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Cellular and morphological characterization of blastoderms from freshly laid broiler eggs
N Pokhrel1,2, E Ben-Tal Cohen1, O Genin1
1Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Department of Poultry and Aquaculture Science, Rishon LeTsiyon, Israel.
Poultry Science
|October 21, 2017
Summary
Freshly laid chicken eggs were analyzed for embryonic development and cell viability using high-resolution episcopic microscopy. This research provides crucial baseline data for understanding how storage conditions impact embryo survival and hatching success.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Animal Science
- Microscopy
Background:
- The Eyal-Giladi and Kochav (EG&K) system is the standard for characterizing early chicken embryo development.
- Fertile eggs are stored after oviposition, entering a diapause state, and successful re-initiation of development depends on cell number and developmental stage.
- Storage conditions significantly influence embryonic viability, necessitating a characterization of the initial state of freshly laid eggs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively characterize freshly laid broiler eggs, focusing on embryonic developmental stage, total cell count, and cell viability.
- To establish baseline data for assessing the impact of storage conditions on embryo survival.
- To compare high-resolution episcopic microscopy (HREM) with traditional dissecting microscopy for embryonic staging.
Main Methods:
- Characterization of freshly laid broiler eggs (Ross 308 flocks) for embryonic developmental stage, total cell count, and cell viability.
- Utilized a novel high-resolution episcopic microscopy (HREM) system to create 3D morphological models of blastoderms.
- Performed embryonic staging using both HREM and a dissecting microscope for comparative analysis.
Main Results:
- HREM enabled highly accurate 3D morphological staging of blastoderms.
- Total nucleus count increased from approximately 60,000 (stage X EG&K) to 130,000 (stage XIII EG&K).
- The proportion of mitotic and dying cells at oviposition was around 2% and 5%, respectively.
- Blastoderms from older flocks showed more advanced development (predominantly stages XI and XII EG&K) compared to younger flocks (predominantly stage XI EG&K).
Conclusions:
- Characterized key parameters (developmental stage, cell count, viability) of freshly laid chicken embryos.
- Demonstrated the utility of HREM for precise embryonic staging and 3D morphological analysis.
- Identified differences in developmental progression between young and old flocks, providing a basis for analyzing storage effects on embryo survival.
