The two above mentioned mutations in the PMEL signal peptide were also reported to epistatically interact with MC1R. Animals that are heterozygous for the PMEL mutation and have a copy of the dominant black MC1R allele ED were associated with inherited hypotrichosis, also known as the “rat-tail” syndrome causing hair loss in pigmented areas [48, 49]. The gene discussed is MC1R; the disease is hypotrichosis.