Sequence analysis of three pigmentation genes in the Newfoundland population of Canis latrans links the Golden Retriever Mc1r variant to white coat color in coyotes
Abstract
Three genes, Mc1r, Agouti, and CBD103, interact in a type-switching process that controls much of the pigmentation variation observed in mammals. A deletion in the CBD103 gene is responsible for dominant black color in dogs, while the white-phased black bear ("spirit bear") of British Columbia, Canada, is the lightest documented color variant caused by a mutation in Mc1r. Rare all-white animals have recently been discovered in a new northeastern population of the coyote in insular Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. To investigate the causative gene and mutation of white coat in coyotes, we sequenced the three type-switching genes in white and dark-phased animals from Newfoundland. The only sequence variants unambiguously associated with white color were in Mc1r, and one of these variants causes the amino acid variant R306Ter, a premature stop codon also linked to coat color in Golden Retrievers and other dogs with yellow/red coats. The allele carrying R306Ter in coyotes matches that in the Golden Retriever at other variable amino acid sites and hence may have originated in these dogs. Coyotes experienced introgression with wolves and dogs as they colonized northeastern North America, and coyote/Golden Retriever interactions have been observed in Newfoundland. We speculate that natural selection, with or without a founder effect, may contribute to the observed frequency of white coyotes in Newfoundland, as it has contributed to the high frequency of white bears, and of a domestic dog-derived CBD allele in gray wolves.
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Brockerville et al. (2013) suggest that leucism might provide a selective advantage by allowing white coyotes to blend in with the snow during winter months; alternatively, this coloration may make them more susceptible to hunters.
“Brockerville et al. (2013) suggest that this leucism might provide a selective advantage by allowing the white coyotes to blend”
From Of Rarity and Symbolism: Understanding Human Perceptions of Charismatic Color Morphs (2024) · cites this paper as Brockerville et al., 2013
Leucistic coyotes occasionally appear on camera traps but are rarely included in scientific literature.
“Leucistic coyotes occasionally appear on camera traps but are rarely included in scientific literature (Young, 1951;López-González, 2011;Brockerville et al., 2013;Arroyo Arce et al., 2019) (Fig. 3).”
From Of Rarity and Symbolism: Understanding Human Perceptions of Charismatic Color Morphs (2024) · cites this paper as Brockerville et al., 2013
Recently, rare, white-phased animals have been discovered in a new northeastern population of coyotes in insular Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, where researchers sequenced three type-switching genes in white and dark-phased coyotes to investigate the causative gene and mutation of white coats.
“Recently, rare, white-phased animals have been discovered in a new northeastern population of the coyotes in insular Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, where researchers sequenced the three type-switching genes (Mc1r, Agouti, CBD103) in white and dark-phased coyotes to investigate the causative gene and mutation of white coats (Brockerville et al., 2013).”
From Of Rarity and Symbolism: Understanding Human Perceptions of Charismatic Color Morphs (2024) · cites this paper as Brockerville et al., 2013
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Hedrick, P. W. (2013) · Molecular Ecology · doi:10.1111/mec.12415 · Cited by 695 · see citing works
“Brockerville et al. (2013) found that a recessive allele at the Mc1r locus was responsible for the white colour and that this allele is the same as found in some dog breeds, such as the golden and Labrador retrievers.”
BackgroundDreger, D., Hooser, B. N., Hughes, A. M., Ganesan, B., Donner, J., Anderson, H., Holtvoigt, L. E., & Ekenstedt, K. (2019) · bioRxiv · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0223995 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Y-chromosome evidence supports asymmetric dog introgression into eastern coyotes
Wheeldon, T., Rutledge, L., Patterson, B., White, B., & Wilson, P. (2013) · Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.1002/ece3.693 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
“…(Lawrence and Bossert 1969; McGinnis 1979; Kays et al. 2010) and coat color (Ander-3 A Y-haplotype with allele 208 at locus MS41A observed in a Texas coyote was associated with Yint-3 and was suggested to result from a rare homoplasy (Wilson et al. 2012). son et al. 2009; Brockerville et al. 2013).”
Updating the bibliography of interbreeding among Canis in North America.
Vonholdt, B., & Aardema, M. (2020) · Journal of Heredity · doi:10.1093/jhered/esaa004 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Introduction of canine parvovirus 2 into wildlife on the Island of Newfoundland, Canada.
