• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.25-28
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• 2005

The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) plays an important role in regulation of melanin pigment synthesis within mammalian melanocytes. Mutations within the gene encoding MC1R have been shown to explain coat color variations within several mammalian species including cattle. To develope a rapid and accurate method for the identification of Hanwoo meat, we performed a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis in Melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene using TaqMan$^{(R)}$ MGB probe-based real-time PCR. Two specific probes (one for Hanwoo and the other for Holstein and Black angus) were designed. At the 5' end of 2 TaqMan$^{(R)}$ MGB probes, 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM) was labeled for Hanwoo, and VIC for Holstein and Black angus. As a result, Hanwoo samples showed FAM-positive signal only, whereas other samples showed VIC-positive. This result suggests that the TaqMan$^{(R)}$ MGB probe based real-time PCR technique would be very accurate, easy and reproducible method to discriminate between Hanwoo meat and Holstein/Black angus meat.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2002

PCR-RFLP analysis was carried out to investigate the genotype of Melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R) gene in Korean Brindle Cattle and Korean Cattle with dark muzzle, which are coat color and muzzle pigmentation variants of Korean Cattle, respectively. Allelic variants of MC1R in cattle were analyzed by digestion with BsrFⅠ, AciⅠ. Among six genotypes, $E^D/E^D,\;E^D/E^+,\;E^D/e,\;E^+/E^+,\;E^+$/e and e/e, detected in cattle, only two genotypes, $E^+/E^+\;and\;E^+$/e, were observed in Korean Brindle Cattle, probably reflecting the necessary of $E^+$ allele for the expression of black brindle coat color. As in Korean Cattle with light muzzle, the $E^+$/e and e/e genotypes were detected in Korean Cattle with dark muzzle. The $E^+$ and e alleles frequencies in two populations of Korean Cattle with dark muzzle and with light muzzle were 0.37, 0.63 and 0,11, 0.89, respectively. Although the frequency of $E^+$ allele in Korean Cattle with dark muzzle was higher than in Korean Cattle with light muzzle, the $E^+$ allele was not completely associated with dark muzzle pigmentation. The results of this experiment indicate that the difference of MC1R genotype and frequency may be useful for fixation of coat color in Korean Cattle as well as Korean Brindle Cattle.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.215-222
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• 2013

Bovine coat color is decided by the melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R) genotype mutation and melanogenesis. Specially, in the various cattle breeds, dominant black coat color is expressed by dominant genotype of $E^D$, red or brown is expressed in the frame shift mutation of recessive homozygous e by base pair deletion and wild type of $E^+$ is expressed in various coat colors. However, not very well known about the effected of MC1R genotype mutation on the coat color through family lines in KBC. Therefore, this study were to investigate effect of MC1R genotype mutation on the coat color, and to suggest mating breed system in accordance with of MC1R genotype for increased on brindle coat color appearance. Parents (sire 2 heads and dam 3 heads) and offspring (total : 54 heads) from crossbreeding in KBC family line with the MC1R genotype and phenotype records were selected as experimental animals. The relationship between melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) genotypes expression verified by PCR-RFLP, and brindle coat color appearance to the family line of the cross mating breed from MC1R genotype pattern was determined. As a result, 4MC1R genetic variations, $E^+/E^+$ (sire 1), $E^+/e$ (sire 2 and dam 3), $E^+/e$ with 4 bands of 174, 207 and 328 bp (dam 1) and $E^+/e$ with 3 bands of 174, 207, 328 and 535 bp (dam 2) from parents (sire and dam) of KBC. However, 3 genetic variations, e/e (24%), $E^+/E^+$ (22%) and $E^+/e$ (56%) were identified in offspring. Also, brindle coat color expressrated was the e/e with the 0%, $E^+/E^+$ with 67% and $E^+/e$ with 77% from MC1R genotype in offspring on the cross mating of KBC. Furthermore, when the sire had $E^+/e$ genotype and the dam had $E^+/E^+$ with the 3 bands or $E^+/e$ genotype, and both had whole body-brindle coat color, 62% of the offspring had whole body-brindle coat color. Therefore, the seresults, the mating system from MC1R genotype patterns of the sires ($E^+/e$) and dams ($E^+/E^+$ with the 3 bands or $E^+/e$) with brindle coat color may have the highest whole body-brindle coat color expression in their offspring.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.437-442
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• 2007

