title: The secret of a natural blond.
abstract: Elucidating the molecular mechanisms responsible for changes in gene expression is important for understanding the evolution of morphological traits. A new study identifies the molecular basis of the association between KITLG and blond hair color, presenting an intriguing example of how a single DNA base-pair change in an upstream regulatory element can cause relatively large and specific downstream changes in phenotype.
authors: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Hopi
authors: H
authors: Hoekstra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006200:Hair Color / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C497573:LEF1 protein, human; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1; D019089:Stem Cell Factor