Navigation Links
Milking the pigeon: extracting the mechanisms involved
Date:9/18/2011

Production of crop milk, a secretion from the crops of parent birds, is rare among birds and, apart from pigeons, is only found in flamingos and male emperor penguins. Essential for the growth and development of the young pigeon squab, pigeon 'milk' is produced by both parents from fluid-filled cells lining the crop that are rich in fat and protein. Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Genomics uses new technology to study the genes and proteins involved in pigeon 'milk' production and shows that pigeon 'milk' contains antioxidants and immune-enhancing proteins.

Researchers from CSIRO Livestock Industries and Deakin University, Australia, compared the global gene expression profiles of the crops of four 'lactating' and four 'non-lactating' female pigeons. As the pigeon genome has not yet been sequenced, they used a chicken microarray to find the genes involved. Genes predominantly over-expressed in 'lactating' birds were those involved in stimulating cell growth, producing antioxidants and in immune response. They also found genes associated with triglyceride fat production, suggesting the fat in the 'milk' is derived from the pigeon's liver.

Lead author, Meagan Gillespie, says, "It is possible that if antioxidant and immune proteins are present in pigeon 'milk', they are directly enhancing the immune system of the developing squab as well as protecting the parental crop tissue". She continues, "This study has provided a snap-shot view of some of the processes occurring when 'lactation' in the pigeon crop is well established. Due to the unusual nature of 'lactation' in the pigeon it would be interesting to investigate the early stages of the differentiation and development of the crop in preparation for 'milk' production to further ascertain gene expression patterns that characterize crop development and 'lactation' in the pigeon." She concludes, "This mechanism is an interesting example of the evolution of a s
'/>"/>

Contact: Dr HIlary Glover
hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com
44-020-319-22370
BioMed Central
Source:Eurekalert  

