White Angels

Coming soon!

 CRACKONOON SNOW FLURRY SBT 011111-024  

Genetic Notes to Self.

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Agouti (What we refer to as Lynx)

The Agouti (agouti signaling protein, ASIP) gene produces a protein that regulates the distribution of black pigment (eumelanin) within the hair shaft. The wild type allele A is dominant and produces hair shafts with alternating bands of yellow and black color, ending with black tips (similar to the coat of a wild mouse or rabbit). The recessive allele a produces a cat that is self-colored (solid) when 2 copies of a are present. Another system of pigmentation in cats produces the tabby patterns of dark stripes interspersed with the lighter agouti tipped hairs. Hairs in the darker stripes do not have the shift between black and yellow pigment production and remain uniformly dark. The effect of the agouti protein on orange pigment is limited, thus tabby striping may still be seen on cats that are a/a for agouti.

Agouti results are reported as:

A/A:  Homozygous for agouti. All offspring will have agouti banded hair.

A/a: Heterozygous for agouti. Offspring can be agouti or non-agouti depending on the genetics of the mating.

a/a: Homozygous for non-agouti (solid colored). If bred to a non-agouti, only non-agouti offspring will be produced.

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Amber – Norwegian Forest Cat

In cats, shades of red color are determined by the dominant Orange gene located on the X chromosome. However, in some Norwegian Forest Cats, there is a recessive mutation in the MC1R gene that results in kittens that are born with a black/brown tabby pattern (blue/apricot in dilute cats). As the kittens mature, the black/blue pigment is replaced by yellow resulting in the golden coat coloration seen in adult cats. This mutation traces back to a single female ancestor from Norway born in 1981 and the color, originally named X Colour, is now called Amber. Display of the Amber coloration depends on the presence/absence of dominant Orange. In the absence of Orange, males and females with genotype e/e will have the Amber coloration. Amber males that have the Orange gene will be red. Amber females that have one copy of the Orange gene will be amber/red tortoiseshell. Amber females with two copies of the Orange gene will be red.

Results reported as:

E/E:   No copies of the mutation for Amber.

E/e:   1 copy of the Amber mutation. If bred to another carrier, 25% of the kittens will be Amber (in the absence of Orange)

e/e:   2 copies of the Amber mutation. Cat will be Amber colored (in the absence of Orange)

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Brown (chocolate and cinnamon)

The Brown (tyrosinase-related protein-1, TYRP1) gene affects the amount of black (eumelanin) pigment produced. Mutations responsible for brown and cinnamon colors in the cat have been identified in this gene. The wild-type B allele produces normal, black coloration. The b allele produces the brown (chocolate) phenotype and the b^l allele produces a light brown or cinnamon phenotype. These form an "allelic series" with B dominant to b, and b dominant to b^l.

Brown results are reported as:

B/B: Full color, (Seal in Ragdolls) Cat does not carry brown or cinnamon

B/b: Full color, carrier of brown (Ragdoll appears Seal but can pass on Chocolate)

B/b^l: Full color, carrier of cinnamon

b/b: Brown (Ragdoll appears Chocolate)

b/b^l: Brown, carrier of cinnamon

b^l/b^l: Cinnamon

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Colorpoint Restriction (Color)

The Tyrosinase (TYR) gene, also known as the Color gene, produces an enzyme that is required for melanin production. Mutations in TYR have been associated with temperature-sensitive pigment production that results in colors known as Burmese and Siamese. The wild type phenotype is full color. The Burmese phenotype results from reduced pigment production changing black pigment to sepia and orange to yellow. The Burmese points are darker than the body and the eyes are yellow-gray or yellow-green. The Siamese phenotype reduces pigment production to the points and the eyes are blue. The wild type (C) allele is dominant to Burmese (cb). Burmese is incompletely dominant to Siamese (c^s); Burmese and Siamese heterozygotes (c^b/c^s) are intermediate in color (mink).These tests identify carriers of Burmese (also called sepia) and Siamese pointed coloration.

A very rare allele of TYR produces an albino phenotype with white coat and blue eyes. The current tests do not detect this rare form.

Colorpoint Restriction results are reported as:

C/C: Full color, cat does not carry Burmese (sepia) or Siamese alleles

C/cb: Carrier of Burmese (sepia) color

C/c^s: Carrier of Siamese colorpoint restriction

c^b/c^b: Burmese (sepia)

c^s/c^s: Siamese

c^b/c^s: Mink, intermediate color between Burmese (sepia) color and Siamese pointed phenotypes

NOTE: Colorpoint Restriction Test for Bengal and Savannah Cats
A Colorpoint Restriction Gene test specific for domestic/wild hybrid cats has been developed by VGL. African Serval and Asian Leopard Cat DNA sequences can interfere with our standard Colorpoint Restriction Gene test for domestic cats. Please allow 10-15 working days for results of Colorpoint testing in hybrid cats. There is no additional cost for this test.

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Dilute

The dilute gene (Melanophilin or MLPH) causes clumping and uneven distribution of pigment granules in the hair shaft, producing dilution of all coat colors. Dilute is an autosomal recessive trait which means that two copies of the dilute allele are needed to produce the phenotype. Black pigment is diluted to gray (blue is the term used by cat breeders), and red is diluted to cream. The wild type allele is non-dilute. Some cat breeds are fixed for the wild type, such as Egyptian Mau and Singapura, while others are fixed for dilute such as Chartreux, Korat and Russian Blue. Most other breeds have both wild type and dilute alleles.

VGL offers a test for the dilute gene. This test is useful to identify carriers of dilute and to determine the genetic type for young animals that may have yet to develop their adult coloration.

Dilute results are reported as:

d/d	Two copies of dilute allele. Coat color is diluted.
D/d	One copy of dilute allele. Cat is a carrier of dilute.
D/D	Full color. Cat does not have the dilute allele.

Sections reprinted with permission of: Leslie A. Lyons Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis.

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=^..^= Lorelei's Sabrina ~ 2/15/11 =^..^=

Mourningdove Taia is Sabrina's grandmother!