Endocrinological studies on the regulatory mechanisms of egg-laying in birds.

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Mechanism of egg-laying in birds might be composed of the following three processes ; Initiation (pairing, nesting and so on), Succession of egg-laying (clatch, ovulation and oviposition), and Cessation (Breeding). These processes have internaly organized and progressed under some programming. What is the programming ?The research is undertaken here to search a key of mystery of the programming, especially from a point of view of molecular biology. Items of the research works are shown as follows.1. Breeding season of the common cormorants, possibly a continuous breeder. 2. Growth of the ovarian follicles in geese. 3. Functional dissociation of the pineal glands and retina concerning diurnal rhythm of plasma melatonin in chicken. 4. Endocrine mechanism of oviposition, reference to sex steroids, PG and AVT. 5. Ovulation in the perfused ovary by PG and cathecolamin. 6. Dynamic states of the uterine receptors to posterior pituitany hormones. 7. Developmental expression of the prolactin gene in incubating hens. 8. High level expression of biological active prolactin in E. coli. 9. Proliferation and differentiation of granulosa cells of the ovarian follicles in Japanese quail, in vitro. 10. Plasma sex steroids and prolactin during annual reproductive cycles of geese. 11. Formation of annual reproduction of Japanese quail.