Sequence Characterization of the MC1R Gene in Yak (Poephagus grunniens) Breeds with Different Coat Colors

Melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene plays a key role in determining coat color in several species, including the cattle. However, up to now there is no report regarding the MC1R gene and the potential association of its mutations with coat colors in yak (

The authors thank Dr. Songjia Lai for his help in collecting samples and the two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on the early version of the manuscript. This work was financially supported by the Chinese national key technologies R & D program (G