Dilute coat color

Trait overview

Mutations in melanophilin (MLPH) causes dilution base coat colors, such as black and red pigments. These dilutions often lead to a gray-blue or pale silvery red color, depending on the base color. There are three variants of this gene that play a role in color dilution. Two copies of any three variants, or a combination of two variants, are necessary to cause a dilution of color.

Gene name(s)

MLPH

Inheritance

Autosomal recessive

More common in the following breeds

American Staffordshire Terrier, Beagle, Doberman Pinscher, German Pinscher, Large Munsterlander, Miniature Pinscher, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Chow Chow, Sloughi, Thai Ridgeback, Chihuahua, Hungarian mudi, Hungarian pumi, Italian Greyhound, Pekingese, Shetland Sheepdog, Shih-Tzu, Tibetan Mastiff, Yorkshire Terrier

Citations

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17519392/ https://www.omia.org/OMIA000031/9615/ https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/dilute-dog https://doi.org/10.1111/age.13154