Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Submitted Successfully!
Thank you for your contribution! You can also upload a video entry or images related to this topic. For video creation, please contact our Academic Video Service.
Version Summary Created by Modification Content Size Created at Operation
1 handwiki Camila Xu -- 2064 2022-09-30 01:37:12

Video Upload Options

We provide professional Academic Video Service to translate complex research into visually appealing presentations. Would you like to try it?
No, upload directly Yes
Cite
If you have any further questions, please contact Encyclopedia Editorial Office.
HandWiki. Agouti (Gene). Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33486 (accessed on 23 September 2026).
HandWiki. Agouti (Gene). Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33486. Accessed September 23, 2026.
HandWiki. "Agouti (Gene)" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33486 (accessed September 23, 2026).
HandWiki. (2022, November 08). Agouti (Gene). In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33486
HandWiki. "Agouti (Gene)." Encyclopedia. Web. 08 November, 2022.
Agouti (Gene)
Edit
The content is sourced from: https://handwiki.org/wiki/Biology:Agouti_(gene)

The agouti gene encodes the agouti-signaling protein (ASIP), responsible for the distribution of melanin pigment in mammals. Agouti interacts with the melanocortin 1 receptor to determine whether the melanocyte (pigment cell) produces phaeomelanin (a red to yellow pigment), or eumelanin (a brown to black pigment). This interaction is responsible for making distinct light and dark bands in the hairs of animals such as the agouti. In other species such as horses, the agouti gene is responsible for determining which parts of the body will be black. Horses can either have black distributed across its body or can have black only in certain locations such as the tail, ears, mane, and the lower legs. In mice, the agouti gene determines whether the animal will be yellow or grey and brown. The agouti-signaling protein (ASIP) is a competitive antagonist with alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) to bind with melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) proteins. Activation by α-MSH causes production of the darker eumelanin, while activation by ASIP causes production of the redder phaeomelanin. This means that if agouti is expressed then the phenotype will be yellow and if it's not expressed then the phenotype would be grey.

