Objective   Correlation between the mutation sites of tyrosinase related protein 1b gene, TYRP1b, and body color traits of Danio rerio was investigated.

  Method   DNA of muscles from zebrafish of three significantly different body color phenotypes were used as the templates. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the genes were tested by PCR and Sanger direct sequencing to determine the relationship between the mutation sites of TYRP1b and traits of zebrafish body color.

  Result   The exon 2, partial intron 3, exon 4, intron 4, exon 5, intron 5, exon 6, and exon 7 of TYRP1b were 134 bp, 212 bp, 168 bp, 135 bp, 180 bp, 113 bp, 150 bp, and 171bp in length, respectively. Eighteen SNPs were found in 219 zebrafish with body color of red, yellow, and blue. Of them, 11 (i.e., g.2125G＞A, g.2150G＞A, g.2152G＞T, g.2161C＞A, g.2175A＞T, g.2180G＞T, g.2185A＞T, g.2192A＞C, g.2200A＞T, g.2201A＞C, and g.2213T＞C) were located in partial intron 3, 5 (i.e., g.7C＞A, g.65A＞G, g.84T＞A, and g.103C＞T) in intron 4 and g.61G＞T in intron 5, and the synonymous mutation g.125G＞T in exon 4 and g.80T＞A in exon 6. No SNPs were detected in exons 2, 5, and 7. An association analysis showed that the genotypes of g.2152G＞T, g.2175A＞T, g.2180T＞G, g.2192A＞C, g.2200A＞T, and g.2201A＞C in intron 3, g.65A＞G in intron 4, and g.80T＞A in exon 6 of TYRP1b significantly correlated with zebrafish body color (P＜0.01).

  Conclusion  It appeared that 8 SNPs in introns 3, 4, and exon 6 of TYRP1b in D. rerio were associated with body color phenotype of the fish.