Curly coat

The curly coat is a trait characterized by the presence of more or less defined curls in the hair.

Definition

The curly coat trait in dogs is a phenotype characterized by elastic curls that can be more or less tight. The variation responsible for this trait is located in the KRT71 gene which encodes a structural protein that confers strength and elasticity to the coat.

Genetic basis

The presence of one or two copies of the c.451C>T variant results in the manifestation of the trait in dogs. In the case of a single copy, the coat is likely to be more wavy in texture, whereas the presence of two copies may result in a tighter curl. If the c.451C>T variant is not found, the coat is likely to be smooth; however, the existence of other genetic variants could influence this outcome.

Other relevant information

The length of the dog's coat must be long enough to be able to curl, in fact, all the dogs analyzed in the study by Cadieu, E. et al. (2009) with curly hair presented the variant related to long hair. Breeds that commonly possess the trait are Portugese Water Dog, Airedale Terrier, Irish Water Spaniel and Bichon Frisé.

Bibliography

Cadieu E, Neff MW, Quignon P,et al. Coat variation in the domestic dog is governed by variants in three genes. Science. 2009 Oct 2;326(5949):150-3.