Autoradiographic Demonstration of the Penetration of Albumen-Derived Material Through the Vitelline Membrane into the Egg Yolk, Exterior to the Avian Blastoderm

The embryonic lifespan of the chick is 22 days. Development in the first day takes place in the oviduct, and in the remaining 21 days in the shelled egg. There have been few attempts to culture oviductal embryos, though methods covering the first few days of development in ovo are well established and a method for the final 18 days of development through hatching has recently been devised. I have now succeeded in culturing the fertilized ovum of the chick (Gallus domesticus) for the total embryonic period by growing it in a series of separate culture systems. This is the first report of a complete in vitro method for a homoiothermic animal. The technique opens the way to the investigation of developmental events in birds that require access to the embryo at the single-cell stage, and in particular to the genetic manipulation of the fertilized ovum.

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Development in culture of the chick embryo from cleavage to hatch

Naito

Perry

1989

British Poultry Science

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1. Early uterine embryos were obtained from hens by induced oviposition 7.5-8.0 h after the preceding egg was laid. They were cultured in vitro and then in recipient shells to hatch. As controls, embryos from freshly laid eggs were cultured in recipient shells to hatch. 2. For embryos cultured from uterine eggs, the hatch rate was 22.5%, and for embryos cultured from laid eggs, the hatch rate was 62.5%. 3. The weight of the chicks hatched from culture was about 60% of the weight of the preceding egg, or donor egg. Male and female chicks reached maturity and have produced viable offsprings. 4. The results show that it is possible to grow chick embryos in culture from the early cleavage stage (stage II) to hatch. They extend earlier findings on the culture of embryos from the blastoderm stage (Stage X) to hatch. The technique provides a basis for investigations on chick embryo cryopreservation.

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Autoradiographic Demonstration of the Penetration of Albumen-Derived Material Through the Vitelline Membrane into the Egg Yolk, Exterior to the Avian Blastoderm

Cited by 4 publications

References 8 publications

Chapter 1 Culture and Microsurgical Manipulation of the Early Avian Embryo

Chapter 1 Culture and Microsurgical Manipulation of the Early Avian Embryo

A complete culture system for the chick embryo

Development in culture of the chick embryo from cleavage to hatch

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