Coat Patterns
Harlequin
The Harlequin variant results in a distinctive pattern of spots of color on a white coat background, but only when the merle variant is also present. The Harlequin variant is found in the PSMB7 gene (known as the H locus).
More Info
Did you know?
The Harlequin modifier is only found in Great Danes and their mixes. However, there is also a coat pattern in the Beauceron breed called harlequin, which is not caused by the Harlequin variant.
How it works
For Harlequin to be seen dogs must inherit one copy of Harlequin and at least one copy of the Merle variant.
Health implications
If two copies of the Harlequin variant are inherited, it will cause early fetal death and resorption, so all Harlequin dogs carry only one copy of the variant. Two Harlequin dogs mated together will have smaller litter sizes and some non-Harlequin dogs may be produced.
Prevalence
1 in 830 dogs
has one or more copy of this genetic variant in our testing.
Technical Details
| Gene | PSMB7 |
|---|---|
| Also Called | Harlequin (H) Locus |
| Variant | T>G |
| Chromosome | 9 |
| Coordinate | 58,530,295 |
All coordinates reference CanFam3.1
References & Credit
Credit to our scientific colleagues:
Clark, L. A., Tsai, K. L., Starr, A. N., Nowend, K. L., & Murphy, K. E. (2011). A missense mutation in the 20S proteasome β2 subunit of Great Danes having harlequin coat patterning. Genomics, 97(4), 244–248. View the article