Though the age difference in serum IgG level of the chicken has been investigated by some researchers, it of the quail has not been reported. The present studies were carried out using a single radial immunodiffusion technique to clearify the change of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) level of the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) with aging. The differences of the serum IgG levels between sexes and among three strains of the Japanese quail was investigated.
IgG was isolated from a normal, unimmunized adult Japanese quail serum by the precipitation with ammonium sulphate, the technique of agar block electrophoresis and gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. Anti-IgG serum was prepared by the injection of emulsion of the quail IgG with Freund's complete adjuvant into the rabbits. The IgG levels of sera of Japanese quail were determined by a single radial immunodiffusion technique (MANCINI et al., 1965).
The serum IgG levels in wild feather color strain (A), silver ferther color strain (B) and white shell with wild feather color strain (C) were determined from 0 to 30 weeks of age. The IgG level at 0 week decreased drastically until 1 or 2 weeks of age, and then it increased until 15 weeks of age. At 0 week of age, serum IgG levels for males of A, B and C strain were 428.7mg/100ml, 360.1 and 312.6, respectively, and those for females of each strain were 399.6, 360.0 and 367.2, respectively. The values reached 672.3, 454.9, 647.3 for males and 518.0, 324.5, 474.0 for females at 10 weeks of age. The serum IgG level of A strain was significantly higher than that of B strain at 0 and 2 weeks of age and thereafter. A sexual difference in serum IgG levels was observed at 10 weeks in each strain, and at 15 weeks in B strain. The IgG levels of males were significantly higher than those of females at these weeks of age.

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Lighting is the important factor for egg production in the avian species. The present study was carried out to clarify the influence of change of lighting in the relation to the time of oviposition and egg producing abilities in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).
The experiment was performed by exposing the quail to artificial lightings; i.e., 12L-12D (L: light, D: dark), 14L-10D, 16L-8D, 20L-4D and 24L-0D. The time of oviposition, rate of egg production, egg weight, feed convertion and daily egg output were recorded. The results obtained were as follows.
A peak of oviposition was observed at about 11 hours after the onset of light in 14L-10D and 16L-8D, but in 20L-4D and 24L-OD, their ovipositions were found at any time. The average time interval among successive ovipositions tended to extend with lengthening the lighting time. Simultaneously, egg weight increased and the rate of ovulation within 40 minutes after oviposition decreased. Rate of egg production, feed convertion and daily egg output were the best in 20L-4D, but there was no significant difference between 16L-8D and 20L-4D (except egg weight).

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[1, 2-³H] Progesterone (48Ci/mmol) dissolved in propylene glycol was injected intravenously into 300-350 day-old White Leghorn hens. Five minutes after the injection, 1.38% of the injected dose was uptaken by the kidney tissue of the hen. Decreasing pattern of the radioactivity for the first 60 minutes is similar in the kidney and oviduct magnum, but different in the liver.
The kidney tissue from the 300-350 day-old White Leghorn hens was homogenized, fractionated by differential centrifugation, and was incubated with [4-¹⁴C] labelled pregnenolone and [4-¹⁴C] labelled progesterone. Incubation of pregnenolone with the kidney tissue homogenate, produced 5-pregnene-3β, 20β-diol. Progesterone was metabolized to 20β-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one. The activity of 20β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase upon pregnenolone was predominant in the nuclear fraction, whereas activity of the same enzyme upon progesterone was higher in microsomal fraction than in other fractions. 3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 17α-hydroxylase and 21-hydroxylase were not present in the tissue. No difference in the enzymatic activity relevent to the metabolism was found between the anterior, medium and posterior lobes of the chicken kidney.
Interestingly, in rat kidney neither conversion of pregnenolone to 5-pregnene-3β, 20β-diol nor that of progesterone to 20β-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one was observed.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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