Multiple splice variants within the bovine silver homologue (SILV) gene affecting coat color in cattle indicate a function additional to fibril formation in melanophores

Table 2 Regions of the bovine SILV mRNA tested for expression by RT-PCR in skin and non-pigmented body tissues

Primer combination	Region	Expected fragment [bp]	Observed fragment [bp]
			Eumelaneic skin	Phaeomelaneic skin	Non-pigmented tissues
5UTR_F1 – E11_R2	exon 1 – exon 11	2039	2039, 1102 and multiple further fragments	n.a.	n.a.
E1_F3 – E7_R1	exon 1 – exon 7	1430	1430 and further multiple bands	n.a.	n.a.
E1_F3 – E3_R1	exon 1 – exon 3	294	294	294	n.a.
E3_F1 – E5_R1	exon 3 – exon 5	377	377	377	n.a.
E5_F1 – E7_R1	exon 5 – exon 7	856	856, 700, 331, 175	856, 700, 331, 175	856, 700, 331, 175 (pg, tg, ki, ag, li, lu, he, br, ru, if, sf, sf, mg, fu, co, je, mu)
E7_F1 – E11_R2	exon 7 – exon 11	687	687; 593	687; 593	n.a.
E6_F2 – E7_R1	exon 6 – exon 7	479	479, 324	479, 324	n.a.
E5_F1 – E6_R2	exon 5 – exon 6	456	456	456	n.a.
E9_F1 – E11_R2	exon 9 – exon 11	404	404	404	404 (pg, tg, ki, ag, li, lu, he, br, ru, if, sf, sf, mg, fu, co, je, mu)
E10_F1 – E11_R2	exon 10 – exon 11	274	274	274	n.a.
E1_F3 – E5_R1	exon 1 – exon 5	588	n.a.	n.a.	588 (pg, tg, ki, ag, li, lu, he, br, ru, if, sf, sf, mg, fu, co, je, mu)

pg: pituitary gland, tg: thyroid gland, ki: kidney, ag: adrenal gland, li: liver, lu: lung, he: heart, br: brain, ru: rumen, if: intestinal fat, sf: subcutaneous fat, pf: perirenal fat, mg: mammary gland, du: duodenum, co: colon, je: jejunum, mu: skeletal muscle. n.a.: not analyzed

ISSN: 1471-2164