Sterilisation of avian embryos with busulphan.

The chemosterilant drug busulphan (1, 4-butanediol dimethane sulphonate) has been applied to embryos of the domestic fowl at doses of from 1 to 500 micrograms after 48 hours incubation. Direct application caused a number of teratological effects. These could be avoided by injecting the drug in sesame oil directly into the yolk. Embryos treated in this way could be sterilised with an efficiency of over 95 per cent with minimal side effects to the young embryo. The technique provides a method for destroying primordial germ cells that will facilitate studies of germ cell/stroma interactions in the gonad and facilitate the production of transgenic birds.