Xu Xiaohui, Wang Sihui, Feng Ziqiang, Song Yupu, Zhou Yuxuan, Mabrouk Ichraf, Cao Heng, Hu Xiangman, Li Haojia, Sun Yongfeng
College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China.
Key Laboratory of Animal Production, Product Quality and Security, Jilin Agricultural University, Ministry of Education, Changchun 130118, China.
Animals (Basel). 2022 May 31;12(11):1427. doi: 10.3390/ani12111427.
In production practice, we have found that the gray and black down on the backs of the Holdobaggy goslings is usually darker in females than in males. Melanin is the key pigment affecting the color of poultry plumage. Therefore, to determine whether the darkness of the dorsal plumage of the Holdobaggy goslings is related to sex, we study the melanin in the feather follicles of the dorsal skin during the embryonic period. The feather follicle structure and melanin distribution on the dorsal surface of the goose embryo is observed by HE staining and melanin-specific staining. The melanin content in the feather follicles of the dorsal skin of goslings is determined by ELISA. The results showed that the melanin content is higher in female geese than in males (p < 0.05). In addition, we also analyze the mRNA and protein expression levels of melanin-related genes (TYRP1 and ASIP) by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting analysis. The results show that the mRNA expression level of TYRP1 is significantly higher in the females’ dorsal skin feather follicles (p < 0.05), while the mRNA expression level of ASIP is significantly higher in the dorsal skin feather follicles of male geese (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the difference between males and females in the color of the black feathers on the dorsal track of the Holdobaggy goslings is verified, and it is feasible to identify the sex by the initial plumage color.
在生产实践中，我们发现霍尔多巴吉雏鹅背部的灰色和黑色绒毛通常雌性比雄性颜色更深。黑色素是影响家禽羽毛颜色的关键色素。因此，为了确定霍尔多巴吉雏鹅背部羽毛颜色的深浅是否与性别有关，我们研究了胚胎期背部皮肤毛囊中的黑色素。通过苏木精-伊红（HE）染色和黑色素特异性染色观察鹅胚胎背部表面的毛囊结构和黑色素分布。采用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）法测定雏鹅背部皮肤毛囊中的黑色素含量。结果表明，雌性鹅的黑色素含量高于雄性鹅（p<0.05）。此外，我们还通过定量实时聚合酶链反应（qRT-PCR）和蛋白质免疫印迹分析来分析黑色素相关基因（TYRP1和ASIP）的mRNA和蛋白质表达水平。结果显示，TYRP1的mRNA表达水平在雌性背部皮肤毛囊中显著更高（p<0.05），而ASIP的mRNA表达水平在雄性鹅的背部皮肤毛囊中显著更高（p<0.05）。综上所述，验证了霍尔多巴吉雏鹅背部黑色羽毛颜色在雌雄之间存在差异，通过初生羽毛颜色鉴别性别是可行的。
