading to a missense mutation (I118K) in the first transmembrane domain of the receptor, a highly conserved region of this protein among different species. Seven additional unrelated lethal white foal samples were found to be homozygous for this mutation. No other homozygotes were identified in 138 samples analyzed, suggesting that homozygosity was restricted to lethal white foals. All (40/40) horses with the frame overo pattern (a distinct coat color pattern that is a subset of overo horses) that were tested were heterozygous for this allele, defining a heterozygous coat color phenotype for this mutation. Horses with tobiano markings included some carriers, indicating that tobiano is epistatic to frame overo. In addition, horses were identified that were carriers but had no recognized overo coat pattern phenotype, demonstrating the variable penetrance of the mutation. The test for this mutant allele can be utilized in all breeds where heterozygous animals may be unknowingly bred to each other including the Paint Horse, Pinto horse, Quarter Horse, Miniature Horse, and Thoroughbred. Received: 25 November 1997 / Accepted: 3 February 1998     

Allelic heterogeneity at the equine KIT locus in dominant white (W) horses

White coat color has been a highly valued trait in horses for at least 2,000 years. Dominant white (W) is one of several known depigmentation phenotypes in horses. It shows considerable phenotypic variation, ranging from ~50% depigmented areas up to a completely white coat. In the horse, the four depigmentation phenotypes roan, sabino, tobiano, and dominant white were independently mapped to a chromosomal region on ECA 3 harboring the KIT gene. KIT plays an important role in melanoblast survival during embryonic development. We determined the sequence and genomic organization of the ~82 kb equine KIT gene. A mutation analysis of all 21 KIT exons in white Franches-Montagnes Horses revealed a nonsense mutation in exon 15 (c.2151C>G, p.Y717X). We analyzed the KIT exons in horses characterized as dominant white from other populations and found three additional candidate causative mutations. Three almost completely white Arabians carried a different nonsense mutation in exon 4 (c.706A>T, p.K236X). Six Camarillo White Horses had a missense mutation in exon 12 (c.1805C>T, p.A602V), and five white Thoroughbreds had yet another missense mutation in exon 13 (c.1960G>A, p.G654R). Our results indicate that the dominant white color in Franches-Montagnes Horses is caused by a nonsense mutation in the KIT gene and that multiple independent mutations within this gene appear to be responsible for dominant white in several other modern horse populations.     

Seven novel KIT mutations in horses with white coat colour phenotypes

White coat colour in horses is inherited as a monogenic autosomal dominant trait showing a variable expression of coat depigmentation. Mutations in the KIT gene have previously been shown to cause white coat colour phenotypes in pigs, mice and humans. We recently also demonstrated that four independent mutations in the equine KIT gene are responsible for the dominant white coat colour phenotype in various horse breeds. We have now analysed additional horse families segregating for white coat colour phenotypes and report seven new KIT mutations in independent Thoroughbred, Icelandic Horse, German Holstein, Quarter Horse and South German Draft Horse families. In four of the seven families, only one single white horse, presumably representing the founder for each of the four respective mutations, was available for genotyping. The newly reported mutations comprise two frameshift mutations (c.1126_1129delGAAC; c.2193delG), two missense mutations (c.856G>A; c.1789G>A) and three splice site mutations (c.338-1G>C; c.2222-1G>A; c.2684+1G>A). White phenotypes in horses show a remarkable allelic heterogeneity. In fact, a higher number of alleles are molecularly characterized at the equine KIT gene than for any other known gene in livestock species.     

Mutations in MITF and PAX3 cause "splashed white" and other white spotting phenotypes in horses

During fetal development neural-crest-derived melanoblasts migrate across the entire body surface and differentiate into melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells. Alterations in this precisely regulated process can lead to white spotting patterns. White spotting patterns in horses are a complex trait with a large phenotypic variance ranging from minimal white markings up to completely white horses. The "splashed white" pattern is primarily characterized by an extremely large blaze, often accompanied by extended white markings at the distal limbs and blue eyes. Some, but not all, splashed white horses are deaf. We analyzed a Quarter Horse family segregating for the splashed white coat color. Genome-wide linkage analysis in 31 horses gave a positive LOD score of 1.6 in a region on chromosome 6 containing the PAX3 gene. However, the linkage data were not in agreement with a monogenic inheritance of a single fully penetrant mutation. We sequenced the PAX3 gene and identified a missense mutation in some, but not all, splashed white Quarter Horses. Genome-wide association analysis indicated a potential second signal near MITF. We therefore sequenced the MITF gene and found a 10 bp insertion in the melanocyte-specific promoter. The MITF promoter variant was present in some splashed white Quarter Horses from the studied family, but also in splashed white horses from other horse breeds. Finally, we identified two additional non-synonymous mutations in the MITF gene in unrelated horses with white spotting phenotypes. Thus, several independent mutations in MITF and PAX3 together with known variants in the EDNRB and KIT genes explain a large proportion of horses with the more extreme white spotting phenotypes.     

