Interrenal cell zonation in the adrenal gland of the goose (Anser anser)

The adrenal medulla in mammalian species is surrounded by a cortex that contains three distinct layers, whereas the cortex and medulla are intermingled in poultry species. The objective of the present study was to determine the distinct zonation changes in the adrenal cortex of geese in various ages using both electron and light microscopy. Adrenal glands were obtained from French Geese (Anser anser) under deep ether anesthesia at posthach day 1, 5, 10, 21 and 30 (n = 5 per day). The cytoplasm of interrenal cells located beneath the adrenal capsule (sub-capsular zone, SCZ) were stained lighter than that of interrenal cells located inside the adrenal gland (inner zone, IZ) and contained several vacuoles for each sampling day. Additionally, unlike IZ cells, SCZ cells contained nuclei that were various shapes and surrounded by irregularly arranged membranes, lipid droplets which were not surrounded by a membrane, mitochondria with mostly shelf-like cristae. The arrangement of SCZ cells appears similar to that of zona glomerulosa and also the arrangement of IZ cells to that of zona fasciculata of mammalian adrenal cortex, suggesting the significant signs of zonation in goose adrenal cortex

Expression of microRNA and microRNA processing machinery genes during early quail (Coturnix japonica) embryo development

Wondim, Dr. Dessie Salilew/0000-0002-8756-0865WOS: 000319314800023PubMed: 23436530MicroRNA (miRNA) are small regulatory RNA molecules that are implicated in regulating and controlling a wide range of physiological processes including cell division, differentiation, migration, apoptosis, morphogenesis, and organogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine the expression pattern of 32 miRNA and 18 miRNA processing machinery genes during somite formation in quail embryos. The embryos were collected at stages HH (Hamburger and Hamilton) 4, 6, and 9 of embryo development (19, 24, and 30 h of incubation, respectively). Total RNA including miRNA was isolated from 4 groups of embryos (each group consisting of 6 to 8 embryos) were collected at each of the 3 stages (19, 24, and 30 h). The expression pattern of candidate miRNA and miRNA processing machinery genes was performed using quantitative real-time PCR. The results demonstrated that 7 miRNA (let-7a, mir-122, mir-125b, mir-10b, P < 0.01; let-7b, mir-26a, and mir-126, P < 0.05) were differentially expressed during early quail embryo development. In addition, the expression profile of 18 miRNA processing machinery genes was not significantly increased at 30 h of incubation compared with both 19 and 24 h. Our results suggest that machinery genes for miRNA biogenetic pathways are functional, and hence, miRNA may be involved in the regulation of early quail development. These 7 differentially expressed miRNA are suggested to play critical roles in quail embryo somite formation