Pig Coat Color Manipulation by <i>MC1R</i> Gene Editing
Black coat color in pigs is determined by the dominant <i>E</i> allele at the <i>MC1R</i> locus. Through comparing <i>MC1R</i> gene sequences between recessive <i>e</i> and dominant <i>E<sup>D1</sup></i> alleles, we identified f...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/18/10356 |
| Summary: | Black coat color in pigs is determined by the dominant <i>E</i> allele at the <i>MC1R</i> locus. Through comparing <i>MC1R</i> gene sequences between recessive <i>e</i> and dominant <i>E<sup>D1</sup></i> alleles, we identified four missense mutations that could affect MC1R protein function for eumelanin synthesis. With the aim of devising a genetic modification method for pig coat color manipulation, we mutated the <i>e</i> allele in the Duroc breed to the dominant <i>E<sup>D1</sup></i> allele using CRISPR-mediated homologous recombination for the four mutation substitutions at the <i>MC1R</i> locus. The <i>MC1R</i>-modified Duroc pigs generated using the allele replacement strategy displayed uniform black coat color across the body. A genotyping assay showed that the <i>MC1R</i>-modified Duroc pigs had a heterozygous <i>E<sup>D1</sup></i>/<i>e</i> allele at the <i>MC1R</i> locus; in addition, the pigs remained in the Duroc genetic background. Our work offers a gene editing method for pig coat color manipulation, which could value the culture of new pig varieties meeting the needs of diversified market. |
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| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |