Immunological comparisons of the sera of chicken, turkey, pheasant, quail and their intergeneric hybrids.

Sera from chicken, turkey, pheasant, quail and their intergeneric hybrids were compared by their reactions in two-dimensional immunoelectrophorsis with homologous and heterologous antisera. As many as 44 antigenically distinguishable components were resolved in these sera by use of this technique. Sera from the intergeneric hybrids, when allowed to react with rabbit anti-White Leghorn antiserum, gave more precipitin peaks than did any of the parental sera in reaction with this same antiserum. Thus it appeared that intergeneric hybridization induced a propagation of avian serum antigens recognized by rabbit antiserum to a single parental serum. For example, all parental sera, in reaction with homologous or heterologous antisera, appeared to contain only one precipitin peak which migrated in the albumin area. Sera from the intergeneric hybrids of chicken X turkey, chicken X pheasant, and chicken X quail had two antigenetically distinguishable peaks in the albumin area. Sera from turkey X pheasant and pheasant X quail had only one peak in this region. These results agree with the observations obtained from polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis of the plasma proteins.

Multiple-yolked eggs from a parthenogenetic stock of chickens.

The frequency of double-yolked eggs in a parthenogenetic Dark Cornish line of chickens was increased in certain birds. A line was selected that had a higher frequency of parthenogenesis and double yolks than the High parthenogenetic group. Selection within the double-yolked line appeared to have reached its maximum. The amount of parthenogenesis was higher in the offspring groups with embryos in both single and double-yolked eggs. The number of eggs and yolks from birds that laid a large number of double-yolked eggs did not differ significantly from the number from birds that laid only a few double-yolked eggs. Many triple-yolked eggs were seen in this stock as well as one quadruple-yolked egg. High frequency, double-yolked egg layers laid the same number of eggs, therefore, multiple ovulations may be due to a hormone or enzyme effect.

Development of parthenogenetic membranes in double-yolked and injected chicken eggs.

Development of parthenogenetic eggs is expressed in a Dark Cornish stock by either membrane or embryo formation. Double-yolked eggs have membranes developing in zero, one, or two yolks. The incidence of double-yolked eggs with two membranes was higher than expected when compared with the incidence of single-yolked eggs from the same hens. Membrane formation was increased over that of the controls by injecting saline, Ringer's solution, or ground crude membranes. Yolk and membranes filtered through a 3 mu filter or autoclaved did not increase membrane formation over that of the controls. Fertile membranes behaved like parthenogenetic membranes.