Variability of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene explains the segregation of the bronze locus in turkey (Meleagris gallopavo).

By sequencing the full coding region of the turkey melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene, we have found 4 mutations (c.96G > A, c.364A > T, c.450C > T, and c.887C > T) that are organized in 5 different haplotypes (MC1R*1 to MC1R*5). These haplotypes correlate perfectly with the 3 alleles of the bronze locus (i.e., B, b(+), and b(1)). We suggest that the dominant black phenotype, associated with the B allele, results from the constitutive activation of the receptor, an effect that might be mediated by the missense mutation c.364A > T (p.Ile122Phe). Moreover, we propose that the recessive black-winged bronze phenotype (linked to b(1)) might be produced by 2 deleterious mutations of MC1R (c.96G > A and c.887C > T). This is an unexpected finding because in mammals, MC1R deleterious polymorphisms are usually related with either red or lighter fur colors.

• Publication year

  2010

• Venue

  Poultry Science

• Publication date

  2010-08-01

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3382/ps.2010-00726PMID 20634512
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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