melanocortin 1 receptor melanin pigment phaeomelanin

References

  1. "Molecular characterization of the mouse agouti locus". Cell 71 (7): 1195–204. December 1992. doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(05)80067-4. PMID 1473152.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2FS0092-8674%2805%2980067-4
  2. "Physiological consequences of ectopic agouti gene expression: the yellow obese mouse syndrome". Physiological Genomics 1 (3): 151–63. November 1999. doi:10.1152/physiolgenomics.1999.1.3.151. PMID 11015573. https://semanticscholar.org/paper/9191ff6d62ae4e71d904b3e9f1c35b930eb02a5a. 
  3. "Mesoderm-ectoderm interaction in the production of the agouti pigmentation pattern in mice". Genetics 71 (2): 297–303. June 1972. PMID 4558326. PMC 1212784. https://www.genetics.org/content/genetics/71/2/297.full.pdf. 
  4. Melmed, S. (Ed) (2010). The Pituitary (3rd ed.). Cambridge: MA: Academic Press. 
  5. "The role of the agouti gene in the yellow obese syndrome". The Journal of Nutrition 127 (9): 1902S–1907S. September 1997. doi:10.1093/jn/127.9.1902S. PMID 9278579.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1093%2Fjn%2F127.9.1902S
  6. "Agouti protein is an antagonist of the melanocyte-stimulating-hormone receptor". Nature 371 (6500): 799–802. October 1994. doi:10.1038/371799a0. PMID 7935841. Bibcode: 1994Natur.371..799L.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1038%2F371799a0
  7. "Ectopic expression of the agouti gene in transgenic mice causes obesity, features of type II diabetes, and yellow fur". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 92 (11): 4728–32. May 1995. doi:10.1073/pnas.92.11.4728. PMID 7761391. Bibcode: 1995PNAS...92.4728K.  http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=41780
  8. Tollefsbol, T. (Ed.) (2012). Epigenetics in Human Disease (6 ed.). Cambridge: MA: Academic Press. 
  9. "The agouti mouse model: an epigenetic biosensor for nutritional and environmental alterations on the fetal epigenome". Nutrition Reviews 66 Suppl 1 (1): S7-11. August 2008. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2008.00056.x. PMID 18673496.  http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2822875
  10. Barsh, G. S. (2001-01-01), "Agouti", in Brenner, Sydney; Miller, Jefferey H., Academic Press, pp. 23, doi:10.1006/rwgn.2001.0017, ISBN 9780122270802, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B0122270800000173, retrieved 2019-09-19 
  11. "Adipogenesis and obesity: rounding out the big picture". Cell 87 (3): 377–89. November 1996. doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81359-8. PMID 8898192.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2FS0092-8674%2800%2981359-8
  12. "The MC4 receptor and control of appetite". British Journal of Pharmacology 149 (7): 815–27. December 2006. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706929. PMID 17043670.  http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2014686
  13. "Cellularity of adipose depots in six strains of genetically obese mice". Journal of Lipid Research 13 (1): 2–11. January 1972. PMID 5059196. http://www.jlr.org/content/13/1/2.full.pdf. 
  14. "The yellow mouse obesity syndrome and mechanisms of agouti-induced obesity". Obesity Research 7 (5): 506–14. September 1999. doi:10.1002/j.1550-8528.1999.tb00440.x. PMID 10509609.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2Fj.1550-8528.1999.tb00440.x
  15. null
  16. "Maternal methyl supplements in mice affect epigenetic variation and DNA methylation of offspring". The Journal of Nutrition 132 (8 Suppl): 2393S–2400S. August 2002. doi:10.1093/jn/132.8.2393S. PMID 12163699.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1093%2Fjn%2F132.8.2393S
  17. "Structure and function of ASP, the human homolog of the mouse agouti gene". Human Molecular Genetics 4 (2): 223–30. February 1995. doi:10.1093/hmg/4.2.223. PMID 7757071.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1093%2Fhmg%2F4.2.223
  18. "The insulin-like growth factor pathway as a target for cancer therapy". Clinical & Translational Oncology 12 (5): 326–38. May 2010. doi:10.1007/s12094-010-0514-8. PMID 20466617.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2Fs12094-010-0514-8
  19. "Nutrition & the Epigenome". https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/nutrition/. 
  20. "Molecular structure and chromosomal mapping of the human homolog of the agouti gene". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 91 (21): 9760–4. October 1994. doi:10.1073/pnas.91.21.9760. PMID 7937887. Bibcode: 1994PNAS...91.9760K.  http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=44896
  21. Handbook of Hormones. Cambridge: MA: Academic Press. 2015. pp. 66–67. 
  22. "Hypothalamic expression of ART, a novel gene related to agouti, is up-regulated in obese and diabetic mutant mice". Genes & Development 11 (5): 593–602. March 1997. doi:10.1101/gad.11.5.593. PMID 9119224.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1101%2Fgad.11.5.593
  23. "Plasma levels of agouti-related protein are increased in obese men". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 86 (5): 1921–4. May 2001. doi:10.1210/jcem.86.5.7458. PMID 11344185.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1210%2Fjcem.86.5.7458
  24. "Association between an agouti-related protein gene polymorphism and anorexia nervosa". Molecular Psychiatry 6 (3): 325–8. May 2001. doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4000854. PMID 11326303.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1038%2Fsj.mp.4000854
  25. "Epigenomics Fact Sheet" (in en). https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Epigenomics-Fact-Sheet. 
More
©Text is available under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons-Attribution ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
Upload a video for this entry
Information
Subjects: Others
Contributor MDPI registered users' name will be linked to their SciProfiles pages. To register with us, please refer to https://encyclopedia.pub/register :
HandWiki
View Times: 2.6K
Entry Collection: HandWiki
Revision: 1 time (View History)
Update Date: 08 Nov 2022
Table of Contents
    Notice
    You are not a member of the advisory board for this topic. If you want to update advisory board member profile, please contact office@encyclopedia.pub.
    OK
    Confirm
    Only members of the Encyclopedia advisory board for this topic are allowed to note entries. Would you like to become an advisory board member of the Encyclopedia?
    Yes
    No
    ${ textCharacter }/${ maxCharacter }
    Submit
    Cancel
    There is no comment~
    ${ textCharacter }/${ maxCharacter }
    Submit
    Cancel
    ${ selectedItem.replyTextCharacter }/${ selectedItem.replyMaxCharacter }
    Submit
    Cancel
    Confirm
    Are you sure to Delete?
    Yes No
    Academic Video Service
    Feedback