Body color is one of the most noticeable phenotypic and economic characteristics in fish. Fish exhibit a diverse array of body color mutations influenced by factors such as artificial selection and natural mutations. Elucidating the genetic mechanisms of these color variants in fish is crucial for developing new breeds with higher ornamental value. In this study, we identified a nonsense mutation in csf1ra (c. 1249 C>T) with whole genome resequencing technology, and which may potentially contribute to the albino phenotype in Channa asiatica. The albino individuals exhibited a substantial decrease in the expression level of csf1ra compared to that of the wild individuals. To unravel the underlying mechanism of csf1ra, we delved into comparative transcriptomic and gene expression analyses. Our findings suggest that csf1ra may impact tyrosine kinase activity. Furthermore, csf1ra may not only regulate the expression levels of genes (sox9, ephb6, and wnt9) involved in melanin-based pigmentation but also influence genes (ampd3, ak1, and bco1) associated with non-melanin-based pigmentation. Our study investigated the genetic basis of the albino mutant of C. asiatica and provided new insights into the function of csf1ra in fish pigmentation.
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