A missense mutation in the tyrosinase gene explains acromelanism in domesticated canaries

Acromelanism is a form of albinism observed in several vertebrate species. In mammals, acromelanism is known to be caused by mutations in the tyrosinase gene (TYR) that induce a temperature-sensitive behavior of melanin synthesis, resulting in a characteristic

hair color gradient. Marques et al. (2024) found that the pearl phenotype in canary is also caused by a mutation in the TYR gene. Our findings further suggest that reports of acromelanism in other bird species might be explained by TYR mutations. Photo by Miguel Araújo.