Cellular and Molecular Basis of Environment-Induced Color Change in a Tree Frog.

ABSTRACT: Background color matching is essential for camouflage and thermoregulation in ectothermic vertebrates, yet several key cellular-level questions remain unresolved. For instance, it is unclear whether the number of chromatophores or the activity of individual chromatophores plays a more critical role in this process. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying color change in Rhacophorus dugritei, which adapted to its background by displaying light-green skin on white and black skin on black within two days. We identified two types of chromatophores in their skin, both responsible for the observed color differences. Our findings reveal that morphological color change (MCC) is the dominant process, with the number of ch

SUBMITTER: Zhai R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11640764 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature