Ginger cats, be it Garfield or Puss in Boots, are popular in current media. Yet, the mystery behind their coat color remained a secret until now. Scientists across two continents have found the genetic key behind the notable colors of our orange, furry friends. Two teams of scientists at Kyushu University in Japan and Stanford University in the US have now unveiled the mystery in simultaneous papers published on Thursday.
The teams discovered that ginger color comes from the absence of a certain portion of their genetic code. This leads to the production of a lighter tone in their skin, eyes, and fur. Cat lovers worldwide crowdfunded the research, and thus, the research brings good news for them. The scientists also hope that the knowledge of this genetic puzzle can be used to shed light on whether ginger cats are more prone to certain diseases or not.
How a missing gene segment creates that iconic orange hue
The teams discovered that the cells responsible for giving color to a cat’s skin, eyes, and fur, called melanocytes, had a more active ARHGAP36 gene. On comparing DNA from cats with non-orange and orange-colored fur, the researchers noticed that a particular portion of the gene was missing in the ARHGAP36 gene. Without this piece of DNA, the ARHGAP36 gene activity was not suppressed; instead, it became more active. Scientists believe that the missing portion is responsible for giving a lighter hue to cat fur.
The ARHGAP36 gene is active in many other parts of the body, including the hormonal glands and brain, and is important for development. The ARHGAP36 gene has also been found in humans, where it is linked to skin cancer and hair loss.
What makes ginger cats unique in the feline world
Gender also plays a role in color. Most purely ginger-colored cats are likely to be male. This is because the gene is carried on the X chromosome.
Male cats have two different chromosomes, like any mammal, one X and one Y. As the gene is carried only on the X chromosome, just one missing piece of DNA gives an orange or ginger color. In contrast, females have two X chromosomes, so they need two missing pieces of DNA to be ginger-colored.
“These ginger and black patches form because, early in development, one X chromosome in each cell is randomly switched off,” explains Prof. Hiroyuki Sasaki, geneticist at Kyushu University.
“As cells divide, this creates areas with different active coat colour genes, resulting in distinct patches.”
The research is based on science, but started as a passion project for Prof. Sasaki, who had already retired from his university post. He and his team raised 10.6 million yen via crowdfunding. The research aims to study orange cat genetics and find any correlation between the genes and various cat diseases.
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