Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39910963›Full record

ArticlePigment cell & melanoma research2025

Melanin and Neurotransmitter Signalling Genes Are Differentially Co-Expressed in Growing Feathers of White and Rufous Barn Owls.

Anne-Lyse Ducrest, Luis M San-Jose, Samuel Neuenschwander, Emanuel Schmid-Siegert, Céline Simon, Marco Pagni, Christian Iseli, Hannes Richter, Nicolas Guex, Tristan Cumer and 7 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pigment cell & melanoma research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Anne-Lyse DucrestDepartment of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-6412-2769
Luis M San-JoseCentre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement (CRBE), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3 - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France.
Samuel NeuenschwanderVital-IT, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatic, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Emanuel Schmid-SiegertJSR-NGSAI, Epalinges, Switzerland.
Céline SimonDepartment of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Marco PagniVital-IT, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatic, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Christian IseliBioinformatics Competence Center, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Hannes RichterCentre for Integrative Genomics, Genomic Technologies Facility, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Nicolas GuexBioinformatics Competence Center, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Tristan CumerDepartment of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Emmanuel BeaudoingCentre for Integrative Genomics, Genomic Technologies Facility, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Mélanie DupasquierCentre for Integrative Genomics, Genomic Technologies Facility, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Pauline CharruauDepartment of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Pauline DucouretDepartment of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Ioannis XenariosAgora Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-3413-6841
Jérôme GoudetDepartment of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Alexandre RoulinDepartment of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Funding

Swiss National Science Foundation 31003A-138180Swiss National Science Foundation 31003A_173178Swiss National Science Foundation 31003A_179358
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Regulation of melanin-based pigmentation is complex, involving multiple genes. Because different genes can contribute to the same pigmentation phenotype, the genes identified in model organisms may not necessarily apply to wild species. In the barn owl (Tyto alba), ventral plumage colour ranges from white to rufous, with genetic variation in the melanocortin 1 receptor gene (MC1R) accounting for at least a third of this variation. In the present study, we used transcriptomic data to compare the gene expression profiles of growing feathers from nestlings with different MC1R genotypes. We identified 21 differentially expressed genes, nine of which are involved in melanogenesis, while seven are related to neurotransmitter function or synaptic activity. With the exception of CALB1, all of the differentially expressed genes were upregulated in rufous owls compared to white barn owls. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to link melanin production with neurotransmitter-related genes, and we discuss possible evolutionary explanations for this connection.

Indexed as

FeathersMelaninsNeurotransmitter AgentsSignal TransductionStrigiformesAnimalsGene Expression ProfilingPigmentationReceptor, Melanocortin, Type 1TranscriptomeMelaninsNeurotransmitter AgentsReceptor, Melanocortin, Type 1barn owl (Tyto alba)melaninmelanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R)neurotransmitter‐related genes

Identifiers

PMID39910963
PMCPMC11799826

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.