Human Skin Color - Genetics of Skin Color Variation - KITLG

KITLG

The KIT ligand (KITLG) gene is involved in the permanent survival, proliferation and migration of melanocytes. A mutation of this gene, A326G (rs642742) has been positively associated with variations of skin color in African-Americans of mixed West African and European descent and is estimated to account for 15–20% of the melanin difference between African and non-African populations. The A326G allele occurs in over 80% of European and Asian samples, compared with less than 10% in African samples.

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