PMEL governs autosomal dominant inheritance of white-tail independent of yellow body plumage in chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus).

ABSTRACT: Region-specific feather pigmentation is widespread in birds, yet the genetic mechanisms enabling independent control of body and tail plumage remain poorly understood. The white-tailed (WT) phenotype in Wuhua yellow chickens, which exhibit yellow body plumage but pure white tail feathers, provides an ideal model for dissecting such modular genetic regulation. Genetic analysis of F₁ and F₂ populations (n = 137) derived from a cross with Huaixiang (black-tailed, BT) chickens revealed an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern for the WT trait, with a 3:1 segregation ratio (105 WT: 32 BT; χ² = 0.20, P = 0.66) in the F₂ generation-independent of the yellow body plumage locus. Integrating genome-wide association study of 47 F₂ roosters with

SUBMITTER: Huang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12671367 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature