CHARAKTERYSTYKA GENU MC1R JAKO LOCUS E WPŁYWAJĄCEGO NA UMASZCZENIE PSÓW

Abstract

The color of dogs is the result of various genes that control the pigmentation of the coat mainly. There are many genes that influence the color, pattern and distribution of fur in dogs, one of which is the gene encoding the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R), also known as the E locus. The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) is a protein that plays a key role in the regulation of skin, hair and eye pigmentation in animals. This receptor is responsible for the processing of peptide hormones that control the production of melanin, which is the pigment of the skin and fur. Mutations within this gene can affect the color of animals, including dogs. The main alleles identified and described for the E lo- cus are: E (wild type), EM (melanistic mask) and e (recessive red); they are widespread in various dog breeds, indicating that they existed at an early stage in the formation of individual breed groups. The other identified alleles are less common and are: EG (grizzle/domino), e2 (only among Australian Cattle Dogs and their crossbreds) and e3 (only among Siberian Huskies and their crossbreds), eA (ancient red) allele and the allele EH (only among English Cocker Spaniels and American Cocker Spaniels). Of course, it’s important to remember that dog color is a complex genetic phenomenon that can be controlled by many different genes working together, and that the variety of coat colors in different dog breeds results from a combination of these genes.