Two SNPs in the SILV gene are associated with silver coat colour in ponies

In horses, a pigment dilution acting only on black eumelanin is the so-called silver coat colour, which is characterized by a chocolate-to-reddish body with a white mane and tail. Using information from other species, we focused our study on SILV as a possible candidate gene for the equine silver phenotype. A 1559-bp genomic fragment was sequenced in 24 horses, and five SNPs were detected. Two of the five SNPs (DQ665301:g.697A>T and DQ665301:g.1457C>T) were genotyped in 112 horses representing eight colour phenotypes. Both mutations were completely associated with the silver phenotype: all eumelanin-producing horses (blacks and bays) with atypical white mane and tail were carriers of the [g.697T; g.1457T] haplotype. We identified this haplotype as well as the silver phenotype only in Shetland ponies and Icelandic horses. Horses without eumelanin (chestnuts) were carriers of the [g.697T; g.1457T] haplotype, but they showed no phenotypic effect. The white or flaxen mane often detected in chestnuts is presumably based on another SILV mutation or on polymorphisms in other genes.     

Two variants in the KIT gene as candidate causative mutations for a dominant white and a white spotting phenotype in the donkey

White spotting phenotypes have been intensively studied in horses, and although similar phenotypes occur in the donkey, little is known about the molecular genetics underlying these patterns in donkeys. White spotting in donkeys can range from only a few white areas to almost complete depigmentation and is characterised by a loss of pigmentation usually progressing from a white spot in the hip area. Completely white‐born donkeys are rare, and the phenotype is characterised by the complete absence of pigment resulting in pink skin and a white coat. A dominant mode of inheritance has been demonstrated for spotting in donkeys. Although the mode of inheritance for the completely white phenotype in donkeys is not clear, the phenotype shows similarities to dominant white in horses. As variants in the KIT gene are known to cause a range of white phenotypes in the horse, we investigated the KIT gene as a potential candidate gene for two phenotypes in the donkey, white spotting and white. A mutation analysis of all 21 KIT exons identified a missense variant in exon 4 (c.662A>C; p.Tyr221Ser) present only in a white‐born donkey. A second variant affecting a splice donor site (c.1978+2T>A) was found exclusively in donkeys with white spotting. Both variants were absent in 24 solid‐coloured controls. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study investigating genetic mechanisms underlying white phenotypes in donkeys. Our results suggest that two independent KIT alleles are probably responsible for white spotting and white in donkeys.     

Chinese white Rongchang pig does not have the dominant white allele of KIT but has the dominant black allele of MC1R

The mast/stem cell growth factor receptor (KIT) and melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R) mutations are responsible for coat color phenotypes in domestic pigs. Rongchang is a Chinese indigenous pig breed with a white coat color phenotype. To investigate the genetic variability of the KIT and MC1R genes and their possible association with the coat color phenotype in this breed, a gene duplication and splice mutation of KIT were diagnosed in a sample of 93 unrelated Rongchang animals. The results show that Rongchang pigs have a single copy of KIT without the splice mutation at the first nucleotide of intron 17, indicating that the dominant white I allele of KIT is not responsible for their white phenotype. The KIT mRNA and MC1R coding sequences were also determined in this breed. Three putative amino acid substitutions were found in the KIT gene between Rongchang and Western white pigs, their association with the Rongchang white phenotype remains unknown. For the MC1R gene, Rongchang pigs were demonstrated to have the same dominant black allele (E(D1)) as other Chinese breeds, supporting the previous conclusion that Chinese and Western pigs have independent domestication origin. We also clarified that the Rongchang white phenotype was recessive to nonwhite color phenotypes. Our results provide a good starting point for the identification of the mutations underlying the white coat color in Rongchang pigs.