Tight junctions in the mucosal epithelium have essential roles as a mucosal barrier to prevent invasion of microbes into the hen oviduct tissue. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the egg-laying phase and estradiol on the expression of tight junction molecule "claudins" in the lower oviductal segments in hens. White Leghorn laying and molting hens were used. Molting hens were...

Insects require molting fluids to shed the old cuticle during molting. β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase, known as Hex1, together with various chitinases, is responsible for degrading the chitin component of the old cuticle. This study showed that another β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase, termed OfHex3, interacted with Hex1 and functioned in the molting fluid, although the homolog of OfHex3 was known as a...

Although the molting cycle is a hallmark of insects and nematodes, neither the endocrine control of molting via size, stage, and nutritional inputs nor the enzymatic mechanism for synthesis and release of the exoskeleton is well understood. Here, we identify endocrine and enzymatic regulators of molting in C. elegans through a genome-wide RNA-interference screen. Products of the 159 genes disco...

In recent papers, Tanabe et al.(1956,1957) reported that no increase in the uptake of I131 by the thyroid was observed in molting hens as compared with laying hens,and no acceleration in the release of I131 as thyroid hormone from the thyroid of the hen was observed either in molting period or in pre-molting period. Further-more, it has been shown that thiouracil feeding does not prevent natura...

1. The amount of regenerating limb tissue does not control the length of molting delay in cockroaches; rather, a programmed delay associated with each autotomy level and segment allows an appropriate delay for accomplishing the necessary regeneration. 2. Delay of molting is accomplished by inhibiting ecdysiotropin release. 3. Each regenerating limb produces a delay independent of other regenera...

Ion transport and metabolism in the posterior midgut before, during and after the molt to the fifth instar of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta were investigated. In situ measurements reveal that the transepithelial potential difference of the posterior midgut falls during the molting process. This finding was confirmed by in vitro experiments in which it was demonstrated that both the transep...

The study aimed to evaluate the effects of 1 % zinc propionate as a molting agent on egg production and quality, certain biochemical blood parameters, hepatic and renal residues of zinc in laying hens. Sixty laying hens of 64 weeks old were divided into two equal groups; control non molted group, that fed a layer ration without additives and molted group, that fed a layer ration with 1% zinc pr...

The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of alfalfa and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) on molting performance and bone parameters compared with the conventional feed withdrawal molting procedure. A total of 36 Single Comb White Leghorn hens (84 wk of age) were used for this experiment. The hens were divided into 6 treatment groups with 6 birds per treatment: pre-trial control (PC), full fed ...

Caenorhabditis elegans molting is a process during which the apical extracellular matrix of the epidermis, the cuticle, is remodeled through a process of degradation and re-synthesis. Using a genetic approach, we identified nekl-3 as essential for the completion of molting. NEKL-3 is highly similar to the mammalian NEK kinase family members NEK6 and NEK7. Animals homozygous for a hypomorphic mu...

The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) is an important vector of emerging human pathogens. It has three blood-feeding stages, as follows: larva, nymph, and adult. Owing to inefficient transovarial transmission, at least for the Lyme disease agent (Borrelia burgdorferi), larval ticks rarely hatch infected, but they can acquire infection during their larval blood meal. Nymphal ticks are primari...