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Chen CK, Chang YM, Jiang TX, Yue Z, Liu TY, Lu J, Yu Z, Lin JJ, Vu TD, Huang TY, Harn HIC, Ng CS, Wu P, Chuong CM, Li WH. Conserved regulatory switches for the transition from natal down to juvenile feather in birds. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4174. [PMID: 38755126 PMCID: PMC11099144 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48303-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The transition from natal downs for heat conservation to juvenile feathers for simple flight is a remarkable environmental adaptation process in avian evolution. However, the underlying epigenetic mechanism for this primary feather transition is mostly unknown. Here we conducted time-ordered gene co-expression network construction, epigenetic analysis, and functional perturbations in developing feather follicles to elucidate four downy-juvenile feather transition events. We report that extracellular matrix reorganization leads to peripheral pulp formation, which mediates epithelial-mesenchymal interactions for branching morphogenesis. α-SMA (ACTA2) compartmentalizes dermal papilla stem cells for feather renewal cycling. LEF1 works as a key hub of Wnt signaling to build rachis and converts radial downy to bilateral symmetry. Novel usage of scale keratins strengthens feather sheath with SOX14 as the epigenetic regulator. We show that this primary feather transition is largely conserved in chicken (precocial) and zebra finch (altricial) and discuss the possibility that this evolutionary adaptation process started in feathered dinosaurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Kuan Chen
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- The iEGG and Animal Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Ming Chang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Xin Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - ZhiCao Yue
- Department of Cell Biology and Medical Genetics, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Genome Instability and Human Disease Prevention, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Tzu-Yu Liu
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Jiayi Lu
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zhou Yu
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jinn-Jy Lin
- National Applied Research Laboratories, National Center for High-performance Computing, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Trieu-Duc Vu
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tao-Yu Huang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hans I-Chen Harn
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chen Siang Ng
- The iEGG and Animal Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Bioresource Conservation Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ping Wu
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Cheng-Ming Chuong
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Wen-Hsiung Li
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Zhang R, Mu C, Chang L, Shen X, Bu Z, Yang M, Fu S, Tang Q, Liu P, Yang X. Whole-Genome Sequencing for Identifying Candidate Genes Related to the Special Phenotypes of the Taihu Dianzi Pigeon. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1047. [PMID: 38612286 PMCID: PMC11011069 DOI: 10.3390/ani14071047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The Taihu Dianzi pigeon is a breed native to China, and its special piebalding, crest, and polydactyly phenotypes are the result of artificial and natural selection. Here, we analyzed the genetic differences among three kinds of pigeons with different phenotypes at the genomic level. A selective sweep was conducted based on the fixation index (FST) and nucleotide diversity (π) ratio, and the results revealed that MC1R was related to the formation of the distinctive piebalding of the Taihu Dianzi pigeon. Combined with the results of genome-wide association studies, we identified candidate genes associated with the crest (SMYD and STOX2) and polydactyly (SLC52A3 and ANGPT4). The candidate genes identified in this study and their variants may be useful for understanding the genetic mechanism underlying the special phenotypes of the Taihu Dianzi pigeon. This study provides new insights into the genetic factors that may influence the formation of the special piebalding, crest, and polydactyly characteristics in pigeons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhang
- Institute of Poultry Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Poultry Institute, Yangzhou 225100, China; (R.Z.); (C.M.); (L.C.); (X.S.); (Z.B.); (S.F.)
| | - Chunyu Mu
- Institute of Poultry Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Poultry Institute, Yangzhou 225100, China; (R.Z.); (C.M.); (L.C.); (X.S.); (Z.B.); (S.F.)
| | - Lingling Chang
- Institute of Poultry Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Poultry Institute, Yangzhou 225100, China; (R.Z.); (C.M.); (L.C.); (X.S.); (Z.B.); (S.F.)
| | - Xinyue Shen
- Institute of Poultry Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Poultry Institute, Yangzhou 225100, China; (R.Z.); (C.M.); (L.C.); (X.S.); (Z.B.); (S.F.)
| | - Zhu Bu
- Institute of Poultry Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Poultry Institute, Yangzhou 225100, China; (R.Z.); (C.M.); (L.C.); (X.S.); (Z.B.); (S.F.)
| | - Mingjun Yang
- Henan Tiancheng Pigeon Industry Co., Ltd., Pingdingshan 462513, China; (M.Y.); (P.L.); (X.Y.)
| | - Shengyong Fu
- Institute of Poultry Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Poultry Institute, Yangzhou 225100, China; (R.Z.); (C.M.); (L.C.); (X.S.); (Z.B.); (S.F.)
| | - Qingping Tang
- Institute of Poultry Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Poultry Institute, Yangzhou 225100, China; (R.Z.); (C.M.); (L.C.); (X.S.); (Z.B.); (S.F.)
| | - Peiyao Liu
- Henan Tiancheng Pigeon Industry Co., Ltd., Pingdingshan 462513, China; (M.Y.); (P.L.); (X.Y.)
| | - Xiaoming Yang
- Henan Tiancheng Pigeon Industry Co., Ltd., Pingdingshan 462513, China; (M.Y.); (P.L.); (X.Y.)
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