Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 114, Issue 20, Pages 5219-5224Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1700751114
Keywords
coloration; carotenoids; lipid metabolism; Serinus canaria
Categories
Funding
- Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) through POPH-QREN funds from the European Social Fund
- Portuguese MCTES [FCT] [IF/00283/2014/CP1256/CT0012, SFRH/BPD/84141/2012]
- Biodiversity, Genetics, and Evolution (BIODIV) PhD program at CIBIO/InBIO
- University of Porto [PD/BD/114042/2015]
- project Genomics and Evolutionary Biology - North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (ON.2-O Novo Norte) under the National Strategic Reference Framework
- project Genomics Applied to Genetic Resources - North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (ON.2-O Novo Norte) under the National Strategic Reference Framework
- European Regional Development Fund
- EU FP7 REGPOT grant (CIBIO-New-Gen) [286431]
- Human Frontiers Science Program [RGP0017/2011]
- National Institutes of Health [R01EY026672, RO1EY024958, T32EY013360]
- Research to Prevent Blindness
- National Science Foundation [1202776]
- McDonnell Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology at Washington University
- Department of Biological Sciences at Auburn University
- College of Science and Mathematics at Auburn University
- Div Of Biological Infrastructure
- Direct For Biological Sciences [1202776] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Yellow, orange, and red coloration is a fundamental aspect of avian diversity and serves as an important signal in mate choice and aggressive interactions. This coloration is often produced through the deposition of diet-derived carotenoid pigments, yet the mechanisms of carotenoid uptake and transport are not well-understood. The white recessive breed of the common canary (Serinus canaria), which carries an autosomal recessive mutation that renders its plumage pure white, provides a unique opportunity to investigate mechanisms of carotenoid coloration. We carried out detailed genomic and biochemical analyses comparing the white recessive with yellow and red breeds of canaries. Biochemical analysis revealed that carotenoids are absent or at very low concentrations in feathers and several tissues of white recessive canaries, consistent with a genetic defect in carotenoid uptake. Using a combination of genetic mapping approaches, we show that the white recessive allele is due to a splice donor site mutation in the scavenger receptor B1 (SCARB1; also known as SR-B1) gene. This mutation results in abnormal splicing, with the most abundant transcript lacking exon 4. Through functional assays, we further demonstrate that wild-type SCARB1 promotes cellular uptake of carotenoids but that this function is lost in the predominant mutant isoform in white recessive canaries. Our results indicate that SCARB1 is an essential mediator of the expression of carotenoid-based coloration in birds, and suggest a potential link between visual displays and lipid metabolism.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available