Transgenic chickens have been spotlighted as an highly potent bioreactor for their fecundity, short generation time, and eggs associated with mass production of protein. In this study, we generated transgenic chickens exhibiting oviduct specific expression of human growth hormone fused to human transferrin for oral administration. Gene of the modified growth hormone located at downstream ovalbumin promoter (∼3.6 kb) was introduced to stage X blastodermal cell employing retrovirus vector system. Several transgenic chickens were successfully generated. However, genomic analyses showed unexpected deletion within the transgene. The modification of the transgene seemed to occur during germ cell formation because the deletion was detected only from the sperm DNA of the G0 founder animal. There was no evidence of deletion in the somatic cell DNA samples of the same chicken. Consequently, same pattern of the deletion was confirmed in both somatic and germ cells of the G1 progeny.

ABSTRACT   
INTRODUCTION   
MATERIALS AND METHODS  
RESULTS   
DISCUSSION   
REFERENCES

• Tae Young Jang(Department of Zootechnical Science, KyungPook National University)
• Bon Chul Koo(Department of Physiology, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine)
• Mo Sun Kwon(Department of Physiology, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine)
• Ji Yeol Roh(Department of Physiology, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine)
• Teoan Kim(Department of Physiology, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine)
• Young Sik Park(Department of Zootechnical Science, KyungPook National University) Corresponding author