title: Interactions of allele E of the MC1R gene with FM and mutations in the MLPH gene cause the five-gray phenotype in the Anyi tile-like gray chicken.
abstract: The Anyi tile-like gray chicken is a Chinese indigenous breed with a gray dilution phenotype, having gray feathers, comb, skin, shanks, and beak, which is valuable for genetic research on pigmentation. However, the genetic basis of the gray dilution phenotype remains unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic basis of the gray dilution phenotype in the Anyi tile-like gray chicken. We found that all Anyi tile-like gray chickens tested in this study carried at least one E allele, which is responsible for the appearance of black feathers, and some of them carried the FM allele, which is responsible for the black skin phenotype. A single nucleotide polymorphism (C.1909A>G) was identified within the melanophilin (MLPH) gene and was significantly associated with the gray dilution phenotype. Our findings suggest that the E and FM alleles act together to cause the development of the "five-black" phenotype (black feather, comb, skin, shank, and beak), whereas the MLPH mutation results in defective melanosome transport, leading to the development of the "five-gray" phenotype.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.|Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, and Key Lab of Chicken Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.|Guangzhou Quancheng Bio-Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Husbandry&Veterinary, Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang, China.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: X F
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: X H
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Husbandry&Veterinary, Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang, China.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.|Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, and Key Lab of Chicken Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: X Q
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D005241:Feathers / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D044102:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D044102:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1