Ephrin Receptor Expression in the Embryonic Bursa of Fabricius

Utilizing degenerate PCR primers complementary to conserved regions within the kinase domain of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) genes, the goal was to compare the full complement of RTK expressed (mRNA level) between two developmental stages of bursal B-cells. We identified 21 different RTK cDNAs out of a total of 235 cDNAs sequenced between the two B-cell stages. The dataset revealed the expression of RTK genes important in developmental processes, namely the ephrin receptors (Eph). The ephrin receptors and the ephrin ligands play critical roles in embryo development by controlling the organization of cells in tissues and by inducing cellular differentiation.