The Agouti gene: a positional candidate for recessive self-colour pigmentation in Australian Merino sheep

Abstract

The occurrence of self-colour pigmentation in the Australian Merino wool flock is of considerable economic importance. The Agouti gene is believed to be responsible for the recessive expression of pigmented fleece. Using comparative mapping information we have investigated the putative homologous ovine map positon of the Agouti gene for linkage to the recessive self-colour phenotype of Australian Merino sheep. Significant results were observed with microsatellites previously mapped to ovine chromosome 13. Comparative data suggest that the ovine Agouti gene would map to the same chromosome, making the Agouti gene a positional candidate for the self-colour phenotype.