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The mouse pink‐eyed dilution allele of the P ‐gene greatly inhibits eumelanin but not pheomelanin synthesis
Author(s) -
Hirobe Tomohisa,
Ito Shosuke,
Wakamatsu Kazumasa
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
pigment cell and melanoma research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1755-148X
pISSN - 1755-1471
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-148x.2010.00783.x
Subject(s) - allele , congenic , biology , locus (genetics) , microbiology and biotechnology , tyrosinase , melanin , melanosome , mutant , genetics , gene , biochemistry , enzyme
Summary The mouse pink‐eyed dilution ( p ) locus is known to control eumelanin synthesis, melanosome morphology, and tyrosinase activity in melanocytes. However, it has not been fully determined whether the mutant allele, p affects pheomelanin synthesis. Effects of the p allele on eumelanin and phemelanin synthesis were investigated by chemical analysis of dorsal hairs of 5‐week‐old mice obtained from the F 2 generations (black, pink‐eyed black, recessive yellow, pink‐eyed recessive yellow, agouti, and pink‐eyed agouti) between C57BL/10JHir (B10)‐congenic pink‐eyed black mice (B10‐ p/p ) and recessive yellow (B10‐ Mc1r e /Mc1r e ) or agouti (B10‐ A/A ) mice. The eumelanin content was dramatically (>20‐fold) decreased in pink‐eyed black and pink‐eyed agouti mice, whereas the pheomelanin content did not decrease in pink‐eyed black, pink‐eyed recessive yellow, or pink‐eyed agouti mice compared to the corresponding P/‐ mice. These results suggest that the pink‐eyed dilution allele greatly inhibits eumelanin synthesis, but not pheomelanin synthesis.