A single locus regulates a female-limited color pattern polymorphism in a reptile
Data files
Jan 10, 2022 version files 88.73 KB
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CCDC170_Anolis_dNdS.fas
16.88 KB
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CCDC170_phylogeny_alignment.fas
11.30 KB
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Phenotype_quantification_final.csv
19.87 KB
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qPCR_data.csv
36.38 KB
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qPCR_meta_data.csv
749 B
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README.txt
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Abstract
Animal coloration is often expressed in periodic patterns that can arise from differential cell migration, yet how these processes are regulated remains elusive. We show that a female-limited polymorphism in dorsal patterning (diamond/chevron) in the brown anole is controlled by a single Mendelian locus. This locus contains the gene CCDC170 that is adjacent to, and co-expressed with, the Estrogen receptor-1 gene, explaining why the polymorphism is female-limited. CCDC170 is an organizer of the Golgi-microtubule network underlying a cell’s ability to migrate and the two segregating alleles encode structurally different proteins. Our agent-based modeling of skin development demonstrates that, in principle, a change in cell migratory behaviors is sufficient to switch between the two morphs. These results suggest that CCDC170 might have been co-opted as a switch between color patterning morphs, likely by modulating cell migratory behaviors.
The ReadMe file contains all necessary information.