xfactor fan wrote: And the folks doing the research are making the leap that if the LP gene is present, then so are the spots?
You tell me .
This is the first sentence from "Association analysis of candidate SNPs in TRPM1 with leopard complex spotting (LP) and congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in horses" (Bellone et al. 2010)-
Leopard complex spotting occurs in several breeds of horses and is caused by a single incompletely dominant autosomal locus, LP.
That statement can be interpreted as no other gene necessary. It's my understanding that the theoretical PATN, which might be multiple genes, is responsible for the distribution of LP markings in the Appaloosa. Don't most of the other breeds in which LP is found exhibit 'allover' or maximal spotting?
It has been interesting to watch (from a safe distance)