Examination the Expression Pattern of HSP70 Heat Shock Protein in Chicken PGCs and Developing Genital Ridge

Chicken Primordial Germ cells (PGCs) are emerging pioneers in the field of applied embryology and stem cell technology. Now-a-days transgenic chickens are promising models to study human disease pathophysiology and drug designing. However, most of the molecular mechanism, which govern the stemness and pluripotency of chicken PGCs, not known in details. Recent studies have indicated the role of HSP70 in early embryonic development in many vertebrate species. Exposure of chicken to heat stress result in activation of heat shock factors which activate the transcription of HSP70. Exposure chicken eggs to acute heat stress effects HSP70 expression in PGCs and gonads. HSP70 helps in maintaining the integrity of chicken PGCs. A new emerging role of HSP70 in apoptosis has emerged. In our lab, we aim to characterize the expression of cHsp70 in chicken PGCs and gonads during embryonic development by subjecting the parents to acute levels of heat stress. Chickens whose parents subjected to heat stress showed varied expression of cHsp70 and also improved thermo tolerance. In the future we plan to study other factors and miRNAs, which is characterized as an emerging player in regulating heat shock protein response in chicken and also plays an important role in apoptosis.