title: Allelic variation of melanocortin-1 receptor locus in Saudi indigenous sheep exhibiting different color coats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to characterize the DNA polymorphisms of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene in indigenous Saudi Arabian sheep breeds exhibiting different color coats, along with individuals of the Sawaknee breed, an exotic sheep imported from Sudan.
  
  
  METHODS
  The complete coding region ofMC1Rgene including parts of 3' and 5' untranslated regions was amplified and sequenced from three the indigenous Saudi sheep; Najdi (generally black, n = 41), Naeimi (generally white with brown faces, n = 36) and Herri (generally white, n = 18), in addition to 13 Sawaknee sheep.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in theMC1Rgene: two led to nonsynonymous mutations (c.218 T>A, p.73 Met>Lys and c.361 G>A, p.121 Asp>Asn) and three led to synonymous mutations (c.429 C>T, p.143 Tyr>Tyr; c.600 T>G, p.200 Leu>Leu, and c.735 C>T, p.245 Ile>Ile). Based on these five SNPs, eight haplotypes representingMC1R EdandE+alleles were identified among the studied sheep breeds. The most common haplotype (H3) of the dominantEdallele was associated with either black or brown coat color in Najdi and Sawaknee sheep, respectively. Two other haplotypes (H6 and H7) ofEdallele, with only the nonsynonymous mutation A218T, were detected for the first time in Saudi indigenous sheep.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to investigating theMC1Rallelic variation in Saudi indigenous sheep populations, the present study supports the assumption that the two independent nonsynonymous Met73Lys and Asp121Asn mutations inMC1Rgene are associated with black or red coat colors in sheep breeds.
authors: Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Ahmed H
authors: AH
authors: Mahmoud
authors: Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Ashraf M
authors: AM
authors: Mashaly
authors: Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Ahmed M
authors: AM
authors: Rady
authors: Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Khalid M
authors: KM
authors: Al-Anazi
authors: Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.|Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI), Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12619, Egypt.
authors: Amgad A
authors: AA
authors: Saleh
keywords: MC1R; Ovis aries; SNPs; Saudi Sheep