Expression of P450arom, AMH and ERα mRNA in gonads of turkey, duck and goose within one week of age

Although many studies have shown that P450aromatase (P450arom), anti-Miillerian hormone (AMH) and estrogen receptor α (ERa) play pivotal roles in sexual differentiation of the gonads during early embryonic development in chickens and quail, few studies have been reported for other domestic birds. Furthermore, little information is available in relation to the mRNA expression in gonads after sexual differentiation in posthatching birds. The present study was conducted to assay mRNA expression of P450arom, AMH and ERα in gonads at day of hatch in turkey and duck and 2 days after hatching in goose using the real-time PCR. The mRNA expression was also determined at one week of age in gonads of these birds. At the time of collection of the left gonads for total RNA extraction, the external appearance of the left and right gonads of male and female was documented by digital camera. Clear asymmetry was observed in the female ovary in which the right ovary was regressed completely by 1-2 days in posthatching turkey, duck and goose. Although gonadal asymmetry was as remarkable as in females, the left testis was larger than the right one in males. Remarkable expression of P450arom mRNA was observed only in females in all the 3 species but substantially no expression was detected in males. Significantly higher expression of AMH mRNA was detected in males than females only in goose but there was no sex difference in turkey and duck at 1-2 days posthatching and one week of age. Weak ERa mRNA expression without a sex difference was detected in the 3 birds. These results suggest that estrogen plays a key role for ovarian development via P450arom mRNA expression after hatching, whereas absence of its expression in males leads to testis development in turkey, duck and goose.