Abstract
BackgroundStudies of non-model species are important for understanding the molecular processes underpinning phenotypic variation under natural ecological conditions. The common buzzard (Buteo buteo; Aves: Accipitriformes) is a widespread and common Eurasian raptor with three distinct plumage morphs that differ in several fitness-related traits, including parasite infestation. To provide a genomic resource for plumage polymorphic birds in general and to search for candidate genes relating to fitness, we generated a transcriptome from a single dead buzzard specimen plus easily accessible, minimally invasive samples from live chicks.ResultsWe not only de novo assembled a near-complete buzzard transcriptome, but also obtained a significant fraction of the transcriptome of its malaria-like parasite, Leucocytozoon buteonis. By identifying melanogenesis-related transcripts that are differentially expressed in light ventral and dark dorsal feathers, but which are also expressed in other regions of the body, we also identified a suite of candidate genes that could be associated with fitness differences among the morphs. These include several immune-related genes, providing a plausible link between melanisation and parasite load. qPCR analysis of a subset of these genes revealed significant differences between ventral and dorsal feathers and an additional effect of morph.ConclusionThis new resource provides preliminary insights into genes that could be involved in fitness differences between the buzzard colour morphs, and should facilitate future studies of raptors and their malaria-like parasites.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2254-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Studies of non-model species are important for understanding the molecular processes underpinning phenotypic variation under natural ecological conditions
Organ samples were obtained from a single dead chick to achieve as complete a transcriptome as possible without sacrificing individuals
And functional annotation We de novo assembled transcriptomes of the common buzzard and its blood parasite L. buteonis, identified species-specific molecular markers, and generated a list of candidate genes that could provide a link between plumage morph and fitness through impacts on various biochemical pathways, several of which are involved in immunity
Summary
Studies of non-model species are important for understanding the molecular processes underpinning phenotypic variation under natural ecological conditions. Laboratory organisms make excellent models for understanding links between genotype and phenotype, new sequencing approaches have opened the way to studying natural populations [3,4,5,6]. This has brought more varied and realistic biological. High sequencing costs and a paucity of reference genomes initially restricted large-scale sequencing and marker development to a handful of model systems [7, 8]. By directing sequencing effort towards the transcriptome, which is usually an order of magnitude smaller than the full genome, costs and downstream bioinformatic analysis can be further reduced.
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