Molecular characterization of the Himalayan mink

Bernhard F. Benkel; Kirsti Rouvinen-Watt; Hossain Farid; Razvan Marian Anistoroaei

doi:10.1007/s00335-009-9177-6

Molecular characterization of the Himalayan mink

Bernhard F. Benkel, Kirsti Rouvinen-Watt, Hossain Farid, Razvan Marian Anistoroaei

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A rare color variant of the American mink (Neovison vison), discovered on a ranch in Nova Scotia and referred to as the "marbled" variety, carries a distinctive pigment distribution pattern resembling that found in some other species, e.g., the Siamese cat and the Himalayan mouse. We tested the hypothesis that the color pattern in question-light-colored body with dark-colored points (ears, face, tail, and feet)-is due to a mutation in the melanin-producing enzyme tyrosinase (TYR) that results in temperature-sensitive pigment production. Our study shows that marbled mink carry a mutation in exon 4 of the TYR gene (c.1835C > G) which results in an amino acid substitution (p.H420Q). The location of this substitution corresponds to the amino acid position that is also mutated in the TYR protein of the Himalayan mouse. Thus, the marbled variant is more aptly referred to as the Himalayan mink.

Original language	English
Journal	Mammalian Genome
Volume	20
Issue number	4
Pages (from-to)	256-259
Number of pages	4
ISSN	0938-8990
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00335-009-9177-6
Publication status	Published - 2009

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title = "Molecular characterization of the Himalayan mink",

abstract = "A rare color variant of the American mink (Neovison vison), discovered on a ranch in Nova Scotia and referred to as the {"}marbled{"} variety, carries a distinctive pigment distribution pattern resembling that found in some other species, e.g., the Siamese cat and the Himalayan mouse. We tested the hypothesis that the color pattern in question-light-colored body with dark-colored points (ears, face, tail, and feet)-is due to a mutation in the melanin-producing enzyme tyrosinase (TYR) that results in temperature-sensitive pigment production. Our study shows that marbled mink carry a mutation in exon 4 of the TYR gene (c.1835C > G) which results in an amino acid substitution (p.H420Q). The location of this substitution corresponds to the amino acid position that is also mutated in the TYR protein of the Himalayan mouse. Thus, the marbled variant is more aptly referred to as the Himalayan mink.",

author = "Benkel, {Bernhard F.} and Kirsti Rouvinen-Watt and Hossain Farid and Anistoroaei, {Razvan Marian}",

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T1 - Molecular characterization of the Himalayan mink

AU - Benkel, Bernhard F.

AU - Rouvinen-Watt, Kirsti

AU - Farid, Hossain

AU - Anistoroaei, Razvan Marian

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - A rare color variant of the American mink (Neovison vison), discovered on a ranch in Nova Scotia and referred to as the "marbled" variety, carries a distinctive pigment distribution pattern resembling that found in some other species, e.g., the Siamese cat and the Himalayan mouse. We tested the hypothesis that the color pattern in question-light-colored body with dark-colored points (ears, face, tail, and feet)-is due to a mutation in the melanin-producing enzyme tyrosinase (TYR) that results in temperature-sensitive pigment production. Our study shows that marbled mink carry a mutation in exon 4 of the TYR gene (c.1835C > G) which results in an amino acid substitution (p.H420Q). The location of this substitution corresponds to the amino acid position that is also mutated in the TYR protein of the Himalayan mouse. Thus, the marbled variant is more aptly referred to as the Himalayan mink.

AB - A rare color variant of the American mink (Neovison vison), discovered on a ranch in Nova Scotia and referred to as the "marbled" variety, carries a distinctive pigment distribution pattern resembling that found in some other species, e.g., the Siamese cat and the Himalayan mouse. We tested the hypothesis that the color pattern in question-light-colored body with dark-colored points (ears, face, tail, and feet)-is due to a mutation in the melanin-producing enzyme tyrosinase (TYR) that results in temperature-sensitive pigment production. Our study shows that marbled mink carry a mutation in exon 4 of the TYR gene (c.1835C > G) which results in an amino acid substitution (p.H420Q). The location of this substitution corresponds to the amino acid position that is also mutated in the TYR protein of the Himalayan mouse. Thus, the marbled variant is more aptly referred to as the Himalayan mink.

U2 - 10.1007/s00335-009-9177-6

DO - 10.1007/s00335-009-9177-6

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SN - 0938-8990

VL - 20

SP - 256

EP - 259

JO - Mammalian Genome

JF - Mammalian Genome

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Molecular characterization of the Himalayan mink

Abstract

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