[en] Despite being one of the most iconic and immediately recognizable traits in domestic cattle, the variants underpinning the white-spotted coat pattern of Holstein-Friesian and related breeds remain uncharacterized. Here, we report two variants modulating these effects, comprising intronic and long-distance-acting regulatory variants of the MITF and KIT genes. We confirm causality through "Holsteinized" mouse models edited for these alleles and show that these variants are likely responsible for spotting traits in other bovine breeds. These effects include epistatic impacts on other bovine coat patterns, such as fine-scale speckling, "black socks," and reversal of the otherwise dominant, "white-face" trait characteristic of Hereford cattle.
Disciplines :
Genetics & genetic processes
Author, co-author :
Jivanji, Swati ; Livestock Improvement Corporation, Newstead, Hamilton, New Zealand ; AL Rae Centre for Genetics and Breeding, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Hamilton, New Zealand
Wilkinson, Emma ; School of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
Tang, Lijing ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de gestion vétérinaire des Ressources Animales (DRA) > Génomique animale
Tiplady, Kathryn M ; Livestock Improvement Corporation, Newstead, Hamilton, New Zealand
Yeates, Anna ; Livestock Improvement Corporation, Newstead, Hamilton, New Zealand
Harland, Chad ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de gestion vétérinaire des Ressources Animales (DRA) > GIGA-R : Génomique animale ; Livestock Improvement Corporation, Newstead, Hamilton, New Zealand
Gray, Charlotte; Livestock Improvement Corporation, Newstead, Hamilton, New Zealand
Couldrey, Christine; Livestock Improvement Corporation, Newstead, Hamilton, New Zealand
Worth, Gemma ; Livestock Improvement Corporation, Newstead, Hamilton, New Zealand
Ellison, Renae; Livestock Improvement Corporation, Newstead, Hamilton, New Zealand
Fransen, Tony; Livestock Improvement Corporation, Newstead, Hamilton, New Zealand
Monehan, Tracey ; Livestock Improvement Corporation, Newstead, Hamilton, New Zealand
Spelman, Richard J; Livestock Improvement Corporation, Newstead, Hamilton, New Zealand
Snell, Russell G ; School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Charlier, Carole ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de gestion vétérinaire des Ressources Animales (DRA)
Yamanaka, Yojiro ; McGill Integrated Core of Animal Modeling, McGill University, Montreal, Canada ; Goodman Cancer Institute, Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Garrick, Dorian ; AL Rae Centre for Genetics and Breeding, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Hamilton, New Zealand
Mort, Richard ; School of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
Littlejohn, Mathew D ; Livestock Improvement Corporation, Newstead, Hamilton, New Zealand ; AL Rae Centre for Genetics and Breeding, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Hamilton, New Zealand
