Publisher Summary This chapter analyzes structural organization and expression of ovalbumin and related chicken genes. Chicken ovalbumin accounts for 50 to 65% of total protein synthesis in laying hen oviduct tubular gland cells. As for other egg white proteins such as conalbumin, ovomucoid, and lysozyme, the rate of transcription of its mRNA is under hormonal control. Therefore, the genes corresponding to these proteins provide a very useful model system for the study of the transcriptional regulation of gene expression by hormones. Moreover, administration of oestrogen to immature chicks results in cytodifferentiation of tubular gland cells, which comprise up to 90% of the cells in the magnum portion of laying hen oviduct. This chapter discusses the ovalbumin gene structure, describes the possible length of the ovalbumin transcription unit, and presents evidence that the ovalbumin primary RNA transcript is colinear with the gene. It also presents some sequencing data, which possibly provide some insights into the mechanisms involved in the RNA splicing events and the initiation of transcription. The chapter also presents the results of studies on the conalbumin and ovomucoid gene organization.
