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Influence of the Sex-Linked Dwarfing Gene (dw) on the Lipid Composition of Plasma, Egg Yolk and Abdominal Fat Pad in White Leghorn Laying Hens: Effect of Dietary Fat

Station de Recherches de Nutrition and Laboratoire de Génétique Factorielle, INRA-CRJ, Domaine de Vilvert 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France

The levels and fatty acid composition of lipids were determined in very low density lipoproteins (VLDL, d < 1.006), yolk and abdominal adipose tissue of normal (Dw) and sex-linked dwarf (dw) White Leghorn laying hens. Effects of adding 4% tallow to the diet were also examined. In 40-wk-old hens, neither plasma lipids (triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesterol), VLDL levels, nor the chemical composition of VLDL was altered by the dw gene or dietary fat. Dwarfism reduced egg and yolk weights. Though the yolk lipid content was similar in normal and dwarf hens, yolk from dwarfs had slightly more phospholipids and less triglycerides than yolk from normal hens. Higher linoleic acid [18:2(n-6)] and lower oleic acid [18:1(n-9)] levels were observed in triglycerides of VLDL, yolk and adipose tissue from dwarf hens. In addition, the dietary fatty acid pattern had a greater influence on the fatty acid composition of the yolk lipid major precursors (VLDL triglycerides) in dwarf laying hens than in normal hens. These results suggest that the dwarfing gene might reduce the hepatic de novo fatty acid synthesis and/or dwarf hens might incorporate more dietary lipids into yolk than do normal hens.

KEY WORDS: • sex-linked dwarfing gene (dw) • plasma lipids • yolk • laying hens • tallow diet • very low density lipoproteins

Manuscript received 26 September 1988. Revision accepted 9 May 1989.