Abstract

Construction and analysis of a subtractive cDNA library of early embryonic development in duck

Author(s): Y.L. Liu, L.X. Zhong, J.J. Li, J.D. Shen, D.Q. Wang, Z.R. Tao, F.X. Shi and L.Z. Lu

Several studies have documented the process of early embryonic development in poultry; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying its developmental regulation are poorly understood, particularly in ducks. In this study, we analyzed differential gene expression of embryos 6 and 25 h following oviposition to determine which genes regulate the early developmental stage in ducks. Among 216 randomly selected clones, 39 protein-encoding cDNAs that function in metabolism, transcription, transportation, proliferation/apoptosis, cell cycle, cell adhesion, and methylation were identified. Additionally, the full-length cDNA of the Nanog gene, encoding a 302-amino acid protein, was obtained. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses were performed to detect expression levels of the selected genes during early and late embryonic stages, which revealed that these genes are expressed in a particular spatial and temporal pattern. These results indicate that these genes may play pivotal roles in the process of area pellucida formation through a complex and precise regulatory network during development in duck embryos.

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