Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026
10:07
Investigation of Macrophage Polarization Using Bone Marrow Derived Macrophages
Published on: June 23, 2013
The mahogany mouse mutation: further links between pigmentation, obesity and the immune system
1MRC Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, UK EH4 2XU. ian.jackson@hgu.mrc.ac.uk
Trends in Genetics : TIG
|October 26, 1999
Abstract:
Completely different lines of experimentation have identified attractin, a protein that seems to have multiple roles in regulating physiological processes. It affects the balance between agonist and antagonist at receptors on melanocytes, modifies behaviour and basal metabolic rate, and mediates an interaction between activated T cells and macrophages. It may well be a target for development of drugs to treat obesity.
Related Concept Videos
01:39Epistasis
In addition to multiple alleles at the same locus influencing traits, numerous genes or alleles at different locations may interact and influence phenotypes in a phenomenon called epistasis. For example, rabbit fur can be black or brown depending on whether the animal is homozygous dominant or heterozygous at a TYRP1 locus. However, if the rabbit is also homozygous recessive at a locus on the tyrosinase gene (TYR), it will have an unshaded coat that appears white, regardless of its TYRP1...
01:33Pleiotropy
Pleiotropy is the phenomenon in which a single gene impacts multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits. For example, defects in the SOX10 gene cause Waardenburg Syndrome Type 4, or WS4, which can cause defects in pigmentation, hearing impairments, and an absence of intestinal contractions necessary for elimination. This diversity of phenotypes results from the expression pattern of SOX10 in early embryonic and fetal development. SOX10 is found in neural crest cells that form melanocytes,...
02:41Lethal Alleles
Agouti: A Lethal Allele
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
02:43Mouse Models of Cancer Study
Mice have long served as models for studying human biology and pathology because of their phylogenetic and physiological similarity with humans. They are also easy to maintain and breed in the laboratory, and hence, many inbred strains are now available for research. Studies on mice have contributed immeasurably to our understanding of cancer biology.
The development of transgenic, knockout, and knock-in mice has led to an exponential increase in their use as model organisms in research,...
The development of transgenic, knockout, and knock-in mice has led to an exponential increase in their use as model organisms in research,...