The TYRP1 (Tyrosinase Related Protein 1) Chocolate/Brown SNP – Liver Gene

The B Locus (also referred to as chocolate or liver or brown or red). Chocolate is identified via at
least 3 different SNPs (variants). These 3 SNPs that are currently tested and available and referred to
as:

bc – base pair change

bs – stop codon

bd – deletion

These 3 represent all the recessive alleles located on the B Locus. Many breeds carry one or more
than one of these alleles. Orivet report each of these SNPs individually. These alleles can be
combined and thus result in the dog being liver/chocolate. One copy of these SNPs is usually
reported or identified as Bb with a chocolate/liver dog reported as bb and results in showing the
phenotype.

If a dog carries one of these SNPs (Bb) then it will not be brown/liver/chocolate BUT simply be a
CARRIER of this colour.

The reason why Orivet reports these individually is that one can have two different variant (alleles)
at the one “gene” referred to as compound heterozygotes. Compound heterozygotes can result in
the combination of both variants (alleles) causing one to express the phenotype. For example, if you
are carrying a variant at the bc Locus (Bbc) and one at bs Locus (Bbs) then this “compound
heterozygote” may express the phenotype = chocolate/liver/brown (bc bs ). Some breeds carry all 3
variants and in some cases developmental breeds may carry variants across all 3.

Please Note: There are some breeds where the B Locus (all 3 SNPs) are not responsible for
producing brown/chocolate.

Reference
TYRP1 and MC1R genotypes and their effects on coat color in dogs,
Schmutz, SM et al: Mamm Genome 2002 Jul, 13 (7); 380-7.