Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Raccoon Dog Skin to Determine Melanin Content in Hair and Melanin Distribution in Skin.

ABSTRACT: The raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) is an important canid fur-bearing animal species worldwide. Chinese raccoon dogs that present a white mutation, especially those with a white coat. Exploring melanin biosynthesis in the hair and skin of raccoon dogs is important for understanding the survival and evolutionary mechanisms of them. In this study, we measured the content of melanin in the hair of two types of raccoon dog and generated stained slices of skin tissue. The results indicated that melanin biosynthesis occurs in the wild-type (W) and white-type (B) raccoon dog skin, although less melanin is produced in B skin. We then sequenced the skin transcriptomes of W and B, compared the similarities and differences in expressed genes. A comparison of the gene expression showed 60 up-re

SUBMITTER: Du Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5241637 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature