An Agouti-Signaling-Protein Mutation is Strongly Associated with Melanism in European Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus)

Abstract

Although the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) population of North-West Germany has a remarkable number of melanistic specimens between 10% and 25%, the underlying genetic mutation-causing melanism is still unknown. We used a gene targeting approach focusing on MC1R and ASIP as important genes of coat coloration. Overall, 1384 bp of MC1R and 2039 bp of ASIP were sequenced in 24 specimens and several SNPs were detected. But only the ASIP-SNP c.33G>T completely segregated both phenotypes leading to the amino acid substitution p.Leu11Phe. The SNP was further evaluated in additional 471 samples. Generally, all black specimens (n = 33) were homozygous TT, whereas chestnut individuals were either homozygote GG (n = 436) or heterozygote GT (n = 26). Considering the fact that all melanistic animals shared two mutated alleles of the strongly associated SNP, we concluded that melanism is inherited in a recessive mode in European roe deer.

Unmapped short reads from whole-genome sequencing indicate potential infectious pathogens in German Black Pied cattle

“…Whole-genome sequencing data of 302 DSN animals from eight farms in Germany were available from a previous study [ 7 ]. The DNA of those samples was obtained from ear tissue (223 samples), blood (42 samples), or sperm (37 samples), and extracted based on a salt-extraction method [ 15 ]. Blood was washed in TE buffer for obtaining a white blood cell pellet.…”

“…Blood was washed in TE buffer for obtaining a white blood cell pellet. The pellet and the ear tissue were handled in the same way by incubating in 180 µL T1 buffer and 20 µL proteinase K [ 15 ]. In the case of sperm, 20 µg DTT was added to the lysis reaction.…”

Photographic documentation of melanism in bobcats (Lynx rufus) in the Greater Everglades

“…For example, lava melanism and fire melanism describe an increase in the proportion of populations expressing melanism near lava fields or following fires when dark phenotypes provide an advantage due to enhanced crypsis (Forsman et al., 2011 ; Guthrie, 1967 ; Hocking, 1964 ; Karlsson et al., 2008 ; Kiltie, 1989 ). Melanism is frequently observed across mammals and birds (Delhey, 2017 ; Kingsley et al., 2009 ; Reissmann et al., 2020 ; Uy et al., 2016 ), and in carnivores it is most often documented when the expression of melanism is likely to confer a benefit from increased concealment while stalking prey, a pattern most notable in felids (Eizirik et al., 2003 ; Schneider et al., 2015 ).…”

Melanistic North African hedgehog Atelerix algirus (Lereboullet, 1842): First report case in Erinaceidae

“…In mammals, melanic polymorphism is frequent in felines (da Silva et al, 2017; Eizirik et al, 2003); we can also observe it in other carnivores (Ambarlı & Bilgin, 2013; Drouilly et al, 2022; Gaubert & Mézan‐Muxart, 2010; Lokhande & Bajaru, 2013). This phenotype is rarer in rodents (Hoekstra & Nachman, 2005; Holcová‐Gazárková et al, 2016; Ramakrishnan et al, 2016), primates (Deka & Baglary, 2022; Samson et al, 2021) and artiodactyls (Coetzer & Grobler, 2019; Kumar, 2012; Ramanuj of Surguja, 1932; Reissmann et al, 2020). Melanism has also led to systematic confusion in some species (Ge et al, 2012).…”