Quick layman's genetics question

[GrannyHeeney]

My daughter and I were discussing "white factor" and the negative effects it has on dogs, horses, etc., so I decided to poke around and see if it affects chickens. The only thing this un-degreed old woman could find is that, yes, it is present in chickens (it is called "MITF?"). The stuff I was finding began to hurt my head--when I started seeing the word "genome," I knew I was in trouble. LOL Just for the curiosity of my daughter and I, does it cause the same sort of problems in chickens? Such as Dalmatians: blindness, deafness, or foals: incomplete development of digestive tracts (death), and so forth.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

My daughter and I were discussing "white factor" and the negative effects it has on dogs, horses, etc., so I decided to poke around and see if it affects chickens. The only thing this un-degreed old woman could find is that, yes, it is present in chickens (it is called "MITF?"). The stuff I was finding began to hurt my head--when I started seeing the word "genome," I knew I was in trouble. LOL Just for the curiosity of my daughter and I, does it cause the same sort of problems in chickens? Such as Dalmatians: blindness, deafness, or foals: incomplete development of digestive tracts (death), and so forth.

Not as far as I know.

Honestly I think part of the issues with dogs is caused by inbreeding. Though many of us do inbreed or "line breed"... you have to close inbreeding like brother to sister for several generations in a row before you start seeing things like infertility or low hatch-ability.... in chickens. Seems like mammals suffer side effects of inbreeding much faster than poultry.

You should not see things like blindness or deafness pop up... as far as I can tell...

But now I do know that breeding for the white face in the white faced black Spanish chicken DID cause lack of hardiness and is why they aren't so popular. I actually love them! But am definitely having the hardest time hatching and rearing them compared to any of my other breeds. Largest amount of early dead embryos.

Otherwise... not all white birds were bred just from white. It can hide many other colors underneath.

You ask a fantastic question though... one I never thought about.

One other thing... some white birds are dominant white and others are not... though I KINDA know what that means... I am still learning as well. And boy do I have a LONG ways to go.

Did you have a specific question? I will have to try and remember some the genetic whiz's I've seen posting and try to tag them.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

@The Moonshiner

Sorry to call you out.

You seem to have a bit of a grasp on some genetics... have any input on this one? Thank you

 

[The Moonshiner]

I don't mind being called out. No worries.
Unfortunately I'm no help here.
Of the many birds I've had over many years I've never come across anything to do with it.
Never heard of it till I saw this thread.
Interesting topic though.

 

[nicalandia]

My daughter and I were discussing "white factor" and the negative effects it has on dogs, horses, etc., so I decided to poke around and see if it affects chickens. The only thing this un-degreed old woman could find is that, yes, it is present in chickens (it is called "MITF?"). The stuff I was finding began to hurt my head--when I started seeing the word "genome," I knew I was in trouble. LOL Just for the curiosity of my daughter and I, does it cause the same sort of problems in chickens? Such as Dalmatians: blindness, deafness, or foals: incomplete development of digestive tracts (death), and so forth.

Yes, the "White Factor" is also present in Chickens/Fowls and Mammals, The SLC45A2 mutation is resposable for the Albino and incompletely albino traits in both fowl and mammals(SLC45A2 is one of the mutations in Albino Humans) SLC45A2 is believed to be indirectly regulated by the melanocyte specific transcription factor(MITF)

In chickens the SLC45A2 mutation is found on the sex linked silver allele, and it causes the sex linked incomplete albino mutation, the order or precedence by allele mutation is S, s+, s^al

 

[The Moonshiner]

So what issues does it cause in chickens?

 

[GrannyHeeney]

You should not see things like blindness or deafness pop up... as far as I can tell... Did you have a specific question?

Yep, that was the one! Thank you!

 

[nicalandia]

So what issues does it cause in chickens?

As with many forms of Albinism, these mutants retain a red pupils(for sex link incomplete albinism, the chicks are born with pink eyes, but with age the iris darkens but they retain red pupils) so they have eyesight issues, no info on deafness.

There is also a autosomal recessive full albinism mutation located at the C locus, the order of dominance is C+(wild type) c(recessive white c/c) and c^a(recessive white albino) they have impaired vision, deafness have not been studied.

 

[The Moonshiner]

So the "white factor" in chickens is just incomplete albinism or full albinism both of which can have eyesight issues?
That's it?

 

[nicalandia]

So the "white factor" in chickens is just incomplete albinism or full albinism both of which can have eyesight issues?
That's it?

That's it, specially the MITF(Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor) the Op made reference to, MITF>SLC45A2>sex linked incomplete albinism in Chickens and Sexlinked Albinism in Quails