Is it possible to separate male and female chickens? -Through the analysis of the avian sex determination mechanism-

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H03107
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 42010:Animal production science-related
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Horiuchi Hiroyuki 広島大学, 統合生命科学研究科(生), 教授 (80243608)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: ニワトリ / 性決定 / DMRT1 / HEMGN / 始原生殖細胞 / PGC

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research, I focused on the DMRT1 and HEMGN genes, which are thought to be the master genes that determine the sex of the chicken. At 7.5 days of incubation, neither normal PGCs nor DMRT1-knockout PGCs showed any change in distribution and number. In 14-day-incubated embryos, the proportion of Nanog-expressing PGCs was high in DMRT1-knockout PGCs. Conversely, spermatogonial stem cell markers were low in DMRT1-knockout PGCs. Knockout analysis of HEMGN showed abnormalities in the hematopoietic system in females, and yellow discoloration of the liver, atrophy of the fallopian tubes, and underdevelopment of follicles were observed. In HEMGN heterozygous knockout males, gene expression of HEMGN and DMRT1 was halved at 8.5 days of incubation. SOX9, which is expressed in male gonads following HEMGN and DMRT1, decreased slightly, and AMH, which inhibits Mullerian duct differentiation, did not change. These results indicate direct and indirect interactions between DMRT1 and HEMGN.

Free Research Field

動物生産科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究課題は，現在，世界中で問題となっている養鶏における動物福祉に資するものである。養鶏の現場では，採卵が目的の場合はオスの雛を，食肉が目的の場合はメスの雛の一部が淘汰されている。EU各国では既に，雛の殺処分を禁止する動きが強まっており，早急な対策が求められている。本研究では，将来，ニワトリでの雌雄の産み分け技術に利用可能な知見を得るための分子生物学的な解析を行い，特定の遺伝子がニワトリの精子形成に重要であり，またその相互作用を明らかにした。これらの知見の集積により，近い将来，ニワトリで雌雄の産み分けが可能になるかもしれない。