A Biochemical Marker In A Dominant Mouse Trait

The study investigated the biochemical differences in hair between mice heterozygous for the Naked (N) trait and normal mice. It found that the mutant hair had significantly lower levels of glycine and tyrosine, with 20% less glycine and 27% less tyrosine compared to normal hair. Further analysis showed that proteins extracted from Nn hair contained 30% less glycine and 40% less tyrosine. These findings indicated that the Nn hair was deficient in a specific protein fraction rich in glycine and tyrosine, which comprised about 25% of the total protein in mouse hair. This mutation served as a biochemical marker for a dominantly inherited trait.