• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.19-28
• /
• 2017

The eggshell is an intricate and highly ordered structure composed of multiple layers and a calcified matrix. The eggshell is formed at the uterine segment of the chicken oviduct. In this study, histological changes in the uterine endometrium and the expression of the eggshell-related genes were investigated according to hen age. We analyzed the expression of eggshell protein-related genes, such as OCX-32, OCX-36, OC-17, OC-116, and eggshell-ion-related genes, such as CABL-1, SPP1, SCNN1G, ATP2A2, CA2, and CALM1. In chicken uterine endometrium, histological deformation, fibrosis, atrophy and elimination of micro-villi were found with increasing hen age. The concentration of blood-ion components did not significantly change with age. The amount of telomeric DNA in uterine endometrial cells decreased with increasing hen age. The expression of most of the eggshell-related genes changed significantly with increasing hen age. The expression of some ovo-proteins, which play a role in eggshell formation, increased with increasing hen age; however, there were no significant correlations among eggshell protein genes. Eggshell ion-related genes, such as ATP2A2, SCNN1G, CA2, and CALM1, were closely related to each other. The OCX-32 and OCX-36 genes were closely related to some of the eggshell ion genes. Eggshell protein-related genes, such as the OCX-32, OCX-36 genes and ion-related genes such as CALB-1, ATP2A2, SCNN1G, CA2, CALM1, affected eggshell formation, mutually or independently. This study shows that, uterine although endometrial cell damage occurs with increasing hen age, normal eggshells can be formed in old hens. This suggests that eggshell protein-and eggshell ion-related genes also control the homeostasis of eggshell formation.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.157-164
• /
• 1990

The surface patterns and the structures of transverse section of the egg-shell of the sikmoth, Bombyx mandarina, have been described by scanning electron microscope. Three spatially differentiated cross section, called lamellar, conic pillar and cover layers, are found on the mature eg-shell. Silkmoth chorion proteins were detected more than 80 components from a single chorion by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Major protein components of the egg-shell have bee identified on the basis of their isoelectric points and molecular weights, pH 4-6 and 6-30 kd. Several protein components are found entirely or predominantly in th cover layers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
• /
• 2002.11a
• /
• pp.72-72
• /
• 2002

조류는 발생학적 특성상 수정과 초기 배발생을 제외한 거의 대부분의 개체발생 과정이 난각 속에서 진행된다. 그러므로 수정란에 생명 공학적 기법을 적용하는데 있어서, 포유류의 경우 여러 생명공학 기법이 적용된 수정란은 초기발생을 위한 체외배양 이후 반드시 모체에 이식되어야 하지만, 조류의 경우 인공적인 체외배양 체계가 확립되어 있어야 생명공학 기법이 적용된 수정란을 개체까지 발생시킬 수 있게 된다. 닭의 난자는 난관 누두부에 배란 후 약 15분내에 정자의 침입을 받아 수정되어 난관 팽대부에 도달하면 1세포기 수정란이 된다. 그 후 수정란이 협부에 도달하면 최초로 분할이 일어나기 시작하여, 방란시에는 그 세포수가 60,000개에 이르게 된다. 한편, 계란의 형성 과정에서는 다량의 난황을 포함한 난자가 난관 누두부로 배란되어 정자와 만나게 되면 수정란으로서 계란 형성이 계속되고 정자와 만나지 못하게 되면 무정란으로서 계란 형성을 계속하게된다. 배란된 난자가 난관누두부를 거쳐 난관팽대부에 도달되면 난자는 농후난백에 의해 둘러싸이게 되고 난관혈부에 도달되면 난각막이 형성되고 수양성 난백이 침적하게 된다. 그 후, 난관협부를 지난 난자는 난관자궁부에 도달되면 20시간이상 그곳에 머물면서 난각형성이 진행된 다음 방란된다. 따라서 수정란에 외래유전자를 미세주입하여 형질전환 닭을 생산하기 위해서는 수정란을 암탉의 난관 내에서 최초 분할되기 전에 외부로 끄집어내어야 하며, 수정란에 외래 유전자를 미세주입한 다음에는 다시 암탉의 난관내로 이식해야 하지만 현재까지 그러한 기술은 확립되어 있지 못하다. 그렇기 때문에 모체의 난관 속에서 일어나는 배 발생과 그 이후 개체까지의 발생을 위하여 인공적인 체외배양 체계가 확립되어 있어야 한다. 따라서 본 발표에서는 형질전환 닭을 생산하기 위한 양질의 1세포기 수정란 획득 방법과 획득된 수정란의 체외 배양방법에 관하여 기술적인 측면에서 고찰 해보고자 하며, 그와 같은 배양 기술을 이용하여 외래유전자를 도입한 일련의 결과에 관하여 보고 하고자한다.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.191-196
• /
• 2014

The identification and utilization of potential candidate genes with significant effects on economically important traits have become increasingly important in poultry breeding programs. The ovocalyxin-32 (OCX-32) gene is located chromosome 9 in chicken, plays an important role in eggshell formation. This study was performed to assess the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of OCX-32 gene and egg production traits in the Korean native chicken. Four Korean native chicken population (n = 181; including 46 females of Ogol, 46 females of white, 43 females of gray and 46 females of black) were used to analyze two SNPs (c.494A>C and c.267T>G) in the OCX-32 gene by PCR-RFLP (Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restricted Fragment Length Polymorphism). We measured egg production traits of age at first egg, first egg weight, egg production ratio and egg weight. The SNP c.494A>C was significantly associated with egg production ratio in Korean Ogol chickens (p<0.001) and egg weight in Korean white chickens (p<0.05). SNP c.267T>C was significantly associated with egg weight in Korean Ogol chickens (p<0.05). But there was no significant association in Korean gray and black chickens. Results suggest the possibility of using molecular markers in OCX-32 gene as a tool for performance and egg production traits in Korean native chicken breeding program.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.159-166
• /
• 2008

We report here the generation of transgenic chickens that produce human Thrombopoietin (hTPO) using replication-defective Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV)-based vectors packaged with vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein (VSV-G). For the retrovirus vectors, we used hCMV (human Cytomegalovirus) internal promoter to drive the hTPO gene. After confirming the expression of the hTPO gene in various target cells, the concentrated solution of recombinant retrovirus was injected beneath the blastoderm of non-incubated chicken embryos (stage X). The biological activity of the recombinant hTPO in target cell was significantly higher than its commercially available counterpart. Out of 132 injected eggs, 11 chicks hatched after 21 days of incubation and 4 hatched chicks were found to express vector-encoded hTPO gene. However, 3 out of the 4 transgenics died within one month of hatching. The major significance of this study is that it is one of the very few successful reports on the production of transgenic chickens as bioreactors aiming mass production of commercially valuable and biological active human cytokine proteins.