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Extracting cellular engines may aid in understanding mitochondrial diseases
2. Extracting stem cells from fat for tissue regeneration
3. Corn researchers discover novel gene shut-off mechanisms
4. Mechanisms of cardiovascular disease and cancer give clues to new therapies
5. Neural mechanisms of value bias in the human visual cortex
6. I feel your pain: Neural mechanisms of empathy
7. DNA repair mechanisms relocate in response to stress
8. Disease Models & Mechanisms -- selected for indexing in Medline
9. Researcher garners major award from NIH for further exploration into the mechanisms of obesity
10. UT Southwestern researchers examine mechanisms that help cancer cells proliferate
11. Seeing how evolutionary mechanisms yield biological diversity
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
Related Image:
Milking the pigeon: extracting the mechanisms involved
(Date:5/19/2013)... have engineered a strain of electricity-producing bacteria that can ... and carbon dioxide as its sole source of carbon. ... their findings at the 113th General Meeting of the ... result of current production solely on hydrogen," says Amit ... his co-authors are part of the Lovley Lab Group ...
(Date:5/18/2013)... 2013) Research presented today at Digestive Disease Week ... findings about the impact of coffee on autoimmune disease ... coffee consumption recently has been associated with reduced risk ... few more cups of java each month also correlate ... Researchers at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, linked coffee ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... (May 18, 2013) The AGA Research Foundation announced ... the relationship between the gut microbiota, one of today,s ... disease. , The AGA Research Awards Panel selected ... Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, as ... Dr. Chan will receive $25,000 of funding, commencing in ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Coffee consumption associated with reduced risk of autoimmune liver disease 2New gut microbiome research to explore red meat -- colorectal cancer pathway 2
... Ramat Rahel, located on a hilltop above modern-day Jerusalem. The ... kingdom of Biblical Judah, digs have also revealed a luxurious ... irrigation system, they could only imagine what the original garden ... Using a unique technique for separating fossilized pollen ...
... Brown University scientists have created the first three-dimensional ... analyze the effectiveness of therapeutics to combat brain tumors. ... information than Petri dish tissue cultures. The researchers ... of blood vessels that surrounds it. In a series ...
... Desert there is an ,oasis, of microorganisms. Researchers from the ... North in Chile have found it in hypersaline substrates thanks ... be used in environments similar to subsoil on Mars. ... A Spanish-Chilean team of scientists have found bacteria and archaea ...
Cached Biology News:Fossilized pollen unlocks secrets of ancient royal garden 2Fossilized pollen unlocks secrets of ancient royal garden 3Researchers make living model of brain tumor 2Microbial oasis discovered beneath the Atacama Desert 2
(Date:5/17/2013)... (PRWEB) May 17, 2013 The paradigm ... complex biological systems that can help predict the adverse ... Dr. Sergey Stepaniants, Head of Computational Biology at the ... biology tools to ensure high-quality genomics when used as ... be applied to complex data sets to identify key ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... IAC Industries wants to share with you ... needing to set up and furnish a research lab knowing ... within a year’s time. How does a company make choices ... temporary? What is efficient and cost-effective? , The solution ... Industries. The planners at DisperSol determined that the concept of ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... (PRWEB) May 16, 2013 ... Barbara A. Myers, CAE, to the newly created ... her new role, Myers will be responsible for ... and production strategies, advancing the Society’s Member-led and ... and continuing to refine organizational, membership and product ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... (PRWEB) May 16, 2013 A ... portable models, from Cole-Parmer is designed to meet ... line includes: , The new Cole-Parmer® MS-3400 ... workhorses in the lab. They ensure a powerful ... plasma specimen separation. Their standard four-place swinging buckets ...
Breaking Biology Technology:New Downloadable Success Story: “How To Outfit a Dynamic Lab in Flux” 2ISPE Names Barbara A. Myers, CAE, as Vice President of Professional Development 2Cole-Parmer Offers Enhanced Selection of Centrifuges 2
... Janssen Biotech, Inc. announced today that the ... Complete Response letter for its supplemental Biologics License ... in September 2010, seeks to expand the SIMPONI® ... structural damage, inducing major clinical response (MCR) and ...
... Calif., July 22, 2011 NeurogesX, Inc. (Nasdaq: ... novel pain management therapies, today announced that on July ... in connection with a private placement to a group ... conditions, is expected to receive approximately $20 million in ...
... (previously known as the Beijing Genomics Institute), the largest ... Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, together published the whole ... ) in Genome Biology on July 6th, ... for evolutionary and biomedical research. Rhesus macaque, also ...
Cached Biology Technology:FDA Issues Complete Response Letter to Janssen Biotech, Inc. for SIMPONI® Supplemental Biologic License Application 2FDA Issues Complete Response Letter to Janssen Biotech, Inc. for SIMPONI® Supplemental Biologic License Application 3FDA Issues Complete Response Letter to Janssen Biotech, Inc. for SIMPONI® Supplemental Biologic License Application 4FDA Issues Complete Response Letter to Janssen Biotech, Inc. for SIMPONI® Supplemental Biologic License Application 5FDA Issues Complete Response Letter to Janssen Biotech, Inc. for SIMPONI® Supplemental Biologic License Application 6NeurogesX, Inc. Announces $20 Million Private Placement 2NeurogesX, Inc. Announces $20 Million Private Placement 3NeurogesX, Inc. Announces $20 Million Private Placement 4Whole sequence variation map reveals insight into evolutionary studies of rhesus macaque 2
Cell Culture Flask, nontreated polystyrene...
... Corning CellBIND surface is produced by ... a more hydrophilic surface giving more ... growth and yields. CellBIND enhances cell ... including reduced serum or serum-free medium. ...
... array system, 100-240 V, uses xMAP technology ... 100 proteins and peptides in one microplate ... up to 100 color-coded bead sets, each ... unique reactant (enzyme substrates, receptors, antigens, or ...
... 100-240 V, is an optional module for ... delivery of up to 20 L of ... The HTF system automatically draws sheath fluid ... constantly maintain a reservoir of pressurized sheath ...
Biology Products: