Blue eyes

LABOKLIN Service ID: 8876

A genetic variant of the PAX3 gene causes blue eyes in Maine Coon cats. The dominant factor not only influences the iris pigmentation, but is also associated with unilateral or bilateral deafness and minimal white spotting, that is not caused by the known variants responsible for white spotting. As PAX3 is required for several key steps in neural development, it is most likely that homozygosity for this allele will result in embryonic or fetal lethality. Therefore, mating heterozygous cats is strongly discouraged to avoid deaf offspring and the unintentional production of a homozygous embryo for this allele.

Method	sequencing
Breed list	Maine Coon
Heredity	autosomal dominant with complete penetrance for blue-eyedness and incomplete penetrance for deafness
Duration	1 - 2 weeks after arrival of the sample in the lab