Dilution

General description

The dilute gene influences distribution of all pigments causing coat colour dilution. Common names for colours originating from the D-locus are: blue, lilac, fawn, ...

Order details
Test number8099
Sample material0.5 ml EDTA blood, 2x cheek swab, 1x special swab (eNAT)
Test duration3-5 working days
Test specifications
InheritanceAllelic series: D dominant over d
GeneMLPH
MutationDEL
LiteratureOMIA:000031-9685
Detailed description

The dilute gene is responsible for the intensity of the coat color by affecting the amount of pigments in the hair shaft. The pigment granules are clumped and distributed unevenly along the hair shaft, resulting in a clear color. The "dilute" phenotype in domestic cats affects both eumelanin and phaeomelanin pathway. The dilution of black results in a gray ("blue") phenotype, while dilute combined with orange appears as a cream color, chocolate results in lilac and orange in creme.