Action of the "nude" gene on pigmentation of the coat in c57 black and c3 mice.

The authors have studied pigmentary changes of skin and hair due to the presence of the "nude" gene in pigmented species (C 57 Bl. 6J, C3H). Morphological (histology, electron microscopy) and biochemical (polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of tyrosinase activities) studies showed that the pigmentary alterations of the "nude" mice were related to hair cycle and hair growth wave pattern. In fact, in the "nude" mice the hair follicles evolves cyclically similarly to mice of normal coat. In depigmented skin, the hair follicles were in the resting phase and no soluble tyrosinase could be demonstrated.