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Veterinary Sciences
Special Issues
Innovations in Poultry Reproductive Biology: Germ Cells, Developmental Mechanisms, and...
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Innovations in Poultry Reproductive Biology: Germ Cells, Developmental Mechanisms, and Translational Applications

A Special Issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381) belonging to the section "Veterinary Reproduction and Obstetrics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2026) | Viewed by 1007

Editors

Dr. Kai Jin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Interests: chicken embryo development; avian germline stem cells; sex determination
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xian Zou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangzhou 510640, China
Interests: poultry reproduction; gene editing; primordial germ cells; reproductive biotechnology; sex determination; transfection efficiency

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge advances in the molecular, cellular, and developmental mechanisms regulating avian reproduction. Poultry reproductive biology has entered a transformative stage, with recent breakthroughs in germ cell isolation, in vitro gametogenesis, genome editing, and transgenic technologies offering new perspectives on fertility regulation, genetic conservation, and breeding innovation. Studies on primordial germ cell migration, oocyte and spermatogonial stem cell differentiation, and hormonal and epigenetic modulation are shedding light on the fundamental principles of reproductive development. Furthermore, translational applications—ranging from germline modification for genetic resource preservation to novel reproductive biotechnologies for improving hatchability and production efficiency—are rapidly expanding. This Special Issue welcomes original research articles, reviews, and methodological papers that explore the mechanisms and applications of reproductive innovation in poultry. The ultimate goal is to bridge fundamental avian developmental biology with applied breeding and biotechnology, promoting sustainable poultry production and the conservation of avian genetic diversity.

Dr. Kai Jin
Dr. Xian Zou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Veterinary Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • poultry reproduction
  • germ cells
  • primordial germ cells
  • gametogenesis
  • stem cells
  • developmental biology
  • genome editing
  • transgenic poultry
  • reproductive biotechnology
  • avian fertility

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 3529 KB  
Article
Transcriptional Profiling of Primordial Germ Cells During Chicken Embryonic Development
by Mingyang Jin, Jingkang Huang, Chao Qin, Kaixuan Yang, Fuquan Xiao and He Meng
Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(7), 662; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13070662 - 7 Jul 2026
Viewed by 503
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the earliest precursors of gametes and essential cellular materials for poultry germplasm conservation and genetic modification. In this study, PGCs isolated from 2.5-day male and female Silkie chicken embryos were defined as circulating PGCs (cPGC_M and cPGC_F), whereas [...] Read more.
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the earliest precursors of gametes and essential cellular materials for poultry germplasm conservation and genetic modification. In this study, PGCs isolated from 2.5-day male and female Silkie chicken embryos were defined as circulating PGCs (cPGC_M and cPGC_F), whereas PGCs isolated from 8.5-day male and female embryos were defined as gonad-derived PGCs (gPGC_M and gPGC_F). RNA sequencing with three biological replicates per group was performed to characterize developmental-stage- and sex-associated transcriptional programs. Comparative transcriptomic analyses identified stage-associated differences in pathways related to cell–matrix interaction, focal adhesion, PI3K–Akt signaling, and stem cell pluripotency, with more differentially expressed genes detected in the female than in the male stage comparison. Sex-biased expression was detectable at the circulating stage, mainly reflecting W- and Z-linked expression differences, and the number of sex-biased genes was greater after gonadal colonization, primarily because more autosomal differentially expressed genes were detected. Candidate genes and pathways, including HINTW, DMRT1, SOX2, EDNRB, LPAR4, GFRA3, ECM–receptor interaction, ribosome-related modules, and calcium signaling, were associated with these comparisons and are presented as targets for future validation rather than as confirmed regulators. Because the study used three biological replicates per group, RT-qPCR corroboration was limited to six female stage-associated genes, and no functional perturbation assays were performed, the findings are descriptive and do not establish causal mechanisms of PGC migration, gonadal colonization, or sex differentiation. Within these limitations, the dataset provides an exploratory resource for subsequent studies of chicken PGC biology and biotechnology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Poultry Reproductive Biology: Germ Cells, Developmental Mechanisms, and Translational Applications)
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