Deciphering the genetics of orange coat color in domestic cats. Felis catus

This project aims to elucidate the genetic mechanisms governing coat color variation in domestic cats (Felis catus), focusing on the X-linked orange (O) locus, which is critical for the differential production of eumelanin and pheomelanin. Using a comprehensive approach that includes whole-genome sequencing (WGS), whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we aim to identify candidate genes and regulatory elements associated with the O locus. The integration of these sequencing technologies will allow a multidimensional analysis of genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic data to improve our understanding of color patterning in cats.