Researchers from Finland have identified a rare new color of cat known as “salty licorice.”
This cat, with its unique fur, is called the “Salmiak cat” (translated as “salty licorice”) and features a black coat with white spots. The rest of its body is pure white on the neck, chest, belly, and legs, creating a tuxedo pattern.
The distinctive color pattern in the new fur occurs as the hair transitions from black near the cat’s skin to white from root to tip, a genetic significance recently uncovered by scientists.
Typically, cats are known to come in two colors: black and orange. Any variations seen in cat fur usually involve a mix or variation of these two colors.
Discovered in 2007, the Salmiak cats lack the usual gene responsible for color fading in cats and instead, they are missing a portion of their DNA.
Moreover, this gene mutation is recessive, requiring both cat parents to have the gene for the kittens to inherit the color, making the Salmiak cat quite unusual.
“The discovery of the Salmiak variant enhances our understanding of coat color genetics in cats,” noted the study authors. Dr. Heidi Anderson mentioned that this knowledge could aid breeding efforts and help preserve this unique trait among cat species.
During their research, Anderson and the team discovered that the KIT gene, responsible for fading the cat’s black-orange coat to white, was non-functional in the salty licorice cat. However, new research indicates that a genetic mutation underpins this unusual coloration.
Though initially unsure of the responsible gene, the scientists sequenced the entire genome of the Salmiak cat, revealing missing sections of DNA in the two cats tested.
Further investigation confirmed their findings in 181 cats, with three Salmiak cats all exhibiting the same missing DNA section. Others with the mutation from only one parent did not showcase the same coloration. Cats without the mutation had intact DNA.
Anderson highlighted that this study could shed light on other rare cat breeds and help in finding suitable homes for randomly bred cats.
Read more:
Source: www.sciencefocus.com
