The red head and neck of Boer goats may be controlled by the recessive allele of the MC1R gene

Abstract

The Melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R) gene is an important candidate gene for the coat color trait. In order to understand the molecular genetic basis of the red head and neck of Boer goats, a comparative analysis of MC1R gene polymorphism in imported foreign breed Boer goats and another 26 goat populations including Boer goat offspring backcrossed to Tangshan Dairy goats (F1, F2, F3 and F4), 18 Chinese main indigenous goat breeds and four other imported foreign goat breeds (including a total of 319 individuals) were analyzed by PCR-RFLP. Two alleles of A and B, and three genotypes of AA, AB and BB were detected. The K226E (A676G) mutation of the MC1R detected by sequencing distinguished the B allele from the A allele. The only AA genotype found in Boer goats was complete in accordance with their red head and neck. The Chi-square test suggested that the red head and neck of Boer goats may be controlled by the recessive A allele of the MC1R gene. However, the K226E at the B allele may be a loss of function mutation associated with the whole white coat of goats. © INRA, EDP Sciences, 2006.