Meeting Abstract

P2.21  Saturday, Jan. 5  A protocol for wild avian muscle cell culture. COOPER-MULLIN, C.*; JIMENEZ, A.J.; VAN BROCKLYN, J.R.; WILLIAMS, J.B.; The Ohio State University coopermullinc@gmail.com

Understanding physiological properties at a cellular level in wild bird species can help address basic questions on how cellular traits can be linked to whole-animal physiology. Traditionally, cellular metabolic studies have focused on fibroblasts, since they are easily cultured and manipulated, but these cells represent barely 1% of total-organism metabolic rate. Skeletal muscle makes up a large fraction, 25-30%, of body mass in an individual, and, therefore, contributes substantially to whole-animal metabolism. However, avian muscle cell cultures have only been developed in captive birds. Here we have modified previous protocols for domestic birds that now allow us to culture muscle cells from wild species. Our goal is to understand the link between cellular and whole animal metabolic rates.