2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Molecular mechanism of sexual dimorphism and age-dependent changes in feather coloration
| Project/Area Number |
23570078
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Morphology/Structure
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| Research Institution | Okayama University |
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Principal Investigator |
TAKEUCHI Sakae 岡山大学, 自然科学研究科, 准教授 (20226989)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2011 – 2013
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| Keywords | 雌雄差形成 / 羽形成 / ニワトリ / 局所制御因子 / ホルモン制御 / 細胞分化 |
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| Research Abstract |
Brilliant plumage is typical of male birds, thus sexual plumage dichromatism is seen in many avian species; however, the molecular mechanism underlying this remains unclear. In Okayama-Jidori chickens, chick and adult female plumages are countershading with dull-colored feathers. In contrast, adult males are colorful with bright ornamental feathers on the back. Using this breed, we investigated molecular mechanism underlying the sexual plumage dichromatism in birds.
Our findings suggest that the local melanocortin system regulates feather pigmentation and the elaborate color pattern of individual feathers is formed in part by the antagonistic action of ASIP. Furthermore, the distal ASIP promoter not only acts to produce countershading in chicks and adult females, but also plays an important role for creating sexual plumage dichromatism. The ASIP gene may have been modified in its expression during evolution to develop phenotypic diversity between individuals of different sexes.
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Research Products
(17 results)
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[Journal Article] Identification of a featherβ-keratin gene exclusively expressed in pennaceous barbule cells of contour feathers in chicken2014
Author(s)
Kowata, K, Nakaoka, M, Nishio, K, Fukao, A, Satoh, A, Ogoshi, M, Takahashi, S, Tsudzuki, M and Takeuchi, S
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Journal Title
Gene
Volume: 542
Pages: 23-28
DOI
Peer Reviewed
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