Cloning and identification of the ASIP gene in Chinese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides procyonoides)

Genet Mol Res. 2015 Dec 8;14(4):16312-6. doi: 10.4238/2015.December.8.22.

Abstract

The quantity, quality, and distribution of eumelanin and pheomelanin determine a wide variety of coat colors in animals. Three coat color variants exist in farmed wild-type Chinese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides procyonoides), which is an important fur-bearing animal species. The ASIP gene is an important candidate gene for coat color variation in some species. In this study, the complete cDNA sequences of ASIP were amplified from a wild-type Chinese raccoon dog. Sequence analysis revealed the coding region of ASIP in Chinese raccoon dog to be 396-bp in length and two transcripts (accession Nos. KT224450 and KT224451) were identified due to the alternative use of exon 1 (1A and 1C). However, the alternative splicing pattern and the coding sequence of ASIP in three types of coat color variants were the same as those identified in the wild-type individual. Based on the results obtained in this study, we can exclude a role for alternative splicing of exon 1 and the coding sequence of ASIP in coat color variation in Chinese raccoon dog.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Agouti Signaling Protein / chemistry
  • Agouti Signaling Protein / genetics*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cloning, Molecular*
  • Hair
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Pigments, Biological
  • Raccoon Dogs / genetics*

Substances

  • Agouti Signaling Protein
  • Pigments, Biological