Latest news with #ARHGAP36
NHK
18-05-2025
- Science
- NHK
Japan research team says it has solved mystery of calico cats' fur color
Researchers in Japan say they have unlocked a long-standing mystery about the color of calico cats, known for their black, white and orange fur. The team includes Sasaki Hiroyuki, distinguished professor at the Kyushu University Institute for Advanced Study. Almost all tri-colored calicos are female, but the gene that determines the fur colors of black and orange has been a mystery since full-fledged studies began more than 60 years ago. The researchers analyzed and compared the genes of calico cats and other types. They identified a gene called ARHGAP36 on the X chromosome linked to biological sex. They say this is the gene that makes the black and orange colors. They also say that when this gene mutates, it affects the production of proteins, causing black fur to turn orange. If a cat also has a gene for white fur, it will have patches of black, white and orange. The researchers, who are all cat lovers, said they took extra care not to hurt their feline subjects by using blood samples collected at animal hospitals. The team raised over 10 million yen, or about 68,500 dollars, for the project through crowdfunding. The donations doubled the target amount. Professor Sasaki says he is very happy with the results of the research, and the finding suggests that the newly discovered gene may affect nerve functions. He says he would like to study if different colors and patterns are linked to cats' personalities. Sasaki adds that he hopes the breakthrough will encourage young people to become researchers.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers solve genetic mystery of orange cats
(NewsNation) — Two studies reportedly have solved the genetic mystery behind orange-colored domestic cats. Two independent research teams that published works simultaneously in Current Biology said they have identified the gene mutation that triggers the ginger hue in orange tabby cats. It's a modification, they say, of the gene ARHGAP36 on the X chromosome. Watch: Cat saves dog from attacking coyotes This explains why orange cats are predominantly male. Males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, whereas females have two X chromosomes and need two copies of the mutated gene to go completely orange, a less likely scenario. More often, female cats wired with the ginger gene have coats that are patchy calico or a 'tortoiseshell' blend. This comes from having the orange-coloring mutation on one X chromosome and a standard dark-coloring gene on the other X chromosome. 'Identifying the gene has been a longtime dream, so it's a joy to have finally cracked it,' said Professor Hiroyuki Sasaki, a geneticist at Kyushu University in Japan, in a story published by Neuroscience News. A second research team studying the inner workings of orange cats was based at Stanford University. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Why are orange cats orange? A small missing piece of DNA is why, 2 new studies explain
Orange cats may be known for their silly behavior, but two new studies are a step closer to understanding "the why" behind the furry felines' coloring. Two independent studies published on May 15 by geneticists in Japan and from Stanford University in California explain how orange cats' coloring is a direct result of a missing DNA code near a specific protein found within the X chromosome. Inherently, the studies also explain why most orange cats, about 80%, are male. So, to answer the question: What makes orange cats orange? Here's a deeper look into the findings of the two studies. Furry felines: We know why cats knead. But here's why humans love it so much. Both studies found that a small missing piece of DNA code located next to the Rho GTPase-activating protein (ARHGAP36) resulted in orange fur coloration. In cats, ARHGAP36 is responsible for fur coloration. When this piece of DNA is missing, it causes ARHGAP36 to become more abundant, roughly 10 times more abundant, Gregory Barsh, Stanford University genetics professor and study co-author, told USA TODAY. This leads to the production of more red, orange or yellow pigment, which is incorporated into a cat's hair. This type of mutation is "very unusual," according to Barsh. "Most mutations ... like genetic conditions in humans ... (are) inactivate or take away the function of a gene," Barsh said. "But what this does is really different. It increases the expression of this gene ARHGAP36, and moreover, it does it in a specific type of cell, the pigment cell ... that is found in hair, eye and skin color." So why does this happen? Why does an increased amount of ARHGAP36 result in orange fur? "It's interfering with a central signaling pathway, a hormonal signaling pathway that's present in many, many cells of the body ... basically all animals," Barsh said. "That is a hormonal signaling pathway that ... normally produces black or brown pigment. What increased expression of a ARHGAP36 does it is destroys that signaling pathway, or it inhibits that signaling pathway. So instead, the melanocytes (cells that form melanin) make red or yellow pigment." Most orange cats are male, about 80%, to be more exact, according to the Regional Animal Protection Society. And the findings from the recent studies make sense of why. ARHGAP36 is found within the X chromosome. Females have two X chromosomes, and males have an X chromosome and a Y chromosome. For the mutation to appear in female cats, it would need to occur in both X chromosomes, which has a lesser chance of occurring than in a male's one X chromosome. Watch: Fabulous feline stories on International Cat Day Learning about the ARHGAP36 mutation goes beyond just understanding cats. The gene is found in all animals, including humans, Barsh said. Learning how it functions allows researchers to better understand hormonal signaling pathways as a general phenomenon. As cat lovers, Barsh said he and his research team worked with volunteers and nonprofit organizations to collect the samples necessary for their study. First, the team worked with cat owners to obtain voluntary samples. Barsh said the study's lead author, Stanford University genetics professor Christopher Kaelin, went to several cat shows and asked owners if he could swab their cats' cheeks for samples. The team also partnered with spay and neuter clinics to study tissue samples. In some cases, when a female cat is neutered, she is already pregnant, Barsh said, adding that the fetal tissue, or the embryonic tissue, gets discarded. When partnering with clinics, Barsh and his team collected these tissue samples instead to use for their study. While the two studies were completed independently, Barsh said the researchers have been in contact with each other for the last year and decided to publish in the same peer-reviewed journal, "Current Biology," on the same day. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why are orange cats orange? A missing piece of DNA explains why
Asharq Al-Awsat
17-05-2025
- Science
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Decades-Long Mystery of Ginger Cats Revealed
Garfield, Puss in Boots, Aristocats' Toulouse – cultural icons maybe, ginger most certainly. And now scientists across two continents have uncovered the DNA mystery that has given our furry friends, particularly males, their notable color. They discovered, according to BBC, that ginger cats are missing a section of their genetic code, which means the cells responsible for their skin, eye and fur tone produce lighter colors. The breakthrough has brought delight to the scientists but also the thousands of cat lovers that originally crowdfunded the research. The scientists hope solving the puzzle could also help shed light on whether orange colored cats are at increased risk of certain health conditions. It has been known for decades that it is genetics that gives orange tabby cats their distinctive coloring, but exactly where in the genetic code has evaded scientists till now. Two teams of scientists at Kyushu University in Japan and Stanford University in the US have now revealed the mystery in simultaneous papers published on Thursday. What the teams found was that in the cells responsible for giving a cat its skin, hair follicles and eyes their color - melanocytes - one gene, ARHGAP36, was much more active. Genes are made up of pieces of DNA which give instructions to a cat's cells, like other living creatures, on how to function. By comparing the DNA from dozens of cats with and without orange fur they found that those with ginger coloring had a section of DNA code missing within this ARHGAP36 gene. Without this DNA the activity of the ARHGAP36 is not suppressed, and therefore, it is more active. The scientists believe that the gene instructs those melanocytes to produce lighter pigment. Also, for decades scientists have observed that cats with completely ginger coloring are far more likely to be male. This tallies with the fact that the gene is carried on the X chromosome. Chromosomes are larger sections of DNA, and male cats like other mammals have an X and a Y chromosome, which carry different number of genes. As it is a gene only on the X chromosome, in this case controlling the pigment production, then one missing piece of DNA is enough to turn a cat fully ginger. In comparison female cats have two X chromosomes so the DNA needs to be missing in both chromosomes to increase lighter pigment production to the same extent - it means a mixed coloring is more likely. '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 color genes, resulting in distinct patches.'
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
What makes ginger cats ginger?
From Garfield to Puss in Boots and Captain Marvel's feline friend Goose, the movie world isn't short of iconic ginger cats. But what is it that makes them ginger? And why are 8 out of 10 ginger cats male?Well, scientists from two continents think they have uncovered the have discovered that ginger cats are missing a section of their genetic code. What makes cats ginger cats ginger? What exactly makes ginger cats ginger has been a long standing mystery for scientists. Whilst it has been known for decades that it is down to genetics, it hasn't been discovered where in the genetic code this distinctive colour comes from until teams of scientists at Kyushu University in Japan and Stanford University in the US have now revealed the mystery. It is all to do with the catchily-named ARHGAP36 has found that cats with orange colouring have a section of DNA code missing within this gene. Why are most ginger cats male? Not only does this section of missing DNA code explain the cats colouring, but it also explains why many ginger cats are male. The gene with the missing code is carried on something called the X chromosome. Chromosomes are larger sections of DNA. In male cats there is both an X and a Y chromosome, meanwhile in female cats there are two Y means for a female the missing part of DNA must be present in both X chromosomes for a cat to be fully ginger, whilst in male cats it only has to be present in the one X chromosome. Because of this mixed colouring, such as ginger patches, are more likely in the females.
