Researchers from Japan and the US have discovered the secret of red cats. They found that they lack a specific section of DNA in a gene called ARHGAP36. This causes the cells that determine the color of fur, eyes, and skin to produce a lighter pigment, which creates the red color.
The BBC writes about this.
For decades, scientists have observed that completely red cats are more likely to be male. This is because a special gene is located on the X chromosome. Males only have one X chromosome, so even one “defective” gene can make a cat completely red.
In the cells that give cats their fur, skin, and eyes their color—melanocytes—the ARHGAP36 gene is much more active. Genes are made up of DNA fragments that, like in all living organisms, give cells instructions on how to function.
By comparing the DNA of dozens of cats with red and non-red coats, scientists found that animals with red fur lack a single DNA fragment in the ARHGAP36 gene. Without this fragment, ARHGAP36 activity is not suppressed — it becomes hyperactive. According to scientists, this is what forces melanocytes to produce a lighter pigment.
Red-haired cats are popular characters in pop culture, such as Puss in Boots from Shrek. And this is Garfield.
DreamWorks
But females have two X chromosomes, and for a completely red color, both must have this change. Therefore, cats are more often spotted or tri-colored. This also explains why tri-colored cats always have different spots. The thing is that at an early stage of development, one of the X chromosomes is randomly deactivated in each cell, so different parts of the body have different colors of fur.
Tortoiseshell, or calico, cats are usually females.
This discovery not only satisfies the curiosity of animal lovers, but also could have important medical implications — both for cats and, possibly, for humans. After all, the ARHGAP36 gene is also present in humans — it is associated with the risk of skin cancer and hair loss.
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