Canuti, M., Rodrigues, B., Whitney, H., & Lang, A. S. (2017) · Infection, Genetics and Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2017.09.018 · Cited by 16
Of Rarity and Symbolism: Understanding Human Perceptions of Charismatic Color Morphs
Williams, T. D., Kreling, S. E. S., Stanton, L. A., Wilkinson, C. E., Estien, C. O., Schell, C. J., & Carlen, E. J. (2024) · Human Ecology · doi:10.1007/s10745-024-00492-7 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“…three type-switching genes ( Mc1r, Agouti, CBD103 ) in white and dark-phased coyotes to investigate the causative gene and mutation of white coats (Brockerville et al., 2013). residents celebrate their establishment and others are fearful for their pets and children (Oleyar, 2010; Alexander &…”
Ninausz, N., Fehér, P., Csányi, E., Heltai, M., Szabó, L., Barta, E., Kemenszky, P., Sándor, G., Jánoska, F., Horvath, M., et al. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-49265-0 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Saleh, M., Younes, M., Sarhan, M., & Abdel-Hamid, F. (2018) · doi:10.1080/09397140.2018.1475117 · Cited by 8
“latrans, with individuals and populations exhibiting a variety of colours, ranging from white to black (Mech & Boitani, 2003; Musiani et al., 2007; Brockerville et al., 2013; Mowry & Edge, 2014; Caudill & Caudill, 2015).”
BackgroundTowards a unified framework to study causality in Earth–life systems
Dolby, G. (2021) · Molecular Ecology · doi:10.1111/mec.16142 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“The mc1r gene has been shown to underpin divergence in coat and plumage colour in many independent species and ecological settings (Brockerville et al., 2013; Mundy, 2005; Ritland et al., 2001; Steiner et al., 2007).”
BackgroundLeavitt, D. H., Hollingsworth, B. D., Fisher, R., & Reeder, T. (2020) · Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society · doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz143 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Mowry, C. B., Wilson, L. A., & vonHoldt, B. M. (2021) · Diversity · doi:10.3390/d13080372 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Bohling, J. H., Mastro, L. L., Adams, J., Gese, E., Owen, S., & Waits, L. (2017) · Journal of Heredity · doi:10.1093/jhered/esx068 · Cited by 5
“There is also evidence of introgression from domestic dogs in both the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states (Adams et al. 2003; Bohling and Waits 2011; Brockerville et al. 2013; Monzón et al. 2014).”
BackgroundKrishnan, S., & Cryberg, R. L. (2019) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/792945 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“…pheomelanic Mc1r variants in mammals (Robbins et al. 1993; Klungland et al. 1995; Newton et al. 2000; Beaumont et al. 2008; Fontanesi et al. 2009; Brockerville et al. 2013; Zhang et al. 2014; Dürig et al. 2018), but only a single presumptive null allele is found among the dozens of causative…”
BackgroundAmin, M., Masoudi, A., Amirinia, C., & Emrani, H. (2018) · Russian Journal of Genetics · doi:10.1134/s1022795418040026 · Cited by 3
“Up to date, the MC1R function and its regulating effect on coat colour pigmentation has been investigated in several mammals including goat [13], buffalo [14], gayal [15], yak [5], pig [16], boar [17], coyote [18], dog [19] and sheep [3, 4, 11, 20–22].”
BackgroundTsunoi, T., Noju, K., Eto, T., & Suzuki, H. (2021) · Genes & Genetic Systems · doi:10.1266/ggs.20-00049 · Cited by 2
“, 2009) Q: Red/yellow and cream, domes�c dogs and coyotes (p.Arg306ter, Everts et al., 2000; Newton et al., 2000; Schmutz and Berryere, 2007a, 2007b; Brockerville et al., 2013) NH2”
BackgroundInfluential
- Authors
- Brockerville, R. M., McGrath, M. J., Pilgrim, B. L., & Marshall, H. D.
- Affiliations
- Memorial University of Newfoundland (CA)
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Marshall, H. Dawn
- Venue
- Mammalian Genome
- Published
- 2013-01-08
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 3-4
- Pages
- 134-141
- ISSN
- 0938-8990 (ISSN-L)
- 1432-1777
- OpenAlex
- W2004375144
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 0.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Mammalian Genome (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Pittsburgh
- Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › melanin and skin pigmentation
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic diversity and population structure
- Keywords
- MC1R, agouti, white coat color, coyote, Golden Retriever, coat color inheritance, introgression, founder effect, natural selection, gray wolves, dogs
- MeSH terms
- Alleles, Animals, British Columbia, Dogs, Genotype, Hair Color, Mutation, Newfoundland and Labrador, Phenotype, Pigmentation, Selection, Genetic, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Codon, Nonsense, Founder Effect, Evolution, Molecular, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1, Coyotes
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