Abstract
To elucidate the genes involved in the formation of white and black plumage in ducks, RNA from white and black feather bulbs of an F2 population were analyzed using RNA-Seq. A total of 2,642 expressed sequence tags showed significant differential expression between white and black feather bulbs. Among these tags, 186 matched 133 annotated genes that grouped into 94 pathways. A number of genes controlling melanogenesis showed differential expression between the two types of feather bulbs. This differential expression was confirmed by qPCR analysis and demonstrated that Tyr (Tyrosinase) and Tyrp1 (Tyrosinase-related protein-1) were expressed not in W-W (white feather bulb from white dorsal plumage) and W-WB (white feather bulb from white-black dorsal plumage) but in B-B (black feather bulb from black dorsal plumage) and B-WB (black feather bulb from white-black dorsal plumage) feather bulbs. Tyrp2 (Tyrosinase-related protein-2) gene did not show expression in the four types of feather bulbs but expressed in retina. C-kit (The tyrosine kinase receptor) expressed in all of the samples but the relative mRNA expression in B-B or B-WB was approximately 10 fold higher than that in W-W or W-WB. Additionally, only one of the two Mitf isoforms was associated with plumage color determination. Downregulation of c-Kit and Mitf in feather bulbs may be the cause of white plumage in the duck.
Highlights
Identification of genes controlling plumage color and their associated inheritance patterns are important topics in poultry science research
White plumage is the most favorable color for producers of meat-type commercial birds because ducks with unpigmented feathers are easy to clean, and genes involved in melanogenesis may have pleiotropic effects on other phenotypes [1]
Mitf expression can be regulated by Scf-Kit signaling and can itself activate the transcription of the Tyr genes [11,12]. c-Kit is required during the feather growth cycle for melanocyte activation in humans [13]
Summary
Identification of genes controlling plumage color and their associated inheritance patterns are important topics in poultry science research. It has been reported that multiple genes exist at different loci controlling plumage color in ducks [2]. These loci include white neck MR, extended black E, blue dilution G, dominant white belly S, head cheek decorated R, white skin and mouth Y, and recessive white c. Compared to studies of plumage color in chicken and quail, few gene or pathway identification studies have been conducted in ducks. High-throughput genomic approaches are promising ways to identify genes and pathways involved in plumage color formation. Due to the unavailability of an assembled reference sequences, high-throughput expression tools have not been widely used in ducks, one study used chicken microarrays for genome-wide expression analysis to identify genes related to sperm storage [24]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
