Vitellogenin induction in quail is diminished by a marginal Zn diet
- Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg (United States)
Previous studies from the authors' lab have suggested that the rate of estrogen-directed gene expression accompanying the onset of labor is reduced in pregnant rats fed a diet low in zinc from day 10 of gestation. This effect appears to be distinct from a general effect on the synthesis of cellular protein. The estrogen receptor (ER) is a member of a superfamily of ligand-activated transcriptional regulators which contain the Zn finger motif. Timely acquisition of Zn by ER may be a rate limiting step when the Zn supply is marginal. The authors have tested this phenomenon further in the quail. Five week old sexually mature male Japanese quail were fed a semi-purified diet containing either 147 or 1-2 ppm of zinc for a three week period. Dietary Zn content had no effect on feed consumption or weight gain but plasma Zn declined from 2.6 {plus minus} 0.2 {mu}g/ml to 1.6 {plus minus} 0.2 {mu}g/ml and liver Zn fell from 133 {plus minus} 7 {mu}g/g to 79 {plus minus} 5 {mu}g/g. Estrogen challenge in controls was followed by the appearance of 0.66 {plus minus} 0.04 mg protein bound phosphorus (PBP) in the plasma which represented liver synthesis of the egg-yolk protein vitellogenin. Low Zn-fed birds produced only 64% as much PBP.
- OSTI ID:
- 5174061
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9104107-; CODEN: FAJOE
- Journal Information:
- FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States), Vol. 5:5; Conference: 75. annual meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), Atlanta, GA (United States), 21-25 Apr 1991; ISSN 0892-6638
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
PROTEINS
BIOSYNTHESIS
ZINC
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIRDS
DIET
ESTROGENS
METABOLISM
RECEPTORS
ANIMALS
ELEMENTS
HORMONES
MEMBRANE PROTEINS
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
STEROID HORMONES
SYNTHESIS
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology