Asset Details
Do you wish to reserve the book?
Developmental mechanisms of stripe patterns in rodents
Hey, we have placed the reservation for you!
By the way, why not check out events that you can attend while you pick your title.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place the reservation. Kindly try again later.
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
Developmental mechanisms of stripe patterns in rodents
Do you wish to request the book?
Developmental mechanisms of stripe patterns in rodents
Please be aware that the book you have requested cannot be checked out. If you would like to checkout this book, you can reserve another copy
We have requested the book for you!
Your request is successful and it will be processed during the Library working hours. Please check the status of your request in My Requests.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place your request. Kindly try again later.
Journal Article
Developmental mechanisms of stripe patterns in rodents
2016
Overview
Mammalian colour patterns are among the most recognizable characteristics found in nature and can have a profound impact on fitness. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the formation and subsequent evolution of these patterns. Here we show that, in the African striped mouse (
Rhabdomys pumilio
), periodic dorsal stripes result from underlying differences in melanocyte maturation, which give rise to spatial variation in hair colour. We identify the transcription factor ALX3 as a regulator of this process. In embryonic dorsal skin, patterned expression of
Alx3
precedes pigment stripes and acts to directly repress
Mitf
, a master regulator of melanocyte differentiation, thereby giving rise to light-coloured hair. Moreover,
Alx3
is upregulated in the light stripes of chipmunks, which have independently evolved a similar dorsal pattern. Our results show a previously undescribed mechanism for modulating spatial variation in hair colour and provide insights into how phenotypic novelty evolves.
Alx3
-induced modulation of
Mitf
expression alters melanocyte differentiation and gives rise to the hair colour differences underlying the repeated evolution of dorsal stripes in rodents.
Making rodents of a different stripe
Mammalian colour patterns are more than skin deep. They can reveal much about underlying development, and can be crucial for fitness. But how are they made? Hopi Hoekstra and colleagues examine the development of stripes in the African striped mouse (
Rhabdomys pumilio
) and identify that the transcription factor
Alx3
is a regulator of differential rates of pigment-cell maturation that give rise to stripiness. Even in embryonic life, patterned expression of
Alx3
foreshadows the stripes that will eventually develop.
Alx3
also represses
Mitf
, a master regulator of melanocyte differentiation, giving rise to light-colored hair. It's not just stripey mice, however:
Alx3
is also upregulated in the light stripes of chipmunks, which have independently evolved a similar dorsal coat pattern, revealing a common basis for patterning in rodents.
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
Subject
/ Animals
/ Color
/ Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
/ Hair
/ Homeodomain Proteins - metabolism
/ Humanities and Social Sciences
/ Mice
/ Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor - antagonists & inhibitors
/ Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor - metabolism
/ Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics
/ Rodents
/ Science
/ Skin
