Satoh H, Nakamura A, Shiojiri N
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shizuoka University, Japan.
Dev Growth Differ. 1997 Aug;39(4):445-50. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-169x.1997.t01-3-00005.x.
The Bh (black at hatch) gene was examined to determine whether it is expressed in plumage melanocytes by analyzing pigmentation patterns of Bh melanocytes placed in the micro-environment of the feather germs of quail embryos with pink eyes. These host quails genetically lack a large part of plumage melanin. The Bh locus in these almost white quails is wild-type. When Bh neural crest cells were transplanted orthotopically into the host embryos, wild-type and Bh/+ melanocytes, which differentiated from the transplanted neural crest cells, formed plumage pigmentation patterns characteristic of each genotype in the micro-environment of the host feather germs. Brown plumage pigmentation, which was very similar to that of 10-day Bh/Bh embryos, was also observed in the feather germs of host embryos that received Bh neural crest cells, although the genotype of the donors could not be determined. These donors died before pigmentation of their feather germs occurred. The results demonstrate that pigmentation patterns of Bh melanocytes are not altered in the micro-environment of the host germs, suggesting that the Bh gene is autonomous in Bh melanocytes and is expressed in melanocytes of both Bh and the host feather germs, and that it causes the normal pigmentation pattern to be altered.
通过分析置于粉红眼鹌鹑胚胎羽芽微环境中的Bh黑素细胞的色素沉着模式，对Bh（孵化时黑色）基因进行了研究，以确定其是否在羽毛黑素细胞中表达。这些宿主鹌鹑在基因上缺乏大部分羽毛黑色素。这些几乎白色的鹌鹑中的Bh基因座是野生型的。当将Bh神经嵴细胞原位移植到宿主胚胎中时，从移植的神经嵴细胞分化而来的野生型和Bh/+黑素细胞，在宿主羽芽的微环境中形成了每种基因型特有的羽毛色素沉着模式。在接受Bh神经嵴细胞的宿主胚胎的羽芽中也观察到了棕色羽毛色素沉着，这与10日龄Bh/Bh胚胎的色素沉着非常相似，尽管无法确定供体的基因型。这些供体在其羽芽色素沉着出现之前就死亡了。结果表明，Bh黑素细胞的色素沉着模式在宿主羽芽的微环境中没有改变，这表明Bh基因在Bh黑素细胞中是自主的，并且在Bh和宿主羽芽的黑素细胞中均有表达，并且它会导致正常色素沉着模式发生改变。
