AI Article Synopsis
- Lactation, hair development, and the ability to maintain a constant body temperature (homeothermy) are key traits that distinguish mammals from other vertebrates.
- Researchers discovered two specific mutations in genes related to the prolactin signaling pathway that have opposing effects on these three traits.
- These mutations affect how mammals regulate their body temperature and develop their fur, highlighting the broader significance of the prolactin pathway beyond just lactation.
Article Abstract
Lactation, hair development and homeothermy are characteristic evolutionary features that define mammals from other vertebrate species. Here we describe the discovery of two autosomal dominant mutations with antagonistic, pleiotropic effects on all three of these biological processes, mediated through the prolactin signalling pathway. Most conspicuously, mutations in prolactin (PRL) and its receptor (PRLR) have an impact on thermoregulation and hair morphology phenotypes, giving prominence to this pathway outside of its classical roles in lactation.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4284646 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6861 | DOI Listing |
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