A deletion in the Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome 4 (Hps4) gene appears to be responsible for albinism in channel catfish
Albinism is caused by a series of genetic abnormalities leading to reduction of melanin production. Albinism is quite frequent in catfish, but the causative gene and the molecular basis were unknown. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the 250 K SNP array. The GWAS analysis allowed mapping of the albino phenotype in the Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome 4 (Hps4) gene, which is known to be involved in melanosome biosynthesis. Sequencing analysis revealed that a 99-bp deletion was present in all analyzed albino catfish at the intron 2 and exon 3 junction. This deletion led to the skipping of the entire exon 3 which was confirmed by RT-PCR. Therefore, Hps4 was determined to be the candidate gene of the catfish albinism.