Differentially expressed transcripts in shell glands from low and high egg production strains of chickens using cDNA microarrays.
We have constructed a tissue-specific in-house cDNA microarray to identify differentially expressed transcripts in shell glands from low (B) and high (L2) egg production strains of Taiwanese country chickens during their egg-laying period. The shell gland cDNA library was constructed from the high egg production strain. cDNA clones (7680) were randomly selected and their 5'-end sequences characterized. After excluding overlapping sequences, an in-house cDNA microarray, representing 2743 non-redundant transcripts, was generated for functional genomic studies. Using our microarray, we have successfully identified 85 differentially expressed transcripts from the two different strains of chicken shell glands. In this study, 34 of these transcripts were associated with signal transduction, protein biosynthesis, cell adhesion, cellular metabolism, skeletal development, cell organization and biogenesis. We selected a number of the differentially expressed transcripts for further validation using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. These included elongation factor 2 (EEF2), ovocalyxin-32 (OCX-32) and annexin A2 (ANXA2) which were expressed at high levels in the chicken shell glands of the B strain and, in contrast, the coactosin-like protein (COTL1), transcription factor SOX18 and MX protein were more highly expressed in the L2 strain. Our results suggest that these differentially expressed transcripts may be suitable to use as molecular markers for high rates of egg production, and now need to be investigated further to assess whether they can be applied for use in breeding selection programs in Taiwanese country chickens.
Yang
Kuo-Tai
KT
Department of Animal Science, National Chung Hsing University, 250 Kuo-Kuang Road, Taichung, Taiwan.
Lin
Chia-Yu
CY
Liou
Jong-Shian
JS
Fan
Yi-Hsing
YH
Chiou
Shiow-Her
SH
Huang
Chang-Wen
CW
Wu
Chean-Ping
CP
Lin
En-Chung
EC
Chen
Chih-Feng
CF
Lee
Yen-Pai
YP
Lee
Wen-Chuan
WC
Ding
Shih-Torng
ST
Cheng
Winston Teng-Kuei
WT
Huang
Mu-Chiou
MC
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D004528:Egg Shell / Q000378:metabolism; D004531:Eggs; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015723:Gene Library; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010057:Oviducts / Q000378:metabolism*; D052287:Oviparity / Q000235:genetics*; D010063:Ovum / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA