The Purr-fect Puzzle Solved: Gene Behind Ginger Cats Unveiled

Ginger Cat Mystery Solved: Researchers identify a genetic mutation causing orange fur through DNA analysis of hundreds of cats, revealing insights into broader hormonal signaling pathways relevant to humans.

• Headline: Scientists solve the mystery of ginger cats – helped by hundreds of cat owners.
• Key Finding: Researchers have identified the genetic mutation that gives orange cats their signature hue. Two studies published in Current Biology by teams at Stanford University and Japan’s Kyushu University provided answers.
• Why it's interesting: The inheritance of orange coloring in cats has been a mystery for over a century. This research pinpoints the specific genetic cause.
• How they did it: The Stanford team collected hundreds of cat DNA samples from cat shows (California to Brazil) and from spay-and-neuter clinics, with cat owners mailing in brushes. They sequenced DNA from orange and non-orange cats to find differences.
• The Mutation: A small piece of missing DNA near the gene known as ARHGAP36. The mutation activates that gene in pigment cells where it's not normally active.
• Connection to Humans: The same pathway is responsible for red hair in humans, but the mutation affects the pathway differently in cats. The pathway is required for hormonal signaling in many different cell types in many different animals, including humans.
• Community Involvement: Cat owners and breeders were very open to contributing to the study, sending samples and pictures. Researchers attended cat shows to engage with the public and present their findings.
• Collecting Samples: Researchers used cotton swabs to collect DNA from cats' mouths, using techniques to distract the cats during the process.
• Quote: "After doing several hundred cats, you learn what you can get away with and when you need to back off quickly." - Christopher Kaelin, geneticist at Stanford.
• Impact: The discovery has implications for "all cells and tissues." Feline color genetics are a useful scientific tool for discovery, and allow researchers to communicate scientific concepts to non-scientists.