In 2008 a colt with a striking white-spotting coat colour was born out of two solid-coloured bay Franches-Montagnes parents. The coat colour looks like a combination of white-spotting and coat colour dilution and it was named ‘‘macchiato’’. A clinical examination revealed that the macchiato stallion was deaf and had a low progressive sperm motility.
The Coat Macchiato (Splashed White) test (P593) tests for a mutation in the MITF gene. This test detects two variants (alleles). The allele M is dominant. One or two copies of the M allele result in the Macchiato coat colour. The allele N is recessive and does not have an effect on the basic colour.
The Coat Macchiato (Splashed White) test encloses the following results:
Result Macchiato |
Coat Colour |
Description |
---|---|---|
N/N |
Non-Macchiato
|
Non-Macchiato. The basic colour is not modified unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can only pass on allele N to its offspring. |
N/M |
Macchiato |
Macchiato pattern. One copy of the M allele. Horse has Macchiato coat pattern unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can pass on either allele N or M to its offspring. |
M/M |
Macchiato |
Macchiato pattern. Two copies of the M allele. Horse has Macchiato coat pattern unless modified by other colour modifying genes. It can only pass on allele M to its offspring. |