Genetic analysis of the black pigment mutation in the Mongolian gerbil

Waring, Alicia D.; Poole, Timothy W.

doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a109402

Cited by 12 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The genetic reason of the yellow pigmentation of gerbils may be different from the classical A y mutations in mice, as yellow gerbils do not express the other pleiotropic activities of the agouti locus, obesity and diabetes in heterozygotes possessing the wild a allele (41, 42), nor the lethal phenotype in the lethal yellow agouti homozygotes (43,44). Thus, although the same loci as in rats and mice determine gerbil coat pigmentation (18,45), the yellow phenotype may be conditioned in a different way than in mice. This difference makes the gerbil model very attractive for studies on mechanism‐regulating melanin pigmentation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transplantable melanomas in gerbils (meriones unguiculatus). II: melanogenesis

Płonka

Slominski

Pajak

et al. 2003

Experimental Dermatology

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We characterized the melanogenic apparatus in a family of transplantable gerbil melanomas (melanotic and amelanotic) using a combination of biophysical, ultrastructural and biochemical methods. Melanotic melanomas produced pure eumelanin but in vesiculo-globular melanosomes ('pheomelanosomes'); the eumelanosomes, characteristically ellipsoidal in shape with fibrillar or fibrillo-lamelar matrix, were never noticed. Melanotic melanomas also had significant tyrosinase activity and Zn, Pb/S, Ca and P content; all higher than in the amelanotic variants. The amelanotic variant, which was devoid of melanin pigment and melanosomes, had clearly detectable tyrosinase activity (albeit at 20% of that in the melanotic variant). Thus, with these multidirectional approaches we demonstrate that pure eumelanin can be synthesized in organelles ultrastructurally defined as pheomelanosomes, but a defect in the formation of melanosomes can prevent in vivo melanin synthesis despite the presence of detectable tyrosinase activity. We conclude that this melanoma system provides an excellent experimental model for the study of molecular components determining pheo- and/or eumelanogenesis. The information generated can be used for defining the roles of melanogenesis and of tyrosinase expression in the regulation of melanoma behavior and the effect of their modification on the course of the disease.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transplantable melanomas in gerbils (meriones unguiculatus). II: melanogenesis

Płonka

Slominski

Pajak

et al. 2003

Experimental Dermatology

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“…The common agouti or mixed brown Mongolian gerbil stock is used in research and sold as pets. The agouti has given rise to black (Cramlet et al, 1974;Waring and Poole, 1980), albino (Hedges, 1977), piebald, dove, cinnamon, and a "hairless" mutant (Alderton, 1986;Matsuzaki et al, 1989b). An inbred strain (Mon/Tum) is also available (Brain, 1999).…”

Section: Bacterial Diseases 1148mentioning

confidence: 99%