Nuclear gene indicates coat-color polymorphism in mammoths.
By amplifying the melanocortin type 1 receptor from the woolly mammoth, we can report the complete nucleotide sequence of a nuclear-encoded gene from an extinct species. We found two alleles and show that one allele produces a functional protein whereas the other one encodes a protein with strongly reduced activity. This finding suggests that mammoths may have been polymorphic in coat color, with both dark- and light-haired individuals co-occurring.
Römpler
Holger
H
Molecular Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Rohland
Nadin
N
Lalueza-Fox
Carles
C
Willerslev
Eske
E
Kuznetsova
Tatyana
T
Rabeder
Gernot
G
Bertranpetit
Jaume
J
Schöneberg
Torsten
T
Hofreiter
Michael
M
D000483:Alleles; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D004606:Elephants / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006197:Hair; D006200:Hair Color / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D044102:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism
D044102:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1; D000521:alpha-MSH; C027756:MSH, 4-Nle-7-Phe-alpha-