Data from: The genetic inheritance of the blue-eyed white phenotype in alpacas (Vicugna pacos)

White spotting patterns in mammals can be caused by mutations in the gene
KIT, whose protein is necessary for the normal migration and survival of
melanocytes from the neural crest. The alpaca (Vicugna pacos) blue-eyed
white phenotype (BEW) is characterized by two blue eyes and a solid white
coat over the whole body. Breeders hypothesize that the BEW phenotype in
alpacas is caused by the combination of the gene causing grey fleece and a
white-spotting gene. We performed an association study using KIT flanking
and intragenic markers with 40 unrelated alpacas, of which 17 were BEW.
Two microsatellite alleles at KIT-related markers were significantly
associated (P < 0.0001) with the BEW phenotype (bew1 and bew2). In
a larger cohort of 171 related individuals we identify an abundance of an
allele (bew1) in grey animals and the occurrence of bew2 homozygotes that
are solid white with pigmented eyes. Association tests accounting for
population structure and familial relatedness are consistent with a
proposed model where these alleles are in linkage disequilibrium with a
mutation or mutations that contribute to the BEW phenotype and to
individual differences in fleece color.