A tandem repeat in TCF25 intron 1 is associated with MC1R activation through dual mechanisms of transcriptional derepression and chromatin looping underlying black plumage in chickens.
Plumage pigmentation in chickens offers important insights into the genetic basis of phenotypic diversification. Although melanocortin-1 receptor gene (MC1R) is a central regulator of melanogenesis, the regulatory mechanisms contributing to extended black plumage remain incompletely understood. In this study, we integr...