Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Genes Associated With Sexual Dichromatism of Head Feather Color in Mallard.

ABSTRACT: Sexual dimorphism of feather color is typical in mallards, in which drakes exhibit green head feathers, while females show dull head feather color. We showed that more melanosomes deposited in the males' head's feather barbules than females and further form a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice, which conferred the green feather coloration of drakes. Additionally, transcriptome analysis revealed that some essential melanin biosynthesis genes were highly expressed in feather follicles during the development of green feathers, contributing to melanin deposition. We further identified 18 candidate differentially expressed genes, which may affect the sharp color differences between the males' head feathers, back feathers, and the females' head feathers. TYR and TYRP1 genes are asso

SUBMITTER: Ma S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8692775 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature