Testing of cats: Long Hair in British cats

Feline long hair – test of FGF5-gene variants

The hair length in cats is controlled by the FGF5-gen (fibroblast growth factor 5). The short fur is the natural hair form in cats (wild-type).

This test detects the M4 (c.475A> C) mutation of the FGF5 gene that is associated with long hair in British cats.

Possible results

• N/N – the cat does not carry any variant specific for long hair – the cat has short hair
• N/M4 – the cat carries one copy of the variant gene – the cat is short-haired, but she can give birth to long-haired offsprings, if suitably crossed.
• M4/M4 – the cat carries two same variants in the FGF5 gene – the cat is long-haired

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Reference:

Kehler J. S., V. A. David, A. A. Schaffer, K. Bajema, E. Eizirik, D. K. Ryugo, S. S. Hannah, S. J. O'Brien, M. Menotti-Raymond. Four independent mutations in the feline fibroblast growth factor 5 gene determine the long-haired phenotype in domestic cats. Journal of Heredity 98(6):555-566 (2007).