Number and arrangement of the red and green visual pigment genes in color-normal Japanese males

✍ Scribed by Hisao Ueyama; Sachiko Hayashi; Shoko Tanabe; Yuki Tanaka; Takaaki Hayashi; Samir S. Deeb; Shinichi Yamade; Iwao Ohkubo

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 71 KB
• Volume: 26
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0361-2317
• DOI: 10.1002/1520-6378(2001)26:1+<::aid-col19>3.0.co;2-1

✦ Synopsis

Red and green visual pigment genes were analyzed in color-normal Japanese males. DNA from 121 males was subjected to PCR-amplification for the promoter and exon 5 of these genes, and the products were sequenced with a PRISM 310 genetic analyzer (dye terminator). The number of visual pigment genes in each individual was estimated from the peak-heights of nucleotides on the sequencing electropherograms of the promoter; it was 2 in 46% (n ϭ 56), 3 in 32% (n ϭ 39), 4 in 12% (n ϭ 15), and Ͼ 4 in 9% (n ϭ 11) of the subjects. These numbers were similar to the ratios of green:red pigment genes obtained from the analysis of exon 5, suggesting the presence of a single red gene in each subject, except for one, N22. This subject was estimated to have 3 pigment genes: one red, one green, and one green-red hybrid. A more detailed analysis indicated that the first gene in N22 was the typical red one, the second gene was the green, and the third gene was the green-red hybrid. These results suggest that color-normal Japanese males who possess green-red hybrid genes are quite rare (Ͻ1%).