Meeting Abstract

P3.129  Friday, Jan. 6  A Comparative Study of Oxidative Damage In Avian Embryos TSUNEKAGE, T*; RICKLEFS, RE; Univ. of Missouri, St. Louis; Univ. of Missouri, St. Louis ttsunekage@umsl.edu

The length of avian embryonic development period varies greatly across species. There is evidence that the rate of embryonic development may be linked to the rate of aging and maximum lifespan. Faster development may lead to increased accumulation of cellular damage and damage early in life may have more profound effects on longevity than damage that occurs later in life. Embryonic samples of five different species with incubation periods ranging from 14 to 42 day were collected. We investigated differences in embryonic oxidative damage to and repair of DNA using single cell gel electrophoresis on red blood. We aim to advance the understanding mechanisms that may underlie the relationship of embryonic development period and longevity.