Colorpoint and Albino

This album contains examples of cats expressing a color point or albino dilution. Color point and albino dilutions are the result of a mutation at the "C" locus that codes for the enzyme tyrosinase. This mutation only allows for full expression of the tyrosinase enzyme (and therefore color) at the points where body temperature is lower. There are currently four known alleles of C. If the dominant allele C is present no dilution will express. The two color point alleles will provide some level of dilution with cscs being the most diluted and cbcb being the least. If both dilution alleles are present (cscb), the expression will be in between. The final dilution is cc and causes the albino phenotype.