Transfer of blood containing primordial germ cells between chicken eggs development of embryonic reproductive tract

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) as a tool for creating transgenic chickens

The transgenic chicken has great potential as a bioreactor for the production of valuable pharmaceutical proteins, notably in the oviduct/egg. Whereas conventional transgenic approaches have significant limitations in this species, an alternative approach employing primordial germ cells (PGCs), the progenitor cells to ova and spermatozoa, has now been successfully applied to the insertion of exogenous genes into birds. Recent developments in manipulating avian embryos make it possible to produce germline chimeras derived from transferred PGCs. In this review we describe the migration pathway of chicken PGCs during early development. We then summarize different methods for the isolation of PGCs and the diversity of techniques used to introduce genes into these cells. Finally, we describe an in vitro assay for testing tissue-specific vectors designed to express heterologous proteins in transgenic chickens.

Development of a method to control the water evaporation of hatching eggs during incubation

Three experiments were conducted to develop methods to control the amount of water loss and to evaluate the metabolic effects of water condition in the White Leghorn breeder eggs during incubation. One hundred twenty, 54, and 90 Julia strain White Leghorn breeder eggs were incubated at 37.8 degrees C, 60% RH in experiments 1, 2, and 3. In experiment 1, eggs were drilled with various bore diameters of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 mm on the blunt end of the eggshell. In experiment 2, 4 x 4 mm(2) windows were cut into the eggs or the eggs were drilled with 5 holes of bore diameter 2 mm on the blunt end of eggshell. In experiment 3, eggs were drilled with 1, 3, 5, and 7 holes of diameter 2 mm on the blunt end of eggshell. Eggs were treated on d 3 of each experiment and the amount of water loss was recorded on d 19 of incubation. Embryo growth was evaluated in experiments 2 and 3. In addition, the livers of embryos were collected in the 0-, 1-, 3-, and 5-hole treatment groups after weighing eggs to determine 3-hydroxy acyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase activity. In experiment 1, although higher water loss was observed in all windowed eggs than in control, there were no differences in amount of water loss among all bore diameters. Accordingly, that was not successful to control amount of water loss. In experiment 2, higher water loss was observed in drilled eggs at the same levels in windowed eggs as in control. Drilling holes was a more useful treatment to control amount of water loss on incubated eggs than windowing. In experiment 3, amount of water loss increased linearly with increasing number of holes on the blunt end of eggshell. Hepatic 3-hydroxy acyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase activity increased with increasing the number of drilled holes.

Expression of mRNA for 3HADH in manipulated embryos to produce germline chimeric chickens

Germline chimeric chickens were produced by the transfer of primordial germ cells (PGCs) or blastoderm cells. The hatchability of eggs produced by transfer of exogenous PGCs is usually low. The purpose of the present study was investigated to express (3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase) 3HADH which is a limiting enzyme in the beta-oxidation of fatty acids for hatching energy. Manipulations of both donor and recipient eggshells were as follows. A window approximately 10 mm in diameter was opened at the pointed end of the eggs at stage 12-15 days incubation. Donor PGCs, taken from the blood vessels of donor embryos from fertilized eggs at the same stage of development, were injected into the blood vessels of recipient embryos. The muscles of chicks in the eggs with transferred PGCs were removed after 20 days of incubation. A cDNA was prepared from the total RNA. The expression of 3HADH in the manipulated embryos was investigated using real-time PCR analysis. Real-time PCR analysis showed that expression of 3HADH was reduced in the muscles of manipulated embryos.