C pigment locus mutants of the fowl produce enzymatically inactive tyrosinase-like molecules.
Three albino mutants of the fowl were tested for tyrosinase activity. Two of these mutants (c and ca) are alleles at the autosomal C locus, while the third mutant (sal) is sex-linked. Both the standard type, E, and sal are tyrosinase positive whereas the two C mutants are tyrosinase negative. Anti-chicken tyrosinase mouse serum was produced and all four genotypes were found to have cross-reacting material to this antiserum. Tyrosinase from the standard type was isolated and its location on denaturing two-dimensional gels determined. A co-migrating series of spots was found within the protein pattern of both the standard type and the tyrosinase positive albino, sal. The same pattern of spots was also observed for c and ca with no apparent change in either the pI or the molecular weight. Transmembrane blots also showed spots that reacted with anti-tyrosinase serum in all four genotypes and that migrated to the same location as that of standard tyrosinase. It is proposed that both c and ca are CRM+ mutants which produce tyrosinase-like molecules that are inactive due to a change that is electrophoretically and antigenically "silent".
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D004156:Catechol Oxidase / Q000235:genetics*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation
D004156:Catechol Oxidase; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase