title: Bh (black at hatch) gene appears to cause whole-body hemorrhage in homozygous embryos of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).
abstract: Genotypes of early embryos obtained from mating Bh/+ quail were determined by chorio-allantoic membrane grafting of their thigh skin, and the development of the Bh homozygous embryos was examined histologically. The Bh homozygous embryos died at an early stage of development (after 7 to 10 days of incubation) with a very high incidence of whole-body hemorrhage (approximately 100%), but malformation of neural tubes was not always accompanied by Bh homozygosity. Degeneration of the liver was more frequently observed in homozygous embryos than in wild-type and heterozygous embryos. The results suggest that the Bh gene causes whole-body hemorrhage and subsequent death of homozygous embryos. In addition, our data indicate that Bh homozygotes would develop brown feathers on their skin if they were able to survive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shizuoka University, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shiojiri
mesh_terms: D000482:Allantois / Q000196:embryology; D000818:Animals; D002823:Chorion / Q000196:embryology; D003370:Coturnix; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005241:Feathers / Q000196:embryology; D005804:Genes, Lethal; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006720:Homozygote; D012867:Skin / Q000196:embryology