Siberian Cats Help in Solving Part of the Mystery Surrounding Golden Cats

The study investigated the genetic basis of the golden phenotype in Siberian cats, specifically a variant known as "sunshine." Researchers identified a homozygous CORIN:c.2383C>T missense variant as a strong candidate gene responsible for this phenotype. This variant was associated with an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern and was found to modify the ASIP (Agouti Signaling Protein) pathway, leading to a distinct golden coat color. The variant was also present in a few other cat breeds but not widely across others. The findings suggested that the CORIN:c.2383C>T variant represents the wbSIB (Siberian recessive wideband) allele, contributing to the understanding of golden phenotypes in domestic cats.