Date Approved
2025
Degree Type
Open Access Senior Honors Thesis
Department or School
Biology
First Advisor
Hannah S. Seidel, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Andrew C. Cornett, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Ann R. Eisenberg, Ph.D.
Abstract
While the genetic basis of color morphs in ball pythons (Python regius) has become increasingly studied, rapid and accessible tools for genotyping these known mutations are still limited. Here, we developed allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) assays for detecting genetic mutations associated with ten diUerent P. regius color morphs, providing a rapid and coste Uective genotyping tool. We first tested each color morph with diUerent combinations of AS-PCR primers to determine the optimal ones. Then, we performed AS-PCR again with a larger sample set after identifying optimal primers and amplification conditions specific to each morph-associated genetic variant. These AS-PCR assays distinguished wild-type and mutant alleles across multiple pigmentation-related genes, confirming their reliability. The mutations detected using AS-PCR included missense, deletion, nonsense, or splice site mutations. Our study demonstrates that AS-PCR is a time and cost-saving method for screening known mutations in ball pythons. This approach may be used to enhance breeding accuracy, large-scale genetic studies, and support future research on reptile pigmentation genetics.
Recommended Citation
Dao, Uyen, "Allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) assays for genetic variants associated with color morphs in ball pythons (Python regius)" (2025). Senior Honors Theses and Projects. 863.
https://commons.emich.edu/honors/863