The Belt mutation in pigs is an allele at the Dominant white (I/KIT) locus

Mamm Genome. 1999 Dec;10(12):1132-6. doi: 10.1007/s003359901178.

Abstract

A white belt is a common coat color phenotype in pigs and is determined by a dominant allele (Be). Here we present the result of a genome scan performed using a Hampshire (Belt)/Pietrain (non-Belt) backcross segregating for the white belt trait. We demonstrate that Belt maps to the centromeric region of pig Chromosome (Chr) 8 harboring the Dominant white (I/KIT) locus. Complete cosegregation between Belt and a single nucleotide polymorphism in the KIT gene was observed. Another potential candidate gene, the endothelin receptor type A gene (EDNRA), was excluded as it was assigned to a different region (SSC8q21) by FISH analysis. We argue that Belt is a regulatory KIT mutation on the basis of comparative data on mouse KIT mutants and our previous sequence analysis of the KIT coding sequence from a Hampshire pig. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that Belt is not associated with a KIT duplication, as is the case for the Patch and Dominant white alleles. Thus, Belt is a fourth allele at the Dominant white locus, and we suggest that it is denoted I(Be).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alleles*
  • Animals
  • Centromere / genetics
  • Chromosome Mapping*
  • Crosses, Genetic
  • Female
  • Gene Duplication
  • Genes, Dominant / genetics
  • Hair Color / genetics*
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • Lod Score
  • Male
  • Microsatellite Repeats / genetics
  • Mutation / genetics*
  • Pedigree
  • Phenotype
  • Polymorphism, Genetic / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / genetics*
  • Receptor, Endothelin A
  • Receptors, Endothelin / genetics
  • Swine / genetics*

Substances

  • Receptor, Endothelin A
  • Receptors, Endothelin
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit