Why Siberian huskies have those

brilliant baby blues

Elegant and expressive, blue-eyed dogs have some of the most
unforgettable furry faces around. Scientists have thrown dog-lovers a
bone: clues as to what causes this eye-catching trait.

Scientists know that blue eyes are related to the coat color of some dogs,
like merle (or splotchy-coated) Australian shepherds. But what about
other dogs that sometimes have piercing baby blues, like the striking
and popular Siberian husky? (Related: What Makes a Great Sled Dog?
Breed, Ambition, Tough Feet.)

Scientists at a DNA testing startup set out to explore the question by

looking into other variations—besides coat color—that might cause blue
eye color in dogs.

In the largest study ever to compare dogs’ complete genetic profiles,

researchers found a genetic tweak that can cause blue-eyed dogs.
The study was published last week in the journal PLOS Genetics by
Adam Boyko and Aaron Sams of Embark Veterinary, Inc.

Researchers tested the DNA of more than 6,000 dogs whose owners
had purchased DNA test kits to confirm or identify their dogs’ breeds
and explore their potential risk of health conditions. The size of the
study was possible because of the scientists’ access to vast data thanks
to the test kits purchased and owners’ willingness to participate in an
online survey where they could also share photos of their dogs.

Researchers found that a genetic change, or mutation, near a gene

known as ALX4 on canine chromosome 18 is strongly associated with
blue eyes in Siberian huskies.

Genes are all about cause and effect, like dominoes toppling over, says
geneticist Kristopher Irizarry of the College of Veterinary Medicine at
Western University of Health Sciences. “One gene will turn on another,
or turn off another, or turn off 10 and turn on others,” he says.
“Genetics is this very complex spider web of pushes and pulls—and
order and time are critical.”

Paths to Baby Blue

Blue eyes are found in a number of dog breeds, including Old English
sheepdogs, border collies, and Welsh and Pembroke corgis,
Irizarrypoints out. But for these breeds the blue-eyed trait is inherited
as a recessive trait, meaning that two mutated copies of the gene are
required for the blue eyes to occur.

In humans, he says, blue eyes are caused by a genetic variation between

a pair of genes called HERC2 and OCA2 in the human genome.

According to Irizarry, the mutation of the ALX4 gene in Siberian

huskies seems to result in decreased pigment production in the eye. The
lack of pigment causes the eye to appear blue.

“There’s no blue pigment. It’s about the way the light enters and exits
the eye, creating the appearance of blue, the same way the sky looks
blue but outer space is not blue,” says Irizarry.