Davey M G, Tickle C
Division of Genetics and Genomics, Roslin Institute, Roslin Biocentre, Midlothian, UK.
Cytogenet Genome Res. 2007;117(1-4):231-9. doi: 10.1159/000103184.
The traditional strength of chicken embryos for studying development is that they are readily manipulated. This has led to some major discoveries in developmental biology such as the demonstration that the neural crest gives rise to almost the entire peripheral nervous system and the identification of signalling centres that specify the pattern of structures in the central nervous system and limb. More recently with the burgeoning discovery of developmentally important genes, chicken embryos have provided useful models for testing function. Uncovering the molecular basis of development provides direct links with clinical genetics. In addition, since many genes that have crucial roles in development are also expressed in tumours, basic research on chickens has implications for understanding human health and disease. Now that the chicken genome has been sequenced and genomic resources for chicken are becoming increasingly available, this opens up opportunities for combining these new technologies with the manipulability of chicken embryos and also exploiting comparative genomics.
鸡胚胎在研究发育方面的传统优势在于它们易于操作。这促成了发育生物学领域的一些重大发现，比如证明神经嵴几乎产生了整个外周神经系统，以及识别出确定中枢神经系统和肢体结构模式的信号中心。最近，随着对发育重要基因的大量发现，鸡胚胎为测试基因功能提供了有用的模型。揭示发育的分子基础建立了与临床遗传学的直接联系。此外，由于许多在发育中起关键作用的基因也在肿瘤中表达，对鸡的基础研究有助于理解人类健康与疾病。既然鸡的基因组已被测序，且鸡的基因组资源越来越多，这就为将这些新技术与鸡胚胎的可操作性相结合以及利用比较基因组学开辟了机会。
