Genetic Mapping and Biochemical Basis of Yellow Feather Pigmentation in Budgerigars

Parrots are some of the most phenotypically diverse creatures on the planet. They can be all sorts of colors. This recent paper focuses on the red, orange, and yellow polyene pigments called psittacofulvins. Budgerigars(Parakeets) have been extensively bred for plumage traits during the last century. The authors of this paper attempt to use genome-wide association mapping and gene-expression analysis to map the Mendelian blue locus, which abolishes yellow pigmentation. The findings concluded that the blue trait maped to a single amino acid substitution (R644W) in an uncharacterized polyketide synthase (MuPKS). The researchers then used yeast in with MuPKS, and found that the yellow pigments accumulated. The yellow pigments found in the yeast were confirmed by mass spectrometry to match those found in feathers. The R644W substitution abolished MuPKS activity. The researchers concluded that parrots aquired their colors through regulatory changes that cause high expressions of MuPKS in feathers.


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