Comparative Studies on Physical and Chemical Property of Avian Eggs

6. Horizontal Polyacrylamide Gradient Gel Electrophoretograms of Chicken (Gallus domesticus), Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica), Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus)

Abstract

Thin layer horizontal polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoretograms of egg white proteins of Galliformes bird species: chicken, quail, golden pheasant and silver pheasant; Anseriformes bird species: duck and muscovy duck; and a Columbiformes bird species: pigeon, were compared. A step gradient gel of 8, 4 and 10% acrylamide concentration was used. Different electrophoretic patterns of egg white proteins in 10% gel were observed in the different bird species. A similar electrophoretic mobility of the same protein fractions of egg white of chicken and quail, and those of silver pheasant and golden pheasant, and those of duck and mucsovy duck were observed. The electrophoretic pattern of the pigeon egg white proteins was different from the other bird species.
Egg white poteins of quail were separated into 13 (Nos. 1-13) electrophoretic zones. The phenotypic variations were observed in the five different protein zones. The new protein polymorphisms were found in zone No. 2 (prealbumin) and zone No. 5 (ovalbumin A₁). Three variants in ovalbumin A₁ (No. 5) seems to be controlled by the Ov-1 locus with 2 autosomal codominant alleles: Ov-1^A and Ov-1^B. The gene frequency of Ov-1^A and Ov-1^B was 0.875 and 0.125, respectively. Three variants in prealbumin zone (No. 2) seems to be controlled by Pa locus with 2 autosomal codominant alleles: Pa^A and Pa^B. The gene frequency of Pa^A and Pa^B was 0.419 and 0.581, respectively.
Three variants were observed in transferrin zone (No. 12). They are controlled by Tf locus with 3 autosomal codominant alleles: Tf^A and Tf^B and Tf^C as reported by Kimura et al6). The gene frequency of Tf^A, Tf^B and Tf^C was 0.012, 0.819 and 0.169, respectively. In zone No. 11 (ovoglobulin G₂), at least six variants were observed.