K Locus Effects in Gray Wolves: Experimental Assessment of TLR3 Signaling and the Gene Expression Response to Canine Distemper Virus.

ABSTRACT: In North American gray wolves, black coat color is dominantly inherited via a 3 base pair coding deletion in the canine beta defensin 3 (CBD103) gene. This 3 base pair deletion, called the KB allele, was introduced through hybridization with dogs and subsequently underwent a selective sweep that increased its frequency in wild wolves. Despite apparent positive selection, KBB wolves have lower fitness than wolves with the KyB genotype, even though the 2 genotypes show no observable differences in black coat color. Thus, the KB allele is thought to have pleiotropic effects on as-yet unknown phenotypes. Given the role of skin-expressed CBD103 in innate immunity, we hypothesized that the KB allele influences the keratinocyte gene expression response to TLR3 pathway stimulation and/or infection

SUBMITTER: Johnston RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8567826 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature