Interaction between normal and pigment cell populations mutant at the diominant‐spotting (W) and steel(Sl) loci in the mouse

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Abstract
Through the use of dermal-epidermal recombination methods a competition between mouse embryo melanoblasts of the genotype Wν/w C/C, w/w c/c, Sld/sl C/C and sl/sl c/c was established. Control combinations were made between C/C and c/c components. The extent of pigment found in hair of grafts after three weeks growth in mouse testes was used as evidence of an interac-tion between populations. Normal and albino melanoblasts were found to be similar in viability, whereas melanoblasts of the genotype Wν/w C/C were largely excluded from hair follicles when placed in competition with w/w c/c melanoblasts. No difference in competitive advantage was observed between Sld/sl C/C and sl/sl c/c populations. These results confirm that the W and S1 loci act at different sites. In addition they suggest that Wν/w melanoblasts are marginally viable cells that cannot compete with normal melanoblasts when the populations interact. The Wν/w melanoblast failure can also explain the spotting pattern and pigment dilution characteristic of dominant-spotting heterozygous mice.