Blonde gene origin mystery has now been solved with the newfound discovery of its biological roots. The blonde gene origin mystery has been solved by researchers from Stanford University.
According to the university's researchers, the genetic code can be sufficiently changed and inclined to generate blond hair in humans with a single-letter switch in the genetic code. Changing "A" to "G" in the DNA code is reportedly the factor in the four-letter code which will make a person become blonde or brunette, thus blonde gene origin mystery solved.
Blonde gene origin was found as The University Herald reports that a gene called Kit ligand's (associated with hair colour), activity is reduced during the switch for blondes. The Kit ligand's activity is diminished by 20 when compared to its darker-haired counterparts.
Another discovery by researchers is that blonde hair is completely unrelated to a person's other traits or characteristics. These may include eye color, skin color and even intelligence. Along with the blonde gene origin being discovered, the long-standing theory of blonde-haired people having lower capabilities has also been put to rest.
In a press release, an HHMI investigator leading the study named David Kingsley said, "This particular genetic variation in humans is associated with blonde hair, but it isn't associated with eye color or other pigmentation traits. The specificity of the switch shows exactly how independent color changes can be encoded to produce specific traits in humans."
Previous studies have been conducted in order to find blonde gene origin was through a fish, a three-spined stickleback. The Telegraph reports that the researchers discovered a gene which modifies the pigmentation of the fish. The study's scientists then decided to observe if the same thing could be found in species such as humans.
For the study, the researchers have conducted experiments on mice. According to the researchers, mice have virtually same set of genes as humans. They then found out that the genetic switch resulted in the creation of light, golden-brown fur in the rodents.
According to Today Health, an example would be if the mice were given "A" at a point in DNA, they would turn brown. Otherwise, when they were given "G", the mice turned light brown.
Kingsley said of the blonde gene origin discovery, "This is a good example of how fine-tuned regulatory differences may be to produce different traits. The genetic mechanism that controls blond hair doesn't alter the biology of any other part of the body. It's a good example of a trait that's skin deep-and only skin deep."
The gene Kit ligand then is found out to be playing an important role in the development of pigment-producing cells, as well as manipulating the performance of blood stem cells, sperm or egg precursors, and even gut neurons.
With this blonde gene origin discovery, Kingsley said, "We think the genome is littered with switches. And like the hair colour switch, many of the regulatory elements that control Kit ligand and other genes may subtly adjust activity."
Blonde gene origin research has been published in the journal Nature Genetics.
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