Eggshell damages lead to economic losses in the egg production industry and are a threat to human health. We examined 49-wk-old Rhode Island White hens (Gallus gallus) that laid eggs having shells with significantly different strengths and thicknesses. We used HiSeq 2000 (Illumina) sequencing to characterize the chicken transcriptome and whole genome to identify the key genes and genetic mutati...

the aim of current study was to determine the effects of vitamin c on bone mineral density (in terms of osteoporosis), eggshell quality and investigation of correlation between these factors in laying hens reared under normal condition. one hundred and ninety two 24 - weeks - old laying hens diet was supplemented with 4 levels of vitamin c (0, 250, 500 and 750 mg/kg diet). the experimental desi...

The role of proteins in biomineralization and the mechanism of eggshell formation are not well understood. We have isolated and purified the major protein, ansocalcin from goose eggshell matrix. The amino acid sequence study indicates that ansocalcin is homologous to the chicken eggshell protein, ovocleidin 17, and C-type lectins. Ansocalcin nucleates polycrystalline aggregates of calcite cryst...

In all animals, oocytes are surrounded by an extracellular matrix upon fertilization. This matrix serves similar purposes in each animal. It functions to mediate sperm binding, to prevent polyspermy, to control the chemical environment of the embryo, and to provide physical protection to the embryo as it developes. The synthesis of the C. elegans matrix, or eggshell, begins when the oocyte ente...

Although the temporal overlap between human dispersal across Australia and the disappearance of its largest animals is well established, the lack of unambiguous evidence for human-megafauna interactions has led some to question a human role in megafaunal extinction. Here we show that diagnostic burn patterns on eggshell fragments of the megafaunal bird Genyornis newtoni, found at >200 sites acr...

The chicken embryo and the blood-vessel rich chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) is a valuable in vivo model to investigate biomedical processes, new ultrasound pulsing schemes, or novel transducers for contrast-enhanced imaging microbubble-mediated drug delivery. reasons this are accessibility of vessel network CAM as well low costs model. An important step get access vessels take egg content out e...

A .—Although the ultimate factors that infl uence the duration of avian incubation periods are well known, we know much less about the proximate mechanisms by which birds adjust incubation period in response to selection. We tested the hypothesis that an adjustment in eggshell porosity is one such proximate mechanism (i.e., that avian species with higher ratios of incubation period to egg size ...