A molecular mechanism for bright color variation in parrots

Parrots produce stunning plumage colors through unique pigments called psittacofulvins. However, the mechanism underlying their ability to generate a spectrum of vibrant yellows, reds, and greens remains enigmatic. Here, we uncover a unifying chemical basis for a wide range of parrot plumage colors, which result from the selective deposition of red aldehyde- and yellow carboxyl-containing psittacofulvin molecules in developing feathers. Through genetic mapping, biochemical assays, and single-cell genomics, we identified a critical player in this process, the aldehyde dehydrogenase ALDH3A2, which oxidizes aldehyde psittacofulvins into carboxyl forms in late-differentiating keratinocytes during feather development. The simplicity of the underlying molecular mechanism — in which a single enzyme influences the balance of red and yellow pigments — offers an explanation for the exceptional evolutionary lability of parrot coloration., , , # Data from: A molecular mechanism for bright color variation in parrots

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.18931zd5c](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.18931zd5c)

Here we provide supporting files associated with the genome reference and annotation.

## Description of the data and file structure

**We provide the genomic data in the following files:**

1. A fasta file with the dusky lory reference genome (dusky_lori_draft_genome.fa). This genome was produced using Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) HiFi sequencing reads. Contig assembly was carried out with *Hifiasm* and contigs were scaffolded into a pseudochromosome assembly using the homology-based scaffolding algorithm of *RagTag *and the budgerigar *bMelUnd1* genome assembly as reference (GCF_012275295.1).
2. A gff file with the annotation of the dusky lory reference genome (annotation_dusky_lory.gff). Gene annotation was performed using iterative runs of *MAKER *(please see the Supplementary Methods of the publoication for additional detail...