Identification of transcripts related to high egg production in the chicken hypothalamus and pituitary gland.
To identify transcripts related to high egg production expressed specifically in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland of the chicken, two subtracted cDNA libraries were constructed. Two divergently selected strains of Taiwan Country Chickens (TCCs), B (sire line) and L2 (dam line) were used; they had originated from a single population and were further subjected (since 1982) to selection for egg production to 40 wk of age and body weight/comb size, respectively. A total of 324 and 370 clones were identified from the L2-B (L2-subtract-B) and the B-L2 subtracted cDNA libraries, respectively. After sequencing and annotation, 175 and 136 transcripts that represented 53 known and 65 unknown non-redundant sequences were characterized in the L2-B subtracted cDNA library. Quantitative reverse-transcription (RT)-PCR was used to screen the mRNA expression levels of 32 randomly selected transcripts in another 78 laying hens from five different strains. These strains included the two original strains (B and L2) used to construct the subtracted cDNA libraries and an additional three commercial strains, i.e., Black- and Red-feather TCCs and Single-Comb White Leghorn (WL) layer. The mRNA expression levels of 16 transcripts were significantly higher in the L2 than in the B strain, whereas the mRNA expression levels of nine transcripts, BDH, NCAM1, PCDHA@, PGDS, PLAG1, PRL, SAR1A, SCG2 and STMN2, were significantly higher in two high egg production strains, L2 and Single-Comb WL; this indicated their usefulness as molecular markers of high egg production.
Shiue
Yow-Ling
YL
Institute of Biomedical Science, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Chen
Lih-Ren
LR
Chen
Chih-Feng
CF
Chen
Yi-Ling
YL
Ju
Jhy-Phen
JP
Chao
Ching-Hsien
CH
Lin
Yuan-Ping
YP
Kuo
Yu-Ming
YM
Tang
Pin-Chi
PC
Lee
Yen-Pai
YP
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000235:genetics; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D015723:Gene Library; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D010058:Oviposition / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000737:chemistry*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity
D012333:RNA, Messenger