The Insertion in the 3' UTR of Pmel17 Is the Causal Variant for Golden Skin Color in Tilapia.

Understanding of the relationships between genotypes and phenotypes is a central problem in biology. Although teleosts have colorful phenotypes, not much is known about their underlying mechanisms. Our previous study showed that golden skin color in Mozambique tilapia was mapped in the major locus containing the Pmel gene, and an insertion in 3' UTR of Pmel17 was fully correlated with the golden color.