ONTOGENY OF THE EXPRESSION OF MESSENGER-RIBONUCLEIC-ACID ENCODING LUTROPIN RECEPTOR IN CHICKEN-EMBRYO

Ontogeny and cellular localization of the lutropin receptor (LH-R) mRN A were studied in fowl gonads between day 5 of incubation and day 1 of posthatch. In situ hybridization using an antisense cRNA probe demons trated that LH-R gene expression began at embryonic day 7 in females a nd day 14 in males. In female embryos, the specific hybridization was detected in not only developing left ovaries but also regressing right ovaries. The LH-R mRNA expression in the right ovary was detectable u ntil hatch. LH-R mRNA was localized in the medullary cords in ovaries and interstitial tissues in testes. These results are consistent with previous reports on ontogenic analysis of LH-dependent steroidogenesis in chicken embryo gonads.