Gene responsible for color variations in many species
A cat hair showing light and dark bands caused by alternating production of agouti-signaling protein and α-MSH.
The agouti gene, the Agouti-signaling protein (ASIP) is responsible for variations in color in many species. Agouti works with extension to regulate the color of melanin which is produced in hairs. The agouti protein causes red to yellow pheomelanin to be produced, while the competing molecule α-MSH signals production of brown to black eumelanin. In wildtype mice, alternating cycles of agouti and α-MSH production cause agouti coloration. Each hair has bands of yellow which grew during agouti production, and black which grew during α-MSH production. Wildtype mice also have light-colored bellies. The hairs there are a creamy color the whole length because the agouti protein was produced the whole time the hairs were growing.[1][2]
In mice and other species, loss of function mutations generally cause a darker color, while gain of function mutations cause a yellower coat.[3]
^Furumura M, Sakai C, Abdel-Malek Z, Barsh GS, Hearing VJ (August 1996). "The interaction of agouti signal protein and melanocyte stimulating hormone to regulate melanin formation in mammals". Pigment Cell Research. 9 (4): 191–203. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0749.1996.tb00109.x. PMID 8948501.
^Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM): 600201
^Cite error: The named reference Fontanesi2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
and 20 Related for: Agouti coloration genetics information
alternating cycles of agouti and α-MSH production cause agouticoloration. Each hair has bands of yellow which grew during agouti production, and black...
Cat coat genetics determine the coloration, pattern, length, and texture of feline fur. The variations among cat coats are physical properties and should...
have a point coloration similar to that of Siamese cats. In horses, point coloration is most often produced by the action of the agouti gene. It acts...
common color of horse, followed by black and chestnut. A change at the agouti locus is capable of turning bay to black, while a mutation at the extension...
transposition events. The Agouti genes are orthologous genes involved in camouflage across many lineages. They produce yellow and red coloration (phaeomelanin),...
extension). ASIP (agouti) either blocks MC1R from binding to alpha-MSH and signalling for black ('A' at agouti), or it does not ('a' at agouti). The extension...
underlying genetics of these colour varieties. According to Candille, et al. (2007), dog coat color can largely be explained by three genes: MC1R, Agouti and...
allele of the agouti gene, which evens out the usual striped pattern of the colors of the coat. In contrast, tabby cats have an agouti gene that produces...
chestnut base may appear a light tan shade, and those with black base coloration are a smoky gray. Manes, tails, primitive markings, and other dark areas...
antagonized by agouti signalling peptide (ASIP), which reverts the cell back to producing the yellow or red phaeomelanin. The yellow and black agouti banding...
chromosomes, and is explained by Barr bodies and the genetics of sex-linked inheritance. The agouti gene, with its two alleles, A and a, controls whether...
Countershading, or Thayer's law, is a method of camouflage in which an animal's coloration is darker on the top or upper side and lighter on the underside of the...
genotype for grulla horses is a black base with dun dilution. In this coloration, each individual hair is mouse-colored, unlike a roan, which is composed...
Varnish roan describes a horse with coloration similar to roan, but with some changes in color over the years, though not to the extreme of a gray. This...
produces white-haired, pink-skinned patches on a base coat color. The coloration is almost always present from birth and does not change throughout the...
piebald. The genetics behind the black horse are relatively simple. The color black is primarily controlled by two genes: Extension and Agouti. The functional...
the agouti gene is responsible. Eumelanin predominates in the legs, mane and tail of bay horses. By contrast, horses which lack a functional agouti gene...
from gray horses, and those carrying a loss-of-function mutation in ASIP (agouti signaling protein) had a higher incidence of melanoma, implying that increased...
Global Information