Short and Curly Tail (HES7 gene)

This characteristic of a short, curled tail, similar to that of a rabbit, is distinctive of the Japanese Bobtail breed.

Definition

The short tail trait in the Japanese Bobtail refers to a tail that measures less than 5 cm and has a curled, rabbit-like appearance. This distinctive feature is determined by a genetic mutation in the HES7 gene that affects the normal development of the vertebral tail. The mutation causes an abnormal formation of the caudal vertebrae, resulting in a short tail unique to each individual.

Genetic basis

The final expression of this trait is influenced by interactions with variants in different genes that affect the vertebral development and physical structure of the cat. In this case, we studied the c.5A>G mutation in the HES7 gene. This trait is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, which means that two copies of the variant are required to express the trait. However, the presence of a single copy of the variant can be transmitted to offspring with a 50% probability.

Other relevant information

An interesting curiosity about the short tail of the Japanese Bobtail is that this characteristic does not negatively affect the cat`s agility or balance, so they maintain excellent coordination and jumping ability.

Bibliography

Xu X, Sun X, Hu XS, et al. Whole Genome Sequencing Identifies a Missense Mutation in HES7 Associated with Short Tails in Asian Domestic Cats. Sci Rep. 2016;6:31583. Published 2016 Aug 25.

Lyons LA, Creighton EK, Alhaddad H, et al. Whole genome sequencing in cats identifies new models for blindness in AIPL1 and somite segmentation in HES7. BMC Genomics. 2016;17:265. Published 2016 Mar 31.