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Updated: Jun 11, 2026

A Phenotyping Regimen for Genetically Modified Mice Used to Study Genes Implicated in Human Diseases of Aging
Published on: July 14, 2016
Mahogany/attractin: en route from phenotype to function
1Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, and the HHMI, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5323, USA.
Abstract:
The mouse mahogany mutation affects melanocortin signaling pathways that regulate energy homeostasis and hair color. The gene mutated in mahogany mice encodes attractin, a large transmembrane protein that is broadly expressed and conserved among multicellular animals. Mouse attractin is likely to have additional roles outside melanocortin signaling, and cloning of the gene provides information that can be used to form testable hypotheses about its biochemical function.
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