PUBLICATION

A golden clue to human skin colour variation

Authors
Muller, J., and Kelsh, R.N.
ID
ZDB-PUB-060526-3
Date
2006
Source
BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology   28(6): 578-582 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Kelsh, Robert, Mueller, Jeanette
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Color
  • Melanocytes/metabolism
  • Skin Pigmentation/physiology*
  • Models, Genetic
  • Skin/metabolism
  • Animals
  • Humans
(all 7)
PubMed
16700060 Full text @ Bioessays
Abstract
Variations in human skin pigmentation are obvious, but how have skin colour differences evolved? Although clearly a polymorphic trait, the number and identity of key variants has remained unclear. Investigation of pigmentation phenotypes in model organisms provides a route to identify these genes and showed MC1R to be one key locus. Now, cloning of a classic zebrafish mutant, golden, identifies slc24a5 as a gene involved in fish skin pigmentation.1 Strikingly this study identifies the human orthologue, SLC24A5, as likely to make a major contribution to the pale skin colouration of Western Europeans.
Genes / Markers
Figures
No images available
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping
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Citation
Muller, J., and Kelsh, R.N. (2006) A golden clue to human skin colour variation. BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology. 28(6):578-582.