
Testing of cats: Curly coat
Curly coat in the Ural Rex
The Ural Rex is characterized by its curly coat. This trait is caused by the c.477_483delinsC mutation in the LIPH gene, which is specific to this breed.
The mode of inheritance of the mutation is autosomal recessive. This means that only individuals who inherit the mutated gene from both parents will develop the curly coat. Carriers of the mutated gene do not have curly coat but they pass the mutation on to their offspring. In the case of a mating between two heterozygous individuals, theoretically 25% of the offspring will be completely non-curly, 50% of the offspring will be carriers and 25% of the offspring will inherit the mutated gene from both parents and will therefore have the curly coat phenotype.
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References:
Manakhov, A.D., Andreeva, T.V., Rogaev, E.I. : The curly coat phenotype of the Ural Rex feline breed is associated with a mutation in the lipase H gene. Anim Genet 51:584-9, 2020. Pubmed reference: 32463158