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  • Title: Effect of active immunization against recombinant-derived chicken prolactin fusion protein on the onset of broodiness and photoinduced egg laying in bantam hens.
    Author: March JB, Sharp PJ, Wilson PW, Sang HM.
    Journal: J Reprod Fertil; 1994 May; 101(1):227-33. PubMed ID: 8064686.
    Abstract:
    The hypothesis that the onset of incubation behaviour (broodiness) in the domestic hen is induced by an increase in prolactin secretion was investigated by actively immunizing bantam hens against recombinant-derived chicken prolactin. A second objective was to establish whether active immunization against prolactin affects photoinduced onset of egg laying and the rate of egg production. The immunogen was a fusion protein (beta gals-prolactin, 23 kDa) produced in Escherichia coli, comprising chicken prolactin (without the nine amino-terminal amino acids) fused to 18 amino acids of E. coli beta-galactosidase. A control immunogen was produced in the same strain of E. coli harbouring the same plasmid vector used to produce beta gals-prolactin minus the prolactin gene sequence. Hens were immunized i.m. with 1 mg of protein containing 0.8-0.9 mg of fusion protein in Freund's incomplete adjuvant at 4-8 week intervals beginning before or after egg laying, which was induced by increasing the daily photoperiod. The beta gals-prolactin immunogen, but not the control immunogen, stimulated the production of antibodies to chicken prolactin. In Expts 1, 2 and 3, hens were placed in floor pens with nest boxes after photostimulation to induce broodiness. In these experiments, immunization with beta gals-prolactin reduced the incidence or delayed the development of broodiness. This effect was more pronounced if immunization was initiated before, rather than after, the onset of egg laying. In Expts 1 and 2 hens were immunized with beta gals-prolactin before photostimulation. The presence of antibodies to prolactin in their blood did not affect photoinduced onset of egg laying.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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