Topology of feather melanocyte progenitor niche allows complex pigment patterns to emerge.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Lin SJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4144997 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Topology of feather melanocyte progenitor niche allows complex pigment patterns to emerge.
Lin S J SJ Foley J J Jiang T X TX Yeh C Y CY Wu P P Foley A A Yen C M CM Huang Y C YC Cheng H C HC Chen C F CF Reeder B B Jee S H SH Widelitz R B RB Chuong C M CM
Science (New York, N.Y.) 20130425 6139
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 ...[more]
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