title: Genetic transformation of chickens using irradiated sperm: co-transfer of undesirable genes.
abstract: An attempt was made to utilise the recently demonstrated method of gene transfer using irradiated male gametes to transfer the B21 associated resistance to Marek's disease into a susceptible line of chickens. Although none of the 1486 progeny tested showed evidence of the transfer of the B21 haplotype a substantial proportion acquired a second marker, susceptibility to lymphoid leukosis virus. These results confirm and extend previous reports in suggesting that although gene transfer by this method occurs at a relatively high frequency, expression of the transferred genes is variable; whether this reflects properties of the DNA itself or of cellular mechanism of expression is not clear.
authors.affiliation: Houghton Poultry Research Station, Houghton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bumstead
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Manning
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Howes