✪ Tignix Adopts Genetics Guide Part 4- The 'M/Ab/Wh/Sn' Genes ✪
These four separate genes are all very rare recessive genes, but can occur in all three subspecies.
✪ Alleles and Phenotypes ✪
The 'M' gene:
'M'- this is the dominant allele. No changes to the base coat are observed, both in its homzygous and heterozygous forms.
'm'- this is the recessive allele. In its homozygous form this allele codes for the increased production of melanin in grey and brown tignix. It even codes for the increased production of turacoverdin in green tignix- the mechanism for this is unknown. In all three cases the coat of the tignix goes to near-black, with any markings showing up as darker, almost true black (see part 5.) All skin pigments turn black, but tignix may retain the eye colour related to their base coat.
The 'Ab' gene:
'Ab'- this is the dominant allele. No changes to the base coat are observed, both in its homzygous and heterozygous forms.
'ab'- this is the recessive allele. In its homozygous form it leads to albinism, a condition where tignix cannot produce enough pigment (affecting both melanin and turacoverdin; unique to tignix) for their natural base coat colour. Because of this their coats are extremely pale (white) and their skin is extremely pale pink. Their eyes are also lacking in pigmentation and can be any pale shade of red, pink or violet.
The 'Wh' gene:
'Wh'- this is the dominant allele. No changes to the base coat are observed, both in its homzygous and heterozygous forms.
'wh'- this is the recessive allele. In its homozygous form it acts like the dominant white gene in horses, masking out all coat colour whilst remaining genetically distinct from true albinism. Whilst they posses the white coat and pale skin like albino tignix, the 'white' gene leaves the pigment within the eyes untouched, allowing them to match the base coat.
The 'Sn' gene:
'Sn'- this is the dominant allele. No changes to the base coat are observed, both in its homzygous and heterozygous forms.
'sn'- this is the recessive allele. In its homozygous form it is similar to leucism, as observed in white lions and white bengal tigers. Affecting all pigments, it sees both total and partial reduction of pigments across the coat in various different cases. This means that markings (see part 5), whilst appearing slightly paler, may still be visible. However the majority of the coat may remain white and the skin a pale pink. The eyes won't be as heavily diluted as in albinism, but will always end up either a pale blue or lilac colour.
✪ Allele combinations ✪
Mn/Mn- no change to the base coat
Mn/mn- same as above
mn/mn- the coat becomes melanistic/'turacoverdinistc'
Ab/Ab- no change to the base coat
Ab/ab- same as above
ab/ab- the coat becomes albino
Wh/Wh- no change to the base coat
Wh/wh- same as above
wh/wh- the coat becomes dominant white
Sn/Sn- no change to the base coat
Sn/sn- same as above
sn/sn- the coat becomes leucistic
These four separate genes are all very rare recessive genes, but can occur in all three subspecies.
✪ Alleles and Phenotypes ✪
The 'M' gene:
'M'- this is the dominant allele. No changes to the base coat are observed, both in its homzygous and heterozygous forms.
'm'- this is the recessive allele. In its homozygous form this allele codes for the increased production of melanin in grey and brown tignix. It even codes for the increased production of turacoverdin in green tignix- the mechanism for this is unknown. In all three cases the coat of the tignix goes to near-black, with any markings showing up as darker, almost true black (see part 5.) All skin pigments turn black, but tignix may retain the eye colour related to their base coat.
The 'Ab' gene:
'Ab'- this is the dominant allele. No changes to the base coat are observed, both in its homzygous and heterozygous forms.
'ab'- this is the recessive allele. In its homozygous form it leads to albinism, a condition where tignix cannot produce enough pigment (affecting both melanin and turacoverdin; unique to tignix) for their natural base coat colour. Because of this their coats are extremely pale (white) and their skin is extremely pale pink. Their eyes are also lacking in pigmentation and can be any pale shade of red, pink or violet.
The 'Wh' gene:
'Wh'- this is the dominant allele. No changes to the base coat are observed, both in its homzygous and heterozygous forms.
'wh'- this is the recessive allele. In its homozygous form it acts like the dominant white gene in horses, masking out all coat colour whilst remaining genetically distinct from true albinism. Whilst they posses the white coat and pale skin like albino tignix, the 'white' gene leaves the pigment within the eyes untouched, allowing them to match the base coat.
The 'Sn' gene:
'Sn'- this is the dominant allele. No changes to the base coat are observed, both in its homzygous and heterozygous forms.
'sn'- this is the recessive allele. In its homozygous form it is similar to leucism, as observed in white lions and white bengal tigers. Affecting all pigments, it sees both total and partial reduction of pigments across the coat in various different cases. This means that markings (see part 5), whilst appearing slightly paler, may still be visible. However the majority of the coat may remain white and the skin a pale pink. The eyes won't be as heavily diluted as in albinism, but will always end up either a pale blue or lilac colour.
✪ Allele combinations ✪
Mn/Mn- no change to the base coat
Mn/mn- same as above
mn/mn- the coat becomes melanistic/'turacoverdinistc'
Ab/Ab- no change to the base coat
Ab/ab- same as above
ab/ab- the coat becomes albino
Wh/Wh- no change to the base coat
Wh/wh- same as above
wh/wh- the coat becomes dominant white
Sn/Sn- no change to the base coat
Sn/sn- same as above
sn/sn- the coat becomes leucistic
