Leukocyte Tyrosine Kinase (Ltk) Is the Mendelian Determinant of the Axolotl Melanoid Color Variant.

ABSTRACT: The great diversity of color patterns observed among amphibians is largely explained by the differentiation of relatively few pigment cell types during development. Mexican axolotls present a variety of color phenotypes that span the continuum from leucistic to highly melanistic. The melanoid axolotl is a Mendelian variant characterized by large numbers of melanophores, proportionally fewer xanthophores, and no iridophores. Early studies of melanoid were influential in developing the single-origin hypothesis of pigment cell development, wherein it has been proposed that all three pigment cell types derive from a common progenitor cell, with pigment metabolites playing potential roles in directing the development of organelles that define different pigment cell types. Specific

SUBMITTER: Kabangu M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10137446 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature