Scientists find gene responsible for rare brown and white panda coat

A few specimens have been known to have brown and white fur, which occurs due to a genetic mutation, according to a study published on Monday in the PNAS journal.

The research, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, analyzed the genome and family history of two brown pandas, found only in the Qinling Mountains in China. The first recorded brown panda was a female named Dandan, discovered in 1985 in Shaanxi, China. Very few specimens with this characteristic have been found since.

The team analyzed biological samples collected from 227 pandas, including two brown pandas, as part of an ongoing study in the Foping National Nature Reserve in China’s Shaanxi province. By combining genetic data and field observations, the authors reconstructed the family history of two brown pandas, Dan Dan and Qizai.

Genome sequencing revealed a genetic mutation in brown pandas, a homozygous deletion of the Bace2 gene, which causes hypopigmentation, making brown pandas’ fur lighter than that of black and white pandas. In addition, the researchers confirmed the effect of this mutation on coat pigmentation in mouse experiments using the CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing technique.

The research in mice showed that this mutation reduces the number and size of hair melanosomes, the organelles where melanine is contained and which is responsible for the pigmnetation of hair and skin;