
Testing of cats: Copper coat color
Related tests
- Combination British Shorthair ALPS + Myotonia + PKD + Blood Group DNA test + Copper coat color + pd-PRA
Copper coat colour in a British Shorthair cat
British Shorthair cats have a wide range of coat colours, which can be solid, bicolour or patterned. The Wb+ (wide banding) allele leads to an enlargement of the lighter areas (pheomelanin band) of the hair and restricts the eumelanin to the hair tip, especially in tabby cats. The coat appears softer and lighter. The vwb^BSH allele causes a copper colouration of these lighter areas.
The copper tint is caused by the nonsense mutation c.2425C>T in the CORIN gene, which encodes a transmembrane serine protease that acts as a suppressor of the ASIP pathway that controls the production of eumelanin and pheomelanin, respectively.
The inheritance of the mutation is autosomal recessive. This means that the trait develops only in individuals who inherit the mutated gene from both parents (recessive homozygotes). Heterozygotes are carriers who pass the mutation on to their offspring. The genotype of an animal can be clearly revealed by a genetic test.
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References:
Abitbol, M., Dargar, T., Gache, V. : Golden cats: A never-ending story! Anim Genet 53:715-718, 2022. Pubmed reference: 35703390.