哺乳动物毛色色素Agouti基因位点的研究进展

哺乳动物毛色的形成是由毛囊黑色素细胞产生的真黑素和棕黑素之间的转换而引起的 ,控制哺乳动物毛色的基因位点很多 ,且以错综复杂的方式互相作用。鼠灰色 (Agouti)基因是其中之一 ,结构复杂 ,其位点不是一个单一的基因位点 ,而是一个含有许多等位基因的位点。Agouti基因的表达会引起棕黑素的产生 ,而Agouti不表达时则会引起真黑素的表达 ,从而调节色素合成的真黑素和棕黑素之间的转换。Agouti在鼠皮肤内表达 ,通过对抗黑色素细胞内的黑色素细胞刺激激素受体 (MC1 R)信号来调节毛色色素。Agouti基因位点会发生许多突变 ,一些突变不仅影响毛色 ,而且干扰许多不同的生物学过程。本文就 Agouti基因位点的研究进展进行了综述

The Advance of Researches on Agouti Gene Locus in Pigment of Mammalian Coat Color

Mammalian coat color is induced by switching between eumelanin and phaeomelanin, which are produced by melanocytes in hair follicles. The coat colors are controlled by many loci, such as Agouti gene locus, which are very complex and interact between them. Agouti gene has many alleles and its expression can cause the production of phaeomelanin, otherwise cause the production of eumelanin. Agouti gene expressing in skin regulates the coat color pigment by antagonizing MC1R in melanocytes. If Agouti gene mutates, the coat color are not only affected but the other biological behaviors are interfered. In this paper the advance of Agouti gene locus was expounded.