/ 0
Store

Find Products

Harlequin (H) Pattern (Great Dane Type)

$50

(ONLINE PRICE)

ADD TO CART

Test Overview:

The Harlequin gene causes a white background and the spots increase in size. Dogs that are not merle, cannot express the Harlequin colour/pattern. Breeding two dogs that both have a copy of the h locus “NH” is not recommended. A dog with two copies of Harlequin has not been observed and it is presumed to be lethal in utero. This gene is inherited as a dominant trait. Harlequin is a specific coat colour pattern marked by patches of full colour on a white background. This patterning is a result of the interaction of two different genes, the merle (M Locus) gene, PMEL, and a modifier gene, PSMB7, at the harlequin (H locus). Dogs who have one copy of H in addition to one copy of M will have the characteristic harlequin coat colour pattern. A dog with one copy of H but two copies of M (double merle) has a coat colour that can be indistinguishable from a dog without the harlequin variant. While the harlequin coat colour is not considered a defect, breeding studies indicate that inheriting two copies of the H gene variant is not compatible with life. Puppies with two copies of the PSMB7 gene variant (H/H) most likely die very early in gestation; therefore, breeding two dogs with harlequin coat colour (H/h) may result in reduced litter size.

Category:

Trait (Associated with Phenotype)

Gene:

PSMB7

Variant Detected:

chr9:58530295 (canFam3): T>G

Severity:

Low-Moderate. This disease can cause some discomfort and/or dysfunction in the affected animal. It does not generally affect life expectancy.

Mode of Inheritance:

Autosomal Dominant

Recommended Screening:

Genetic testing of the PSMB7 gene will reliably determine if a dog is a genetic carrier of the harlequin coat colour.

Research Citation(s):


Gene. 2008 Jul 15; 418(1-2):49-52. [PubMed: 18513894]
. Genomics. 2011 Apr; 97(4):244-8. [PubMed: 21256207] Clark LA, Starr AN, Tsai KL, Murphy KE. Genome-wide linkage scan localizes the harlequin locus in the Great Dane to chromosome 9. Gene. 2008 Jul 15; 418(1-2):49-52. [PubMed: 18513894]

Associated Breed(s):

Great Dane, Harlequin Pinscher, Mixed Breed,
##parent-placeholder-8bfb4e1aa590eab8f08f837b97acf5803a5737ed##