Topology of Feather Melanocyte Progenitor Niche Allows Complex Pigment Patterns to Emerge

Lin, Sung‐Jan; Foley, John; Jiang, Ting; Yeh, Chao‐Yuan; Wu, Ping; Foley, Anne; Yen, Chen‐Tung; Huang, Yi‐Ching; Cheng, Hsu-Chen; Chen, C. F.; Reeder, B.; Jee, Shiou‐Hwa; Widelitz, Randall B.; Chuong, Cheng‐Ming

doi:10.1126/science.1230374

Cited by 99 publications

(131 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Melanin is the most common component of colouration in animals; it is synthesised in melanocytes and deposited as granules in various organs [14]. Different pigment patterns form by modulating the presence, arrangement, or differentiation of melanocytes [21]. Therefore, melanin-based pigmentation is associated with a series of functional genes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptome Profile Analysis of Mechanisms of Black and White Plumage Determination in Black-Bone Chicken

Wang

Liao

et al. 2018

Cell Physiol Biochem

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Background/Aims: Melanin is a major and ubiquitous component of plumage colouration, and patterns of melanin pigmentation in birds are extremely varied. However, the molecular mechanism of pigmentation in avian plumage is still largely unknown. Methods: To elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the formation of black and white plumage, this study takes advantage of high-throughput sequencing technology to compare differences in the transcriptome between black and white chicken feather bulbs. In total, we constructed six cDNA libraries from black (Group B) and white (Group W) feather bulbs in the dorsal plumage of Muchuan black-boned chickens. Results: A comparison between Groups B and W revealed 61 differentially expressed genes, with 47 displaying higher, and 14 displaying lower, levels of expression in white feather bulbs. Our results revealed a set of candidate genes and two potential metabolic pathways involved in black-bone chicken plumage melanogenesis. These include four homeobox genes (HOXB9, HOXC8, HOXA9, and HOXC 9), two glutathione (GSH) metabolism-related genes (CHAC1 and GPX3), and the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signalling pathway. Two known genes, TYR and MITF, were also shown to play a role in melanin formation. Conclusion: our data provide a valuable resource for discovering genes important in plumage melanin formation and will help further elucidate the molecular mechanisms for black and white plumage.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptome Profile Analysis of Mechanisms of Black and White Plumage Determination in Black-Bone Chicken

Wang

Liao

et al. 2018

Cell Physiol Biochem

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“…For example, in adult chicken, ASIP expression is found only adjacent to pheomelanin or apigmented areas [2,4]. In contrast with these studies, our system comprised controlled stages of embryogenesis in a wild-type phenotype and we found that ASIP was distributed throughout the feather pulp, but only on the ventrum (Fig 4Ai).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Previous studies emphasized a role of inhibition of MC1R for within-feather pattern formation [2,4,21]. For example, in adult chicken, ASIP expression is found only adjacent to pheomelanin or apigmented areas [2,4].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two mechanisms of pigment pattern formation in feathers have been proposed: melanocyte distribution/differentiation and pigment-type switching via the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R). An absence of mature melanocytes underlies the unpigmented white bars in the feathers of some chicken breeds [2] and it may be that the black at hatch locus ( Bh ) is involved in longitudinal stripe formation on the dorsum of quail [3]. However, these mechanisms cannot explain patterning involving phaeomelanin-eumelanin differences which are thought to rely on differential regulation of MC1R activity [2,4–6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The differential expression of MC1R regulators in dorsal and ventral quail plumages during embryogenesis: Implications for plumage pattern formation

Gluckman

Mundy

2017

PLoS ONE

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Melanin pigmentation patterns are ubiquitous in animals and function in crypsis, physical protection, thermoregulation and signalling. In vertebrates, pigmentation patterns formed over large body regions as well as within appendages (hair/feathers) may be due to the differential distribution of pigment producing cells (melanocytes) and/or regulation of the melanin synthesis pathway. We took advantage of the pigmentation patterns of Japanese quail embryos (pale ventrum and patterned feathers dorsally) to explore the role of genes and their transcripts in regulating the function of the melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R) via 1. activation: pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), endoproteases prohormone convertase 1 (PC1) and 2 (PC2), and 2. inhibition—agouti signaling and agouti-related protein (ASIP and AGRP, respectively). Melanocytes are present in all feather follicles at both 8 and 12 days post-fertilisation (E8/E12), so differential deposition of melanocytes is not responsible for pigmentation patterns in embryonic quail. POMC transcripts expressed were a subset of those found in chicken and POMC expression within feather follicles was strong. PC1 was not expressed in feather follicles. PC2 was strongly expressed in all feather follicles at E12. ASIP transcript expression was variable and we report four novel ASIP transcripts. ASIP is strongly expressed in ventral feather follicles, but not dorsally. AGRP expression within feather follicles was weak. These results demonstrate that the pale-bellied quail phenotype probably involves inhibition of MC1R, as found previously. However, quail may require MC1R activation for eumelanogenesis in dorsal feathers which may have important implications for an understanding of colour pattern formation in vertebrates.

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“…Color patterns are prominent features of many animals and play important roles in camouflage, shoaling, mate choice, the perception of threatening behavior, or the protection against UV irradiation (Protas and Patel, 2008;Howe et al, 2013;Lin et al, 2013). Pigment phenotypes in fish are more complicated than in amniota.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Involvement of the mitfa gene in the development of pigment cell in Japanese ornamental (Koi) carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

Liu¹,

Wen²,

Luo³

et al. 2015

Genet. Mol. Res.

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ABSTRACT.A colored phenotype is an important feature of ornamental fish. In mammals, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) was found to regulate the development of melanocytes. In this study, the mitfa cDNA was first cloned from the Japanese ornamental (Koi) carp (Cyprinus carpio L.), an important ornamental freshwater fish. The full-length cDNA of the mitfa gene contains 1634 bp, coding for 412 amino acids in Koi. The identity degree of mitfa amino acid sequences between the Koi carp and zebrafish is 92.9%. We tested the expression of the mitfa gene in several varieties of Koi using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and found that the mitfa gene is highly expressed in the skin tissues of the Taisho sanke and the Procypris merus. Interestingly, the mitfa gene was also expressed in the Kohaku and Yamabaki ogon, although melanocytes were not observed in the skin. Koi carp embryos were transparent and colorless, while 2775-2784 (2015) after hatching, different types of pigment cells successively emerged in a fixed order. In Taisho sanke, melanocytes first appeared in the trunk at approximately 12 days of age. Subsequently, there was a large area of melanocytes by 30 days of age. The expression level of the mitfa mRNA was low in early embryos and newly hatched larvae, and increased to high levels in 30-day-old fry. The results show that the mitfa gene is involved in regulating fish body color in the development of both melanocytes and pigment cells.

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Topology of Feather Melanocyte Progenitor Niche Allows Complex Pigment Patterns to Emerge

Cited by 99 publications

References 36 publications

Transcriptome Profile Analysis of Mechanisms of Black and White Plumage Determination in Black-Bone Chicken

Transcriptome Profile Analysis of Mechanisms of Black and White Plumage Determination in Black-Bone Chicken

The differential expression of MC1R regulators in dorsal and ventral quail plumages during embryogenesis: Implications for plumage pattern formation

Involvement of the mitfa gene in the development of pigment cell in Japanese ornamental (Koi) carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

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