Less P protein means that less melanin is present in the iris, leading to blue eyes instead of brown in people with a polymorphism in this gene.ДЄ region of the nearby HERC2В gene known as intron 86 contains a segment of DNA that controls the activity (expression) of the OCA2В gene, turning it on or off as needed.

Several common variations (polymorphisms) in the OCA2В gene reduce the amount of functional P protein that is produced. The P protein therefore plays a crucial role in the amount and quality of melanin that is present in the iris. The protein produced from the OCA2 gene, known as the P protein, is involved in the maturation of melanosomes, which are cellular structures that produce and store melanin. Within this region, there are two genes located very close together: OCA2 and HERC2. People with brown eyes have a large amount of melanin in the iris, while people with blue eyes have much less of this pigment.ДЄ particular region on chromosome 15 plays a major role in eye color. Eye color is directly related to the amount of melanin in the front layers of the iris. Most of the genes associated with eye color are involved in the production, transport, or storage of a pigment called melanin. Brown is the most frequent eye color worldwide.Д®ye color is determined by variations in a personвЂ™s genes. Most of the time eye color is categorized as blue, green/hazel, or brown. The color of the iris ranges on a continuum from very light blue to dark brown. A personвЂ™s eye color results from pigmentation of a structure called the iris, which surrounds the small black hole in the center of the eye (the pupil) and helps control how much light can enter the eye.

Hazel vs brown eyes