Agouti
Encyclopedia
Agouti refers to a number of species of rodent
s as well as a number of genes affecting coat coloration in several different animals. Agouti fur contains a pattern of pigmentation in which individual hairs have several bands of light and dark pigment with black tips.
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s as well as a number of genes affecting coat coloration in several different animals. Agouti fur contains a pattern of pigmentation in which individual hairs have several bands of light and dark pigment with black tips.
- When referring to a rodent, agouti can mean:
- The common agoutiCommon agoutiThe popular term Agouti designates several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta that inhabit areas of Middle America, the West Indies, and northern South America. They are related to guinea pigs and look quite similar but have longer legs. The species vary in color from tawny to dark brown with...
s (genus Dasyprocta), are those popularly called agoutis - Acouchies (genus Myoprocta), commonly called tailed agoutis
- PacaPacaThe Lowland Paca , also known as the Spotted Paca, is a large rodent found in tropical and sub-tropical America, from East-Central Mexico to Northern Argentina...
s (genus Cuniculus, which was formerly called Agouti), contains the two species of pacas and is the only genus in the family Cuniculidae - Agouti is also a guinea pig breed
- The common agouti
- The agouti geneAgouti geneThe Agouti gene is responsible for determining whether a mammal's coat is banded or of a solid color . The chief product of the Agouti gene is Agouti signalling peptide , but there are a number of alternative splice products....
is one of the genes involved in fur patterns and shadings in animals - The agouti signalling peptideAgouti signalling peptideAgouti signalling peptide, a product of the Agouti gene, is a peptide consisting of 131 amino acids. Its discovery was published in 1994 in the scientific journal Nature where its functional properties were described...
is a circulating hormone that acts as an antagonist at melanocortin receptors - Agouti-related peptideAgouti-related peptideAgouti-related protein also called Agouti-related peptide is a neuropeptide produced in the brain by the AgRP/NPY neuron. It is only synthesised in NPY containing cell bodies located in the ventromedial part of the arcuate nucleus in the hypothalamus...
, a neuropeptide produced in the brain by the AgRP/NPY neuron