The melanocortin-4 receptor(MC4R) is virtually expressed in all brain regions and plays an important role in energy homeostasis in mammals. MC4R has been intensively studied as a trait gene controlling economically important traits, such as growth and feed conversion, etc. Six hundreds and sixty Duroc pigs were genotyped for the MC4R locus and analyzed their relationships with breeding values for average daily gain(ADG), backfat thickness(BF), days to 90kg(D90) and feed conversion(FC). The estimated genotype frequencies for the all Duroc pigs were: 30.8%, 45.2%, 24.1% for AA, AB and BB genotypes, respectively. The mutant A allele was significantly associated with ADG, D90 and BF whereas no significant relationship was found with FC. The change of gene frequencies by generation was shown in both selected and culled groups. These results indicate that the MC4R polymorphism could be integrated in the present selection program to realize a marker-assisted selection for the growth traits of the Duroc population.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.939-948
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• 2019

Objective: Extension and Agouti loci play a key role for proportions of eumelanin and pheomelanin in determining coat color in several species, including goat. Mongolian goats exhibit diverse types of coat color phenotypes. In this study, investigation of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) coding region in different coat colors in Mongolian goats was performed to ascertain the presence of the extension allele. Methods: A total of 105 goat samples representing three goat breeds were collected for this study from middle Mongolia. A 938 base pair (bp) long coding region of the MC1R gene was sequenced for three different breeds with different coat colors (Gobi Gurwan Saikhan: complete black, Zalaa Jinstiin Tsagaan: complete white, Mongolian native goat: admixture of different of coat colors). The genotypes of these goats were obtained from analyzing and comparing the sequencing results. Results: A total of seven haplotypes defined by five substitution were identified. The five single nucleotide polymorphisms included two synonymous mutations (c.183C>T and c.489G>A) and three missense (non-synonymous) mutations (c.676A>G, c.748T>G, and c.770T>A). Comparison of genotypes frequencies of two common missense mutions using chi-sqaure ($x^2$) test revealed significant differences between coat color groups (p<0.001). A logistic regression analysis additionally suggested highly significant association between genotypes and variation of black versus white uniform combination. Alternatively, most investigated goats (60.4%) belonged to H2 (TGAGT) haplotype. Conclusion: According to the findings obtained in this study on the investigated coat colors, mutations in MC1R gene may have the crucial role for determining eumelanin and pheomelanin phenotypes. Due to the complication of coat color phenotype, more detailed investigation needed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.910-914
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• 2014

For the identification of the Jeju black cattle, Hanwoo and imported beef, we performed a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) associated with microsatellite (MS) and melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene. The MC1R gene plays an important role in regulation of the melanin synthesis within mammalian melanocytes. MC1R encoded by extension (E) locus was almost fixed with recessive red e allele in the Hanwoo. We estimated that the specific genotypes ($E^+/E^+$, $E^+/e$) of MC1R gene were characteristic genotypes of Jeju black cattle. But the PCR products resulted from using the MC1R gene derived primers only are not sufficient to identify Jeju black cattle from other relatives. We performed two times of successive multiplex PCR to provide a more accurate result for the identification of Jeju black cattle. The results suggest that two types of successive multiplex PCR methods using MC1R gene and Microsatellite derived primer set will be more useful to identification of Jeju black cattle, Hanwoo and imported beef.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.34-45
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• 2012

Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) subtype is associated with obese humans. Especially, in a patient with severe early-onset obesity, novel heterozygous mutation in the MC4R gene was detected, resulting in an exchange of aspartic acid to asparagine in $90^{th}$ amino acid residue located in the predicted second trans-membrane domain (TM2). Mutations in the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) gene are the most frequent monogenic causes of severe obesity which have been described as heterozygous with loss of function. In order to compare structure difference between MC4R wild type (MC4R-TM2-wt) and mutant (MC4R-TM2-D90N), we designed both MC4R-TM2-wt and MC4R-TM2-D90N construct in pET 21b vector. In this study, we optimized high-yield purification procedure for recombinant TM2-D90N. Eluted recombinant protein was resolubilized under urea condition for thrombin cleavage reaction and we conducted the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with reverse phase column under 1% acetonitrile, 0.01% TFA buffer solution. The molecular size of purified target peptide was confirmed by Tricine-SDS page analysis. To characterize MC4R-TM2-D90N, we have performed $^{15}N$-isotope labeling of peptide using M9 media and purified labeled target peptide for hetero-nuclear NMR spectroscopy.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.154-159
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• 2017

