ArticleScience (New York, N.Y.)2013
Topology of feather melanocyte progenitor niche allows complex pigment patterns to emerge.
Article in Science (New York, N.Y.), 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers.
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Who cites it
70 citing papers in PubMed.
- Color patterns as a model for connecting developmental mechanisms to phenotypic evolution.Nature communications · 2026Review
- Derivation of embryonic stem cells across avian species.Nature biotechnology · 2026Article
- The Mottling Phenotype in Chickens Shows Genetic Heterogeneity and Is Caused by Mutations at the EDNRB2 Locus.Animal genetics · 2026Article
- Review
- Dissecting the boundary of quiescence and activation of murine melanocyte stem cells in the hair follicle niche.NPJ Regenerative medicine · 2026Review
- Photobleaching shapes the expression of plumage phenotypes.Biology open · 2026Article
- Article
- Antagonistic stem cell fates under stress govern decisions between hair greying and melanoma.Nature cell biology · 2025Article
- Pigment contribution to feather mass depends on melanin form and is restricted to approximately 25.Biology letters · 2025Article
- Marek's disease virus replication in chicken skin reconstructedThe Journal of general virology · 2025Article
- Plumage polymorphism in the black sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus) is strongly associated with the expression level of agouti signaling protein.The Journal of heredity · 2025Article
- Cyclic renewal in three ectodermal appendage follicles: Hairs, feathers and teeth.Developmental biology · 2025Review
- Organizational principles of integumentary organs: Maximizing variations for effective adaptation.Developmental biology · 2025Review
- The Role of Two Tyrosinase-Like Glycoenzymes in Defining the Final Hue of Parrot Plumage.Pigment cell & melanoma research · 2025Article
- Molecular insights into region-specific sexual dichromatism: Comparative transcriptome analysis of red cheek pigmentation in zebra finches.PLoS genetics · 2025Article
- Colony pattern multistability emerges from a bistable switch.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Melanin and Neurotransmitter Signalling Genes Are Differentially Co-Expressed in Growing Feathers of White and Rufous Barn Owls.Pigment cell & melanoma research · 2025Article
- Dynamic Transcriptome Profile Analysis of Mechanisms Related to Melanin Deposition in Chicken Muscle Development.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- Review
- Cellular structure of dinosaur scales reveals retention of reptile-type skin during the evolutionary transition to feathers.Nature communications · 2024Article
10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Color patterns of bird plumage affect animal behavior and speciation. Diverse patterns are present in different species and within the individual. Here, we study the cellular and molecular basis of feather pigment pattern formation. Melanocyte progenitors are distributed as a horizontal ring in the proximal follicle, sending melanocytes vertically up into the epithelial cylinder, which gradually emerges as feathers grow. Different pigment patterns form by modulating the presence, arrangement, or differentiation of melanocytes. A layer of peripheral pulp further regulates pigmentation via patterned agouti expression. Lifetime feather cyclic regeneration resets pigment patterns for physiological needs. Thus, the evolution of stem cell niche topology allows complex pigment patterning through combinatorial co-option of simple regulatory mechanisms.
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