Expression of the β-Catenin Gene in the Skin of Embryonic Geese During Feather Bud Development

• Published in: Poultry science 2008, Vol.87 (1), p.204-211
• Main Authors: Wu, W, Xu, R.F, Xiao, L, Xu, H, Gao, G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; amino acid sequences; animal proteins; Animals; Base Sequence; beta Catenin - biosynthesis; beta Catenin - genetics; beta-catenin; Blotting, Northern - veterinary; Cloning, Molecular; embryo (animal); Embryo, Nonmammalian - metabolism; Embryo, Nonmammalian - physiology; embryogenesis; feathers; Feathers - embryology; Feathers - physiology; geese; Geese - embryology; Geese - genetics; Geese - metabolism; gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - physiology; genes; In Situ Hybridization - veterinary; messenger RNA; Molecular Sequence Data; Northern blotting; nucleic acid hybridization; protein synthesis; reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; RNA, Messenger - genetics; sequence analysis; skin; Skin - embryology
• ISSN: 0032-5791; 1525-3171
• DOI: 10.3382/ps.2007-00197

β-Catenin signaling has been reported to initiate feather bud development. In the present study, β-catenin gene was isolated and identified from a cDNA library constructed using embryonic goose skin. Expression patterns of β-catenin gene in the dorsal skin of goose embryos were investigated using the methods of semi-quantitative reverse transcription PCR, Northern blot analysis, and in situ hybridization. The sequence of β-catenin was found highly conserved at the amino acid level, sharing 100, 99, and 99% identity with chicken, Chinese soft-shell turtle, and human sequences, respectively. Relatively high levels (62.51 ± 7.11% to 101.74 ± 7.29%) of β-catenin mRNA were detected in the dorsal skin samples. The levels of β-catenin expression were most prominent at the early stage from embryo day (E)10 to E20 and then significantly declined with the embryonic development. In situ hybridization demonstrated that at E10, β-catenin expression was mainly observed at the surface periderm cells and the localized region of the epidermal layer. Because feather bud forms with an anterior-posterior orientation, strong staining was observed in the periderm layer and in the ectoderm and epidermis with a diffuse distribution within the internal area of the buds. The stronger staining was seen in the barb ridges than in the center pulp of the feather follicles at E18 and E20. In this study, expression of Shh as a marker gene for the bud development was examined paralleling with expression patterns of β-catenin. It was found that the expression pattern of β-catenin was almost similar spatially and temporally to that of Shh mRNA at the later stages of bud development. The differential β-catenin mRNA expression in the goose dorsal skin may be essential for promoting the normal development of embryonic feather bud.