Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40629379›Full record

ArticleBMC biology2025

A 14-bp motif in the KIT active promoter region is critical for melanin accumulation in yaks, mice, and humans.

Xinfeng Liu, Tongcheng Wang, Zeyu Zheng, Congcong Dong, Wenyu Liu, Zhimin Niu, Yingbo Yang, Xiaoyun Wu, Qiang Qiu, Yongzhi Yang and 7 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Xinfeng Liu *State Key Laboratory of Herbage lmprovement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
Tongcheng Wang *State Key Laboratory of Herbage lmprovement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
Zeyu Zheng *State Key Laboratory of Herbage lmprovement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
Congcong DongState Key Laboratory of Herbage lmprovement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
Wenyu LiuState Key Laboratory of Herbage lmprovement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
Zhimin NiuState Key Laboratory of Herbage lmprovement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
Yingbo YangState Key Laboratory of Herbage lmprovement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
Xiaoyun WuKey Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding On Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China.
Qiang QiuState Key Laboratory of Herbage lmprovement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
Yongzhi YangState Key Laboratory of Herbage lmprovement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
Kexin LiState Key Laboratory of Herbage lmprovement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
Johannes A LenstraFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3508 TD, The Netherlands.
Ping YanKey Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding On Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China.
Minghui KangState Key Laboratory of Herbage lmprovement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China. kangminghui0106@gmail.com.
Bowen LiState Key Laboratory of Herbage lmprovement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China. libowen@lzu.edu.cn.
Lingzhao FangCenter for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. lingzhao.fang@qgg.au.dk.
Jianquan LiuState Key Laboratory of Herbage lmprovement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China. liujq@lzu.edu.cn.

Funding

Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program 25-LZIHPS-01National Key Research and Development Programs 2021YFD1200901National Natural Science Foundation of China U22A20447National Natural Science Foundation of China U23A20227Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research program 2019QZKK0502
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAnimal pigmentation serves as an excellent model for studying genetics, development, and evolution. Among yak breeds, the all-white yak breed (Bos grunniens) is the only indigenous variety with pristine white fur, in stark contrast to the black coat color of the wild yak and most domesticated yaks.

resultsUsing whole-genome sequencing data from 387 yaks, we analyzed the population genetic structure of all-white yaks and discovered that they clustered into two distinct genetic groups. Further, by conducting a genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on whole-genome variants (SNPs and indels) between all-white and wild-type yaks, we identified a 14-bp deletion in the promoter of KIT, which decreased its expression in all-white yaks. The following knock-in experiments in mouse confirmed that the absence of the yak 14-bp motif decreases the expression of KIT. Deletion of a human orthologue of the yak 14-bp motif by using the CRISPR/Cas9 system reduces the melanin accumulation in human melanoma cells.

conclusionsOverall, our study revealed the genetic basis of all-white yaks and underscored the importance of studying livestock phenotypes to uncover conserved genetic regulators in mammals.

Indexed as

MelaninsNucleotide MotifsPromoter Regions, GeneticProto-Oncogene Proteins c-kitAnimalsCattleGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansMicePigmentationMelaninsProto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit14-bp motifAll-white yaksGene editingKIT geneMelanin

Identifiers

PMID40629379
PMCPMC12239316

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.