Cats have different colors and shapes in their fur, which allows to differentiate their diversity. A study carried out by members of the HudsonAlpha Biotechnology Institute (USA) has discovered that those responsible for these color patterns in cats’ hair are due to specific molecules found during the embryonic stage of kittens.
In previous studies, it had been observed that changes in the color of domestic cats occur during hair growth, since the adjacent hair follicles generate a type of melanin pigment that determines the hue. However, the reason why the follicle produces black or yellow melanin is not yet known.
This research, published in the journal Nature Communications, recorded the process by which identical skin cells can acquire different genetic signatures, thanks to skin samples from cat embryos from different stages of development. They analyzed the proteins present in the tissue and the genes of the individual cells that had been obtained from it.
The Dickkop gene is responsible for the color of cats
What the researchers found was that differences in gene expression during the embryonic phase of cats is what determines the color of the coat generated later. Specifically, it is due to a signaling molecule that is encoded by the Dickkopf 4 gene (Dkk4), whose main function is the formation of the color pattern.
The genetic expression in the embryonic phase of cats is what determines their color, and a mutation in the gene can give them a marbled appearance
Another finding showed that some cats have this mutated gene, and consequently have a marbled coat, for example what happens in breeds such as the Savannah Servalino or the Abyssinian. Looking at other cats, the authors hint that their findings could also apply to animals such as tigers or leopards, among other mammals.
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