Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay
09:11

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay

Published on: October 2, 2017

Detection of olfactory receptor transcripts in bird testes.

Silke S Steiger1, Andrew E Fidler, Bart Kempenaers

  • 1Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Ecology & Evolutionary Genetics, PO Box 1564, 82319 Starnberg, Germany. steiger@orn.mpg.de

The Journal of Heredity
|June 24, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Olfactory receptors (ORs) are found in chicken testes, suggesting a conserved role in vertebrate sperm motility. This discovery opens new avenues for understanding avian reproduction and sexual selection.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Double Parasitism by Two Cuckoo Gentes in a Daurian Redstart Nest.

Ecology and evolution·2026
Same author

The collective application of shorebird tracking data to conservation.

Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·2026
Same author

Sex differences in testosterone and hematocrit levels reflect mating system differences of two Arctic-breeding shorebird species.

Behavioral ecology : official journal of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology·2025
Same author

Evolution of Large Polymorphic Inversions in a Panmictic Songbird.

Molecular biology and evolution·2025
Same author

Programmed DNA elimination drives rapid genomic innovation in two thirds of all bird species.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Nestling birds learn socially to eavesdrop on heterospecific alarm calls through acoustic association.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2025

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Biology
  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Olfactory receptors (ORs) mediate smell but are also found in nonolfactory tissues like testes.
  • These ORs in testicular tissue and sperm play a role in sperm flagellar motility in mammals and fish.
  • This suggests a conserved function of ORs across vertebrates, making avian studies relevant.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and type of OR gene transcripts in chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) testes.
  • To explore the potential significance and evolutionary implications of OR gene expression in avian testes.
  • To understand the role of ORs in sperm motility within the context of avian sperm competition and sexual selection.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with degenerate primers specific for OR genes.

More Related Videos

Preparing Developing Peripheral Olfactory Tissue for Molecular and Immunohistochemical Analysis in Drosophila
09:18

Preparing Developing Peripheral Olfactory Tissue for Molecular and Immunohistochemical Analysis in Drosophila

Published on: June 13, 2018

Localization of Odorant Receptor Genes in Locust Antennae by RNA In Situ Hybridization
09:30

Localization of Odorant Receptor Genes in Locust Antennae by RNA In Situ Hybridization

Published on: July 13, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay
09:11

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay

Published on: October 2, 2017

Preparing Developing Peripheral Olfactory Tissue for Molecular and Immunohistochemical Analysis in Drosophila
09:18

Preparing Developing Peripheral Olfactory Tissue for Molecular and Immunohistochemical Analysis in Drosophila

Published on: June 13, 2018

Localization of Odorant Receptor Genes in Locust Antennae by RNA In Situ Hybridization
09:30

Localization of Odorant Receptor Genes in Locust Antennae by RNA In Situ Hybridization

Published on: July 13, 2017

  • Employed subsequent cloning techniques to identify and characterize the amplified OR transcripts.
  • Focused on testicular tissue from chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus).

    • Main Results:

    • Demonstrated the presence of multiple OR gene transcripts in chicken testes.
    • Identified these transcripts as belonging to the class-gamma OR gene clade.
    • Provided evidence for a conserved, non-olfactory function of ORs in vertebrates.

    Conclusions:

    • Avian testicular OR gene expression is confirmed, supporting a conserved role in sperm function.
    • The findings have implications for understanding postcopulatory sexual selection in birds.
    • Further research can explore the specific mechanisms and evolutionary history of ORs in avian reproduction.