Characterization of the endogenous retrovirus insertion in CYP19A1 associated with henny feathering in chicken.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Henny feathering in chickens is determined by a dominant mutation that transforms male-specific plumage to female-like plumage. Previous studies indicated that this phenotype is caused by ectopic expression in skin of CYP19A1 encoding aromatase that converts androgens to estrogen and thereby inhibits the development of male-specific plumage. A long terminal repeat (LTR) from an uncharacterized endogenous retrovirus (ERV) insertion was found in an isoform of the CYP19A1 transcript from henny feathering chicken. However, the complete sequence and the genomic position of the insertion were not determined.

Results

We used publicly available whole genome sequence data to determine the flanking sequences of the ERV, and then PCR amplified the entire insert

SUBMITTER: Li J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6712707 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature