[Don't see any direct relevance to ferrets here but Tony may well
know better. BIG]

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/337/6101/1536

Specifying and Sustaining Pigmentation Patterns in Domestic and Wild
Cat

ABSTRACT
Color markings among felid species display both a remarkable diversity
and a common underlying periodicity. A similar range of patterns in
domestic cats suggests a conserved mechanism whose appearance can be
altered by selection. We identified the gene responsible for tabby
pattern variation in domestic cats as Transmembrane aminopeptidase Q
(Taqpep), which encodes a membrane-bound metalloprotease. Analyzing 31
other felid species, we identified Taqpep as the cause of the rare king
cheetah phenotype, in which spots coalesce into blotches and stripes.
Histologic, genomic expression, and transgenic mouse studies indicate
that paracrine expression of Endothelin3 (Edn3) coordinates localized
color differences. We propose a two-stage model in which Taqpep helps
to establish a periodic pre-pattern during skin development that is
later implemented by differential expression of Edn3.
Received for publication 22 February 2012.
Accepted for publication 20 July 2012.

<http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/345332/title/News_in_Brief_How_the_cheetah_loses_its_spots>

includes

Taqpep's protein sets a pre-pattern in the cats' skin during
development, and the Endothelin3 protein comes along later to color
in the lines, scientists report in the Sept. 21 Science. Because the
patterns are set before birth, the stripes or spots on a cat's coat
do not change as the animal grows.

[Posted in FML 7557]