Objective: This study was designed to characterize the DNA polymorphisms of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene in indigenous Saudi Arabian sheep breeds exhibiting different color coats, along with individuals of the Sawaknee breed, an exotic sheep imported from Sudan. Methods: The complete coding region of MC1R gene including parts of 3' and 5' untranslated regions was amplified and sequenced from three the indigenous Saudi sheep; Najdi (generally black, n = 41), Naeimi (generally white with brown faces, n = 36) and Herri (generally white, n = 18), in addition to 13 Sawaknee sheep. Results: Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in the MC1R gene: two led to nonsynonymous mutations (c.218 T>A, p.73 Met>Lys and c.361 G>A, p.121 Asp>Asn) and three led to synonymous mutations (c.429 C>T, p.143 Tyr>Tyr; c.600 T>G, p.200 Leu>Leu, and c.735 C>T, p.245 Ile>Ile). Based on these five SNPs, eight haplotypes representing MC1R $E^d$ and $E^+$ alleles were identified among the studied sheep breeds. The most common haplotype (H3) of the dominant $E^d$ allele was associated with either black or brown coat color in Najdi and Sawaknee sheep, respectively. Two other haplotypes (H6 and H7) of $E^d$ allele, with only the nonsynonymous mutation A218T, were detected for the first time in Saudi indigenous sheep. Conclusion: In addition to investigating the MC1R allelic variation in Saudi indigenous sheep populations, the present study supports the assumption that the two independent nonsynonymous Met73Lys and Asp121Asn mutations in MC1R gene are associated with black or red coat colors in sheep breeds.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.938-943
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• 2017

Objective: Qingyu pig, a Chinese indigenous pig breed, exhibits two types of coat colour phenotypes, including pure black and white with black spotting respectively. Melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R) and agouti signaling protein (ASIP) are two widely reported pivotal genes that significantly affect the regulation of coat colour. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether the polymorphisms of these two genes are associated with coat colour and analyze the molecular mechanism of the coat colour separation in Qingyu pig. Methods: We studied the phenotype segregation and used polymerase chain reaction amplification and Sanger sequencing to investigate the polymorphism of MC1R and ASIP in 121 Qingyu pigs, consisting of 115 black and 6 white with black spotted pigs. Results: Coat colour of Qingyu pig is associated with the polymorphisms of MC1R but not ASIP. We only found 2 haplotypes, $E^{QY}$ and $E^{qy}$, based on the 13 observed mutations from MC1R gene. Among which, $E^{qy}$ presented a recessive inheritance mode in black spotted Qingyu pigs. Further analysis revealed a g.462-463CC insertion that caused a frameshift mutation and a premature stop codon, thus changed the first transmembrane domain completely and lost the remaining six transmembrane domains. Altogether, our results strongly support that the variety of Qingyu pig's coat colour is related to MC1R. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that black coat colour in Qingyu pig was dominant to white with black spotted phenotype and MC1R gene polymorphism was associated with coat colour separation in Qingyu pig.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.897-902
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• 2004

To improve the methods used for the identification of Hanwoo, we performed a PCR using 3 -tailed primer associated with single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) in Melanocortin 1 receptor(MCIR) gene. MCIR plays an important role in melanin synthesis and the SNP within MCIR was used as a target for PCRRFLP studies previously. A forward 3 -tailed primer, which matches with the template DNA of Hanwoo but not with others(blackhaired; Holstein and Black angus) at the site of 594th base sequence, and one reverse primer were designed for this study. When use this primer set, a size of 343bp was amplified by PCR only in Hanwoo, not in Holstein and Black angus. This result suggests that the PCR using our 3 -tailed primer would be very accurate, easy, reproducible and economic method to discriminate between Hanwoo meat and other black-haired ones.