By that I mean ones whose coats have grey instead of black, or tan or
golden instead of brown.

Of the four we have had through the years with seasonal allergies,
three had dilute coats (The other was a dark silvermitt with multiple
serious deformations.). We have had few dilute coat ferrets in our
three decades (something like 32 or 33 years) with ferrets in the
family, maybe a half dozen or maybe slightly more so close to half the
dilute coat ferrets we have had have developed seasonal allergies but
almost none of the rest.

My eye is wearing out badly now so I found only this which might or
might not indicate one direction for further inquiry:

QUOTE

Exp Dermatol. 2013 Dec;22(12):792-4. doi: 10.1111/exd.12263.

Is MC1 dispensable for regulation of cutaneous inflammatory and immune
responses?

Bohm M, Luger TA, Steingraber AK, Goerge T.

Abstract
The melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1 ) - being most abundantly expressed
in the skin by melanocytes - has a physiological role for melanin
pigmentation in many vertebrate species. MC1 has also been implicated
in regulation of skin inflammation as this receptor is detectable
in the majority of non-melanocytic cell types and its ligand
alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) exerts immunoregulatory
and anti-inflammatory effects. However, in vivo studies on mice with
targeted disruption of MC1 have been missing in the context of skin
inflammation until recently. Wolnicka-Glubisz et al. now reported
that the course of ultraviolet (UV)-induced inflammation, contact
hypersensitivity, neonatal immune tolerance and UV-induced
immunosuppression is similar in MC1 signal-deficient
(C57BL/6-Mc1r(e/e)) and wild-type mice. These unexpected findings
are supported by own observations in experimentally induced
immune-complex-mediated vasculitis: Mc1r(e/e) mice exhibited a similar
extent of the reverse passive cutaneous Arthus reaction compared with
wild-type animals. Future studies are thus needed to clarify whether
these findings are due to limitations in the chosen mouse model and/or
point to additional MC subtypes that may regulate inflammatory and
immune responses in the skin.

(c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

KEYWORDS:
MC1; MSH; immune response; immunomodulation; vasculitis

Comment on
Functional melanocortin 1 receptor Mc1r is not necessary for an
inflammatory response to UV radiation in adult mouse skin. [Exp
Dermatol. 2013]
PMID: 24131319 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

END QUOTE

[Posted in FML 8189]