title: Major breeding plumage color differences of male ruffs (Philomachus pugnax) are not associated with coding sequence variation in the MC1R gene.
abstract: Sequence variation in the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene explains color morph variation in several species of birds and mammals. Ruffs (Philomachus pugnax) exhibit major dark/light color differences in melanin-based male breeding plumage which is closely associated with alternative reproductive behavior. A previous study identified a microsatellite marker (Ppu020) near the MC1R locus associated with the presence/absence of ornamental plumage. We investigated whether coding sequence variation in the MC1R gene explains major dark/light plumage color variation and/or the presence/absence of ornamental plumage in ruffs. Among 821bp of the MC1R coding region from 44 male ruffs we found 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms, representing 1 nonsynonymous and 2 synonymous amino acid substitutions. None were associated with major dark/light color differences or the presence/absence of ornamental plumage. At all amino acid sites known to be functionally important in other avian species with dark/light plumage color variation, ruffs were either monomorphic or the shared polymorphism did not coincide with color morph. Neither ornamental plumage color differences nor the presence/absence of ornamental plumage in ruffs are likely to be caused entirely by amino acid variation within the coding regions of the MC1R locus. Regulatory elements and structural variation at other loci may be involved in melanin expression and contribute to the extreme plumage polymorphism observed in this species.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK (Farrell, Küpper, and Burke); and the Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada (Farrell and Lank). Lindsay L. Farrell is now at Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK. Lindsay.Farrell@roslin.ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lindsay L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK (Farrell, Küpper, and Burke); and the Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada (Farrell and Lank). Lindsay L. Farrell is now at Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Küpper
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK (Farrell, Küpper, and Burke); and the Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada (Farrell and Lank). Lindsay L. Farrell is now at Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK (Farrell, Küpper, and Burke); and the Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada (Farrell and Lank). Lindsay L. Farrell is now at Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Lank
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000235:genetics*; D005241:Feathers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D044102:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D008543:Melanins; D044102:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1
keywords: MC1R; melanism; pigmentation; plumage variation; sequence variation