Dickkopf-related protein 4 is a

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

in the

Dickkopf Dickkopf (DKK) is a family of proteins consisting of five members as of 2020. The most well-studied is Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1). DKK proteins inhibit the Wnt signaling pathway coreceptors LRP5 and LRP6. They bind with high affinity as ...

family that in humans is encoded by the ''DKK4''

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

. In 2021, it was discovered by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine that the gene is responsible for patterns on cats.

References

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