In other species: Tasmanian devil , common brushtail possum , gray wolf , coyote , dog , red fox , domestic cat , leopard , ass (donkey) , horse , pig , Arabian camel , llama , Western roe deer , impala , taurine cattle , goat , sheep , rabbit , tassel-eared squirrel , North American deer mouse , Mongolian gerbil , meadow voles , domestic guinea pig , fallow deer , alpaca , leopard cat , oldfield mouse , Kodkod , Colocolo , Northern mole vole , Eurasian water mole

Categories: Pigmentation phene

Links to possible relevant human trait(s) and/or gene(s) in OMIM: 611742 (trait) , 600201 (gene)

Mendelian trait/disorder: yes

Mode of inheritance: Autosomal recessive

Disease-related: no

Key variant known: yes

Year key variant first reported: 2012

Cross-species summary: This locus, ASIP, encodes the agouti signalling protein, a peptide antagonist of the melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor (MC1R), which is the product of the extension locus. As explained by Schneider et al. (PLoS Genet 10(2): e1004892; 2015), "The most common causes of melanism (black coat) mutations are gain-of-function alterations in MC1R, or loss-of function alterations in ASIP, which encodes Agouti signaling protein, a paracrine signaling molecule that inhibits MC1R signaling".

Species-specific name: Also known as Pardofelis temminckii

Inheritance: On the strength of the evidence that the melanistic phenotype in this species is due to homozygosity for a base substitution, and that this phenotype in other species is autosomal recessive, Schneider et al. (2012) concluded autosomal recessive inheritance for this trait in this species.

Molecular basis: By sequencing the ASIP candidate gene in non-melanistic and melanistic Asian golden cats, Schneider et al. (2012) showed that the melanistic phenotype is due to homozygosity for "a non-synonymous substitution (C384G) predicted to cause a cysteine-tryptophan substitution at codon 128".

Associated gene: