Inheritance of coat color in short-haired rabbit varieties (rex)

Melanins are major pigments in mammals; their arrangement in cells gives color effects. There are two basic types of melanins: eumelanins - responsible for brown or black color and phaeomelanins - eventually resulting in the red or yellow color. The production of melanins takes place in specialized cells called melanocytes. The major enzyme responsible for the synthesis of both types of melanins is tyrosinase. In rabbits six main genes determining the color of the fur can be distinguished. The agouti locus gene is responsible for the distribution of pigments in the hair, giving the effect of wild coat (agouti), tan or self color. The brown locus gene mutation results in brown melanin synthesis, and is deposited in the end of the hairs, while the albino locus multiple alleles are responsible for the distribution and quantity of pigment in the cells. The effect of the Dilution locus gene is brightening main color of the fur. Extension locus multiple alleles are responsible for eumelanin producing control, while broken locus gene has the effect of English spotting.