title: High-resolution linkage mapping of the rat hooded locus.
abstract: To identify a gene responsible for the hooded phenotype in the rat, high-resolution linkage mapping for the hooded locus was performed using IS (non-hooded) and LEA (hooded) rats. The map revealed that only Kit gene existed in the critical region, suggesting that the Kit is a strong candidate gene. However, mutation was not found in the coding region of the LEA rat Kit gene. Further, the expressions of Kit mRNA were not different in fetal neural tubes and both neonatal and adult skins between IS and LEA rats. Furthermore, Kit-positive cells, possibly melanocytes, were found in the non-pigmented hair follicles of hooded phenotype rats. Several hypotheses are conceivable to account for mechanisms in the appearance of hooded phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Torigoe
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ichii
authors.forename: Ruihua
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohnaka
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: Nobuya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kon
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Agui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008040:Genetic Linkage / Q000235:genetics*; D006200:Hair Color / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats / Q000235:genetics*