Identification of the Rat Rex Mutation as a 7-Bp Deletion at Splicing Acceptor Site of the Krt71 Gene

The study identified the Rex (Re) mutation in rats, which caused curly hair in Re/+ and hair loss in Re/Re rats, as a 7-bp deletion at the splicing acceptor site of the Krt71 gene on chromosome 7. This mutation resulted in a 6-amino acid in-frame deletion in the KRT71 protein, affecting hair formation. The findings provided insights into the biological function of KRT71.