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Genetic variation of the bronze locus (MC1R) in turkeys from Southern Brazil

Domestic turkeys present several color phenotypes controlled by at least five genetic loci, but only one of these has been identified precisely: the bronze locus, which turned out to be the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene. MC1R variation is important for breeders interested in maintaining or dev...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Corso, Josmael, Hepp, Diego, Ledur, Mônica C., Peixoto, Jane O., Fagundes, Nelson J. R., Freitas, Thales R. O.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Sociedade Brasileira de Genética 2017
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5409775/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28323301
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1678-4685-GMB-2016-0136
Descripción
Sumario:Domestic turkeys present several color phenotypes controlled by at least five genetic loci, but only one of these has been identified precisely: the bronze locus, which turned out to be the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene. MC1R variation is important for breeders interested in maintaining or developing different color varieties. In this study, we sequenced most of the MC1R gene from 16 White Holland (the main commercial turkey variety) and 19 pigmented turkeys from southern Brazil with two purposes. The first was to describe the MC1R diversity in White Holland turkeys, which may serve as reservoirs of genetic diversity at this locus. The second was to test whether the traditional color classification used by Brazilian breeders is related to previously known MC1R alleles. White Holland turkeys had four different haplotypes corresponding to the bronze (b (+)) and black-winged bronze (b (1)) alleles. Pigmented turkeys also had four haplotypes corresponding to the b (+) and b (1) alleles, but different haplotypes represent the most common b (+) allele in these two groups. The black (B) allele was absent from our samples. Overall, our results suggest that white and pigmented individuals form two different populations, and that the traditional color classification used by Brazilian breeders cannot accurately predict the genotypes at the bronze locus.