The Nature of the Biochemical Lesion in Avian Renal Riboflavinuria: 6. Hormone Induction of the Riboflavin-Binding Protein in Roosters and Young Chicks

INTRODUCTION THE experiments reported in this paper are related to the study of the nature of action by the mutant gene which leads to a reduction of acid released riboflavin in the eggs of chickens. Farrell et al. (1969) isolated the specific protein which binds riboflavin in the albumen of eggs produced by homozygous normal (Rd Rd) hens. Furthermore, Farrell et al. (1970b,c) reported evidence for a similar protein in the blood of laying females; a reduced amount of the riboflavin-binding protein (RBP) was found in Rdrd and none in rdrd birds. In the same paper, the induction of this protein in the blood of normal (RdRd) adult males was reported to occur following injection of 17α estradiol dipropionate. None was found in the non-injected and injected males of the rdrd genotype. Hence the increased level of serum riboflavin following administration of estradiol dipropionate reported by Common and Bolton (1946)…