Pheomelanin synthesis varies with protein food abundance in developing goshawks
The accumulation of the amino acid cysteine in lysosomes produces toxic substances, which are avoided by a gene (CTNS) coding for a transporter that pumps cystine out of lysosomes. Melanosomes are lysosome-related organelles that synthesize melanins, the most widespread pigments in animals. The synt...
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ftcsic:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/190310 2024-02-11T09:54:34+01:00 Pheomelanin synthesis varies with protein food abundance in developing goshawks Galván, Ismael Jorge, Alberto Nielsen, Jan T. Møller, Anders Pape Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España) 2019 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/190310 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-019-01222-y https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003329 unknown Springer #PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE# info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2013-2016/CGL2015-67796-P Postprint Sí doi:10.1007/s00360-019-01222-y issn: 0174-1578 Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology (2019) http://hdl.handle.net/10261/190310 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003329 open Raptors Animal pigmentation Cysteine homeostasis Melanogenesis Phenotypic plasticity artículo http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 2019 ftcsic https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-019-01222-y10.13039/501100003329 2024-01-16T10:43:30Z The accumulation of the amino acid cysteine in lysosomes produces toxic substances, which are avoided by a gene (CTNS) coding for a transporter that pumps cystine out of lysosomes. Melanosomes are lysosome-related organelles that synthesize melanins, the most widespread pigments in animals. The synthesis of the orange melanin, termed pheomelanin, depends on cysteine levels because the sulfhydryl group is used to form the pigment. Pheomelanin synthesis may, therefore, be affected by cysteine homeostasis, although this has never been explored in a natural system. As diet is an important source of cysteine, here we indirectly tested for such an effect by searching for an association between food abundance and pheomelanin content of feathers in a wild population of Northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis. As predicted on the basis that CTNS expression may inhibit pheomelanin synthesis and increase with food abundance as previously found in other strictly carnivorous birds, we found that the feather pheomelanin content in nestling goshawks, but not in adults, decreased as the abundance of prey available to them increased. In contrast, variation in the feather content of the non-sulphurated melanin form (eumelanin) was only explained by sex in both nestlings and adults. We also found that the feather pheomelanin content of nestlings was negatively related to that of their mothers, suggesting a relevant environmental influence on pheomelanin synthesis. Overall, our findings suggest that variation in pheomelanin synthesis may be a side effect of the maintenance of cysteine homeostasis. This may help explaining variability in the expression of pigmented phenotypes. Peer Reviewed Article in Journal/Newspaper Accipiter gentilis Northern Goshawk Digital.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) |
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Open Polar |
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Digital.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) |
op_collection_id |
ftcsic |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Raptors Animal pigmentation Cysteine homeostasis Melanogenesis Phenotypic plasticity |
spellingShingle |
Raptors Animal pigmentation Cysteine homeostasis Melanogenesis Phenotypic plasticity Galván, Ismael Jorge, Alberto Nielsen, Jan T. Møller, Anders Pape Pheomelanin synthesis varies with protein food abundance in developing goshawks |
topic_facet |
Raptors Animal pigmentation Cysteine homeostasis Melanogenesis Phenotypic plasticity |
description |
The accumulation of the amino acid cysteine in lysosomes produces toxic substances, which are avoided by a gene (CTNS) coding for a transporter that pumps cystine out of lysosomes. Melanosomes are lysosome-related organelles that synthesize melanins, the most widespread pigments in animals. The synthesis of the orange melanin, termed pheomelanin, depends on cysteine levels because the sulfhydryl group is used to form the pigment. Pheomelanin synthesis may, therefore, be affected by cysteine homeostasis, although this has never been explored in a natural system. As diet is an important source of cysteine, here we indirectly tested for such an effect by searching for an association between food abundance and pheomelanin content of feathers in a wild population of Northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis. As predicted on the basis that CTNS expression may inhibit pheomelanin synthesis and increase with food abundance as previously found in other strictly carnivorous birds, we found that the feather pheomelanin content in nestling goshawks, but not in adults, decreased as the abundance of prey available to them increased. In contrast, variation in the feather content of the non-sulphurated melanin form (eumelanin) was only explained by sex in both nestlings and adults. We also found that the feather pheomelanin content of nestlings was negatively related to that of their mothers, suggesting a relevant environmental influence on pheomelanin synthesis. Overall, our findings suggest that variation in pheomelanin synthesis may be a side effect of the maintenance of cysteine homeostasis. This may help explaining variability in the expression of pigmented phenotypes. Peer Reviewed |
author2 |
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Galván, Ismael Jorge, Alberto Nielsen, Jan T. Møller, Anders Pape |
author_facet |
Galván, Ismael Jorge, Alberto Nielsen, Jan T. Møller, Anders Pape |
author_sort |
Galván, Ismael |
title |
Pheomelanin synthesis varies with protein food abundance in developing goshawks |
title_short |
Pheomelanin synthesis varies with protein food abundance in developing goshawks |
title_full |
Pheomelanin synthesis varies with protein food abundance in developing goshawks |
title_fullStr |
Pheomelanin synthesis varies with protein food abundance in developing goshawks |
title_full_unstemmed |
Pheomelanin synthesis varies with protein food abundance in developing goshawks |
title_sort |
pheomelanin synthesis varies with protein food abundance in developing goshawks |
publisher |
Springer |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/190310 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-019-01222-y https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003329 |
genre |
Accipiter gentilis Northern Goshawk |
genre_facet |
Accipiter gentilis Northern Goshawk |
op_relation |
#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE# info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2013-2016/CGL2015-67796-P Postprint Sí doi:10.1007/s00360-019-01222-y issn: 0174-1578 Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology (2019) http://hdl.handle.net/10261/190310 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003329 |
op_rights |
open |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-019-01222-y10.13039/501100003329 |
_version_ |
1790605497998508032 |