title: H-Y antigen in the chicken.
abstract: To determine whether asymmetrical development of the chicken ovary could be related to differential expression or function of H-Y antigen, the putative ZW ovary inducer, we compared the ability of cells from the left and right gonad to absorb H-Y antibodies in 17-day chick embryos and in one-day-old hatchlings. In addition, we studied uptake of soluble H-Y antigen by gonadal cells in 17-day embryos, one-day-old hatchlings, and young adults. Indications are that H-Y is present in the left gonad of the female, and to a lesser extent in the right, and not in the testes of the male. Our preliminary results indicate moreover that the right ZW gonad may lack receptor sites for soluble H-Y at around the time of hatching. It may be inferred that expression of H-Y antigen is a prerequisite of ovarian development in birds, although it remains to be determined unambiguously whether H-Y is the primary inducer of the ZW gonad or an accessory molecule involved in some intermediate aspect of gonadal development.
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006182:H-Y Antigen / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010053:Ovary / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D010641:Phenotype; D013737:Testis / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006182:H-Y Antigen