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28 February 2020 Differences in melanin type and content among color variations in American mink (Neovison vison)
Dominika Grabolus, Patrycja Wacławik, Magdalena Zatoń-Dobrowolska
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Abstract

Coat colour is one of the most important qualitative traits of fur animals. Determining melanin pigments forming the basics of visible coat colour may contribute to a better understanding of the process of creating different coat colour variations in fur-bearing animals. This study aimed to (i) isolate pigment cells from the hair of American mink of 11 colour variations (standard brown, silverblue, palomino, black, wild type, sapphire, black cross, pearl, palomino cross, glow, and amber) using acid and alkali; and (ii) characterise the melanin pigments obtained. The purified pigment cells were observed under a light microscope and verified by spectrophotometry scanning and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The method allowed for obtaining pure melanin specimens. Using acid and alkali to extract eumelanosomes did not affect their shape and structure; it also allowed for obtaining pheomelanin from the hair. The results have proven that the hair colour of the American mink is based on all types of melanin, and that its variations differ in terms of how much eumelanin and pheomelanin the hair contains.

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Dominika Grabolus, Patrycja Wacławik, and Magdalena Zatoń-Dobrowolska "Differences in melanin type and content among color variations in American mink (Neovison vison)," Canadian Journal of Animal Science 100(3), 418-425, (28 February 2020). https://doi.org/10.1139/cjas-2019-0196
Received: 18 November 2019; Accepted: 13 February 2020; Published: 28 February 2020
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KEYWORDS
coat colour
eumelanin
Neovison vison
pheomelanin
Pigment cells
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