life inspired

"Although long-studied, the underlying basis of mammalian coat patterns remains unclear. By studying a large number of cat species and varieties, Kaelin et al. identified two genes, Taqpep and Edn3, as critical factors in the development of feline pigment patterns."

See news piece @ NYTimes. Paper: Kaelin et al [2012]. "Specifying and Sustaining Pigmentation Patterns in Domestic and Wild Cats." Science. 337 (6101), 1536-1541.

Labels: gene regulation, genotype-phenotype map