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MC1R

From SNPedia
is agene
is mentioned by
Full namemelanocortin 1 receptor (alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor)
EntrezGene4157
PheGenI4157
VariationViewer4157
ClinVarMC1R
GeneCardsMC1R
dbSNP4157
DiseasesMC1R
SADR4157
HugeNav4157
wikipediaMC1R
googleMC1R
gopubmedMC1R
EVSMC1R
HEFalMpMC1R
MyGene2MC1R
23andMeMC1R
UniProtQ01726
EnsemblENSG00000258839
OMIM155555
# SNPs18
 Max MagnitudeChromosome positionSummary
i300250789,986,546
rs104894523089,919,733
rs104894524089,919,728
rs1110400089,919,722
rs115474643.589,919,683
rs1805005089,919,436
rs1805006389,919,510
rs18050073.289,919,709
rs1805008389,919,736
rs1805009389,920,138
rs201326893089,919,714
rs2228478089,920,200
rs2228479089,919,532
rs3212346089,915,950
rs33932559089,919,617
rs34474212089,919,505
rs796296176089,919,342
rs885479289,919,746

MC1R is the gene encoding the receptor for melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH), one of two pigmentation related hormones encoded by the POMC gene. The MC1R receptor is variously known as the melanocortin 1 receptor, the melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor, or the melanotropin receptor.

SNPs in MC1R have primarily been linked to light (or red) hair, fair skin, freckling, and perhaps not surprisingly, varying risk for both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. For example, in one study of a type of melanoma in an Italian population, individuals having any type of MC1R variant were at 3 fold higher risk than individuals with wild-type MC1R genes. [PMID 16809487]

SNPs in MC1R also influence responses to opioid analgesic drugs used to treat pain. Drugs such as pentazocine (a kappa-type opioid agonist) appear to be most effective in redheaded and light skinned females who have less active MC1R protein activity. [PMID 12663858]

MC1R SNPs include:

  • rs1805006, known as Asp84Glu or D84E; appears to be associated with higher risk of melanoma [PMID 8894704]
  • rs1805007, known as Arg151Cys or R151C; associated with red hair, and in redheaded females, linked to being more responsive to the anesthetics pentazocine, nalbuphine, and butorphanol, often used by dentists [PMID 9571181, PMID 12663858]
  • rs1805008, known as Arg160Trp or R160W; associated with red hair in an Irish population [PMID 9665397]
  • rs1805009, known as Asp294His or D294H; a variant associated with red hair and poor tanning ability in one study [PMID 7581459]


These two are notable for not increasing the risk of melanoma [PMID 18366057]

  • rs2228479, known as Val92Met or V92M; also commonly associated with red (or blond) hair and poor tanning, but note high presence in one Asian population [PMID 7581459, PMID 16463023].
  • rs1805005, known as Val60Leu or V60L; associated with light blond hair in one study [PMID 9302268]


Great blog post on genetics, using the MC1R gene and red hair as a reference.