Sfrp2is a multifunctional regulator of rodent coat patterns

AbstractAnimal pigment patterns are excellent models to elucidate mechanisms of biological organization. Although theoretical simulations, such as Turing reaction-diffusion systems, recapitulate many animal patterns, they are insufficient to account for those showing a high degree of spatial organization and reproducibility. Here, we study the coat of the African striped mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) to uncover how periodic stripes form. By combining transcriptomics, mathematical modeling, and mouse transgenics, we show thatSfrp2regulates the distribution of hair follicles and establishes an embryonic prepattern that foreshadows pigment stripes. Moreover, usingin vivogene editing, we find thatSfrp2knockout produces changes in coat pattern. Strikingly, mutants also exhibit pigmentation differences, revealing an additional function ofSfrp2in regulating hair color. Thus, a single factor controls coat pattern formation by acting both as an orienting signaling mechanism and a modulator of pigmentation.