Identification and characterization of the tyrosinase gene (TYR) and its transcript variants (TYR_1 and TYR_2) in the crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis)

Tyrosinase is a copper-containing enzyme that regulates melanin biosynthesis and is encoded by the tyrosinase (TYR) gene. Previous studies demonstrated that mutations in TYR could lead to oculocutaneous albinism type 1 (OCA1) owing to the failure of melanin formation. Although a previous study found that albinism in the rhesus monkey was derived from a mutation in TYR, the identification and characterization of this gene in non-human primates has not been achieved thus far. Thus, using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and internal reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) we identified the full-length sequence of TYR in the crab-eating macaque, and two different transcript variants (TYR_1 and TYR_2). While TYR_1 comprised five exons and its coding sequence was highly similar to that of humans, TYR_2 comprised four exons and was generated by a third-exon-skipping event. Interestingly, these two transcripts were also present in the African green monkey (Old World monkey) and the common marmoset (New World monkey). Deduced amino acid sequence analyses revealed that TYR_2 had a shorter C-terminal region than TYR_1 owing to the exon-skipping event. Thus, the present study is the first to identify and characterize a full-length TYR gene in a non-human primate, while the further validation of the third-exon-skipping in TYR indicates that this event is well conserved in the primate lineage. Therefore, this study provides useful and important information for the study of albinism using non-human primate models.