Detecting Polymorphism of Myosin-binding Protein C3 Gene in Persian Breed Cat With and Without Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

In cats, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) stands out as a prevailing heart disease. The mutations in the gene that encodes cardiac myosin-binding protein C (MYBPC3) have been detected in the Ragdoll and Maine Coon breeds. 

HCM is believed to be hereditary in other breeds, too. 

Blood samples were collected for DNA extraction from 2 unaffected and 7 affected Persian breed cats with HCM. Besides accomplishing conventional polymerase chain reaction, DNA sequencing was performed. The sequence changes were utilized to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms in the MYBPC3 gene and predict amino acid substitutions based on the Acc. No. XM_019812396.1 and comparisons with the literature on identified breed variants and control samples.

Although many single nucleotide polymorphisms were found in the affected and unaffected Persian cats, no causative mutation for HCM was observed.

In this breed, HCM does not seem to be caused solely by mutations in this cardiac gene. Potential cardiac genes should be investigated to uncover other genetic reasons for this cardiac disease in the Persian cat breed.