Three variations of hairlessness associated with albinism in the laboratory rat
Ferguson, F.G.; Irving, G.W.; Stedham, M.A.
Laboratory Animal Science 29(4): 459-464
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0023-6764 PMID: 513614 Document Number: 149122
The relationship between 3 variants of hairlessness, or hypotrichosis, in laboratory rats was examined morphologically, genetically and histologically. The results indicated that the recessive gene causing the fuzzy characteristic in Wistar Furth rats and genes responsible for 2 other hypotrichotic coat variants in albino rats were the same gene or closely linked genes. The genes were in linkage group I of the Norway rat and were closely associated with the albino gene (c), with a recombination percentage of approx. 18%. The hypotrichotic animals had fewer and smaller hair follicles, smaller hair shafts, and a reduction of medullated hair shafts.