title: Influence of egg production on zinc, copper and iron metabolism in the turkey hen (Meleagris gallopavo).
abstract: 1. Serum concentrations of zinc, copper, iron, calcium and protein increased significantly with the onset of egg production in turkey hens. 2. Hepatic concentrations of zinc, copper and iron declined significantly with the onset of egg production, whereas the total hepatic content of zinc and copper increased significantly. 3. When plasma from laying and nonlaying hens was subjected to gel-permeation column chromatography, a high molecular weight protein fraction was detected in laying but not in nonlaying plasma which bound significant amounts of zinc, copper and iron and which coeluted with purified vitellogenin. 4. Vitellogenin purified from the plasma of laying hens is a metalloprotein which upon analysis was found to contain 0.54, 0.09 and 0.72 micrograms of zinc, copper and iron, respectively, per mg of protein.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center-East, MD 20705.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Richards
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010060:Ovulation; D014422:Turkeys / Q000502:physiology*; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000097:blood; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D014819:Vitellogenins; D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc; D002118:Calcium