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Gyrfalcons Falco rusticolus adjust CTNS expression to food abundance: a possible contribution to cysteine homeostasis

  • Physiological ecology – original research
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Abstract

Melanins form the basis of animal pigmentation. When the sulphurated form of melanin, termed pheomelanin, is synthesized, the sulfhydryl group of cysteine is incorporated to the pigment structure. This may constrain physiological performance because it consumes the most important intracellular antioxidant (i.e., glutathione, GSH), of which cysteine is a constitutive amino acid. However, this may also help avoid excess cysteine, which is toxic. Pheomelanin synthesis is regulated by several genes, some of them exerting this regulation by controlling the transport of cysteine in melanocytes. We investigated the possibility that these genes are epigenetically labile regarding protein intake and thus contribute to cysteine homeostasis. We found in the Icelandic population of gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus, a species that pigments its plumage with pheomelanin, that the expression of a gene regulating the export of cystine out of melanosomes (CTNS) in feather melanocytes of developing nestlings increases with food abundance in the breeding territories where they were reared. The expression of other genes regulating pheomelanin synthesis by different mechanisms of influence on cysteine availability (Slc7a11 and Slc45a2) or by other processes (MC1R and AGRP) was not affected by food abundance. As the gyrfalcon is a strict carnivore and variation in food abundance mainly reflects variation in protein intake, we suggest that epigenetic lability in CTNS has evolved in some species because of its potential benefits contributing to cysteine homeostasis. Potential applications of our results should now be investigated in the context of renal failure and other disorders associated with cystinosis caused by CTNS dysfunction.

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Acknowledgements

Two anonymous reviewers made useful suggestions that improved the manuscript. Sara Borrego and Rafael Márquez helped with laboratory analyses and Ólafur H. Nielsen, María Nielsen, Einar Þorleifsson and Kristinn P. Magnússon with fieldwork. ÓKN has state permit to access gyrfalcon nests, ring chicks and to collect non-invasive genetic samples. IG is supported by a Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (RYC-2012-10237) and the Project CGL2015-67796-P, both from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, Seville, Spain

    Ismael Galván

  2. Laboratory of Genetics, Institute of Environmental Health (ISAMB), School of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Ângela Inácio

  3. Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Garðabær, Iceland

    Ólafur K. Nielsen

Authors
  1. Ismael Galván
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  2. Ângela Inácio
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  3. Ólafur K. Nielsen
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Contributions

IG conceived and designed this study, conducted laboratory work, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. ÂI designed gene primers and participated in laboratory work. ÓKN conducted fieldwork.

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Correspondence to Ismael Galván.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All applicable institutional and/or national guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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Communicated by Indrikis Krams.

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Galván, I., Inácio, Â. & Nielsen, Ó.K. Gyrfalcons Falco rusticolus adjust CTNS expression to food abundance: a possible contribution to cysteine homeostasis. Oecologia 184, 779–785 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-017-3920-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-017-3920-6

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