An attempt at genetic transformation in chickens through cock sperm irradiation.

Two experiments were conducted to verify the real possibility for use of the "genetic transformation technique" as described by Pandey and Patchel in chickens in commercial poultry breeding. Multiple recessive and multiple dominant marker stocks were employed, as well as a tester and a donor line. Recipient tester females were first inseminated with dominant donor semen which was irradiated with doses of (60)Co gamma irradiation ranging from 100 to 800 Gy (control group) and 24 h later were reinseminated with unirradiated, normal semen of the recipient strain (experimental group). One "genetic transformed" chicken was found in the first experiment; no genetic transformed event occurred in the second experiment but one embryo was present in the 600 Gy irradiated group with parthenogenetic development capable of giving a live chick. One hundred Gy was observed not to be enough to destroy completely sperm fertilizing ability. An increased frequency of parthenogenetic development was found in all groups after insemination with irradiated semen. There were 11 individuals with developmental abnormalities from the total of 1264 analysed embryos which died after the 18th day of incubation. We concluded that egg transformation is a rare event in domestic fowl and further research for use of this technique in commercial poultry breeding is needed.