Journal article

Publication year: 2015

Pages: 1038-

Journal: BMC Genomics

Volume number: 16

ISSN: 1471-2164

eISSN: 1471-2164

Open access status: Gold

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-015-2254-1

Publisher: BioMed Central

Abstract: 
Background: Studies of non-model species are important for understanding the molecular processes underpinning phenotypic variation under natural ecological conditions. The common buzzard (Buteo buteo; Aves: Accipitriformes) is a widespread and common Eurasian raptor with three distinct plumage morphs that differ in several fitness-related traits, including parasite infestation. To provide a genomic resource for plumage polymorphic birds in general and to search for candidate genes relating to fitness, we generated a transcriptome from a single dead buzzard specimen plus easily accessible, minimally invasive samples from live chicks.Results: We not only de novo assembled a near-complete buzzard transcriptome, but also obtained a significant fraction of the transcriptome of its malaria-like parasite, Leucocytozoon buteonis. By identifying melanogenesis-related transcripts that are differentially expressed in light ventral and dark dorsal feathers, but which are also expressed in other regions of the body, we also identified a suite of candidate genes that could be associated with fitness differences among the morphs. These include several immune-related genes, providing a plausible link between melanisation and parasite load. qPCR analysis of a subset of these genes revealed significant differences between ventral and dorsal feathers and an additional effect of morph.Conclusion: This new resource provides preliminary insights into genes that could be involved in fitness differences between the buzzard colour morphs, and should facilitate future studies of raptors and their malaria-like parasites.

Harvard Citation style: Pauli, M., Chakarov, N., Rupp, O., Kalinowski, J., Goesmann, A., Sorenson, M., et al. (2015) De novo assembly of the dual transcriptomes of a polymorphic raptor species and its malarial parasite, BMC Genomics, 16, p. 1038. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-015-2254-1

APA Citation style: Pauli, M., Chakarov, N., Rupp, O., Kalinowski, J., Goesmann, A., Sorenson, M., Krüger, O., & Hoffman, J. (2015). De novo assembly of the dual transcriptomes of a polymorphic raptor species and its malarial parasite. BMC Genomics. 16, 1038. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-015-2254-1