Melanin and Neurotransmitter Signalling Genes Are Differentially Co-Expressed in Growing Feathers of White and Rufous Barn Owls.

ABSTRACT: Regulation of melanin-based pigmentation is complex, involving multiple genes. Because different genes can contribute to the same pigmentation phenotype, the genes identified in model organisms may not necessarily apply to wild species. In the barn owl (Tyto alba), ventral plumage colour ranges from white to rufous, with genetic variation in the melanocortin 1 receptor gene (MC1R) accounting for at least a third of this variation. In the present study, we used transcriptomic data to compare the gene expression profiles of growing feathers from nestlings with different MC1R genotypes. We identified 21 differentially expressed genes, nine of which are involved in melanogenesis, while seven are related to neurotransmitter function or synaptic activity. With the exception of CALB1, all of the

SUBMITTER: Ducrest AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11799826 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature