Аннотация:Significance Body color plays an important role in the diversity and speciation of vertebrates. In this paper, we revealed that three loci in medaka, leucophore free ( lf ), lf-2 , and white leucophore , which affect leucophores and xanthophores, encoded solute carrier family 2, member 15b ( slc2a15b ), paired box gene 7a ( pax7a ), and solute carrier family 2 facilitated glucose transporter, member 11b ( slc2a11b ), respectively. The pax7 is important transcriptional factor for xanthophore development in zebrafish. The function of the two solute carrier family ( SLC ) genes was unknown. We show that the presence of the SLCs was coupled with the presence of xanthophores in vertebrates. The results suggest that leucophores are similar to xanthophores in their specification and differentiation process, and SLCs contribute to the diversification of hues in the pigment cells in vertebrates.
