Coat length (long or short hair)
Coat length (long or short hair)
General description
Long-haired coat in cats can be caused by several genetic variants that are inherited autosomal-recessive. They genotype can be checked with this test
Order details
| Test number | 8147 |
| Sample material | 0.5 ml EDTA blood, 2x cheek swab, 1x special swab (eNAT) |
| Test duration | 7-14 working days |
Test specifications
| Causality | causally |
| Gene | FGF5 |
| Mutation | COMPLEX |
| Literature | OMIA:000439-9685 |
Detailed description
Coat colours, patterns and texture are determined by the combined action of several genes, only one gene - FGF5 - determines hair length in cats. To date five different genetic variants in the FGF5 gene have been identified that are associated with the hair-length differences (M1-M5). Four of them are fairly breed specific (M1, M2, M3, M5), M4 is present in all long-haired cat breeds and crossbreds.
Long-haired coat length is inherited a an autosomal recessive trait, therefore cats that are carriers of the long hair variant will appear to be normal (short hair) themselves but will likely pass on the long-hair variant with a probability of 50%. Long-haired cats can either carry two copies of the same variant (homozygote recessive) or have two different variants one on each chromosome (compound heterozygote).
LABOKLIN offers a test for coat length that detects the five currently known variants in cats. It is possible that there are other variants causing long hair which have not yet been identified.
The DNA test allows to distinguish between the following genotypes:
- N/N: Cat has short hair. None of the 5 long hair variants detected. Cat cannot produce long-haired kittens.
- N/M1, N/M2, N/M3, N/M4 or N/M5: Cat has short hair and carries one copy of a long hair variant. Cat can produce short and long-haired kittens depending on genotype of the mate.
- M1/M1, M2/M2, M3/M3, M4/M4 or M5/M5: Cat has long hair and will produce only long-haired kittens when bred to a long-haired mate.
- M1/M2, M1/M3, M1/M4, M1/M5, M2/M3, M2/M4, M2/M5, M3/M4, M3/M5, M4/M5: Cat has long hair and carries two different long hair variants (compound heterozygote). Cat will produce only long-haired kittens when bred to other long-haired cats.
By DNA testing, the responsible variant can be shown directly. This method provides a test with a very high accuracy and can be done at any age. It offers the possibility to distinguish not only between short- and longhaired cats, but also to identify shorthaired carriers of the long hair variants.
