Relative gene expression during the critical stages of feather development.

<p>Gene expression analyses were performed in dorsal and facial skin tissue from embryos and chicks. Samples from <i>Mb/Mb</i> and <i>mb/mb</i> chickens were collected at embryonic (E) days 7.5, 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and two weeks after hatching. The expression of (A) <i>PSMC5</i>, (B) <i>SMARCD2</i>, (C) <i>HOXB8</i>, (D) <i>HOXB7</i>, (E) <i>CCR7</i>, (F) <i>SMARCE1</i>, and (G) <i>KRT222</i> in the dorsal and facial skin were normalized to <i>GAPDH</i>. Ectopic expression of <i>HOXB8</i> was observed in the Mb chickens during the whole period of feather development.