Quick Summary
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Phenotype: Black pigment in the coat is gradually replaced with yellow pigment, leading to a golden coat coloration in adult cats.
(Note: Display of the full amber coloration depends on the presence/absence of another gene called dominant Orange. In the absence of Orange, males and females with genotype e/e will have the full amber coloration. Amber males that have one copy of Orange will be red. Amber females that have one copy of Orange will be amber/red tortoiseshell. Amber females with two copies of Orange will be red.)
Mode of Inheritance: Autosomal recessive
Alleles: E = Normal (non-Amber), e = Amber
Breeds appropriate for testing: Norwegian Forest Cat
Explanation of Results:
- Cats with E/E genotype will not have amber coloration and cannot transmit this amber coloration variant to their offspring.
- Cats with E/e genotype will not have amber coloration, but are carriers. Matings between two carriers are predicted to produce 25% amber-colored kittens (in the absence of the Orange gene).
- Cats with e/e genotype will have amber coloration in the absence of the Orange gene, and will transmit this amber coloration variant to all of their offspring. If the Orange gene is also present, e/e males with one copy of Orange will display red coats; e/e females with one copy of Orange will display amber/red tortoiseshell coats; and e/e females with two copies of Orange will display red coats.
Cat Coat Color Panel
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Bengal Coat Color Panel
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Bengal Coat Color + White Gloves (Birmans) Panel
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Sample Collection:
Cat DNA tests are carried out using cells collected from your cat's cheeks and gums using household cotton swabs.
The cat DNA submission form with instructions, pricing, and a place to tape the cotton swabs can be printed from your home computer after signing up for a MyVGL account and placing an order. Test kits are not mailed.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
1.
Purchase regular household cotton swabs for cat DNA collection (the cotton swabs can be purchased at a pharmacy or drug store)
2.
Use both ends of the two cotton swabs for a total of four swabs.
3.
Collect the DNA sample by swabbing the cheek and gums of the cat.
4.
After swabbing the cheek and gums, tape the cotton swabs to the bar-coded submission form printed from your MyVGL account.
In cats, shades of red color are determined by the dominant Orange gene located on the X chromosome. However, in some Norwegian Forest Cats, there is a recessive mutation in the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene (c.250G>A) that results in kittens that are born with a black/brown (eumalanin) tabby pattern (or blue/apricot in dilute cats). As the kittens mature, the black (or blue) pigment is replaced by yellow (phaeomelanin), resulting in the golden coat coloration seen in adult cats. As the eumelanin is replaced, the tabby pattern may disappear. The Amber mutation traces back to a single female ancestor from Norway born in 1981, and the color, originally named X Colour, is now called Amber.
Amber coloration depends on the presence/absence of the dominant Orange gene. In the absence of Orange, males and females with genotype e/e will have the amber coloration. Amber males that have the Orange gene will be red. Amber females that have one copy of the Orange gene will be amber/red tortoiseshell. Amber females with two copies of the Orange gene will be red.
