The molecular genetics of avian sex determination and its manipulation

Abstract

The chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) has long been a useful model for developmental biologists. The developing avian embryo is easily accessible and fertile eggs are widely available. In addition, the embryo is also amenable to genetic manipulation allowing studies on many important morphological and cellular processes. More recently, the ability to directly manipulate gene expression through the production of transgenic or mutant chicken embryos by viral delivery methods has been useful to analyse gene function in a wide range of tissues, including the developing gonads. Chickens are amniotes and their development closely resembles that of mammals, implying underlying genetic conservation..