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Common quails are nutritious food and are also used as medicine in some parts of the world. Until now, no information on Toxoplasma gondii infection in common quails intended for human consumption in China is available. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the prevalence of T. gondii infection in common quails in six cities from Shandong, Liaoning, and Jilin provinces, China. Out of 620 common quails examined, 59 (9.52%) were seropositive for T. gondii by the modified agglutination test. T. gondii infection in male and female common quails was 8.10% and 10.71%, respectively. The highest prevalence (13.10%) was detected in a group of common quails from Rizhao of Shandong province, followed by common quails from Yantai of Shandong province (13.04%) and the lowest prevalence (5.56%) was detected in a group of common quails from Shenyang of Liaoning province. The results of this survey revealed the presence of T. gondii infection in common quails in China, indicating that common quails are a potential source for transmission of T. gondii to humans, therefore, posing a potential public health concern. To our knowledge, this is the first report of T. gondii infection in common quails in China.

To evaluate the involvement of pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide (PACAP)/receptors system in the control of testis activity, we have investigated the expression and localization of PACAP and the distribution of its receptors in the testis of mature samples of quail Coturnix coturnix, and we have performed a phylogenetic analysis of PACAP in birds. Using histological, molecular, and bioinformatics tools, we demonstrated that (a) PACAP messenger RNA shows a high sequence identity with that reported in other birds studied so far and in other vertebrates. Furthermore, we showed that purifying selection acts on PACAP; (b) the PACAP peptide is present only in Leydig cells, whereas its receptors are localized within both Leydig and germ cells; (c) the synthesis of PACAP does not take place in seminiferous tubules. The role of PACAP in the control of spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis in birds is discussed. Finally, we talk about the phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships between PACAP in birds and in other vertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on a study of the common quail (Coturnix coturnix) and the population trends and conservation status in Western Europe. The authors review data since 1900 to the present and they say that reliable predictions on changes in species distribution and their movements during breeding season can provide important information on the conservation status and population trends of the species which can be used in designing measures for management.

The article reports on a study on the common quail (Coturnix coturnix), its post-breeding movements and migration patterns observed in western populations. The authors aim to describe migratory phenology and some physiological features of individual quail. The results of the study detail the two waves of post-breeding movements and the timing of the hunting season. The authors say that the results of the study can be used in hunting management and the proper timing of quail hunting season.

The article describes a new approach for avian gender identification to prove it is more rapid and efficient than molecular analysis methods. It reported the findings on the CHD1 gene of the common quail, Coturnix c. coturnix, and the Japanese quail, Coturnix c. japonica, by high-resolution melting-curve (HRM) analysis. The study demonstrated the effectivity of an HRM assay for gender differentiation and proposed it as a supplementary molecular method to sex birds with no sexual dimorphism.

The directional movements of the male European Quail, Coturnix coturnix (L., 1758), during the breeding season and autumn migration were studied using Emlen orientation cages. The characteristics and evolution of the habitat in which males were captured and the sexual behaviour shown at capture indicate that these birds move in search of mating partners rather than of suitable habitats. These displacements are known as “gypsy movements” but are better described, as argued in this paper, as “movements in search of females”. A majority of caged birds (59%) showed a preferred direction (α = 238.5°), which coincided almost exactly with that observed in recoveries of ringed birds during autumn migration (α = 251.3°) but not with results from cage experiments during the same migratory period (α = 187.8°). Therefore, we conclude that displacements of the male European Quail, as shown in ringing recoveries, are much more influenced by “movements in search of females” than by migration. These movements are clearly towards the southwest, the males taking short flights towards suitable breeding grounds and driven by river-course habitats. In addition, we confirm that Emlen funnels are suitable for controlled experiments on the orientation of males in demes of European Quail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yang, Y., Y. Cui, W. Wang, L. Zhang, L. Bufford, S. Sasaki, Z. Fan, and H. Nishimura. Molecular and functional characterization of a vasotocin-sensitive aquaporin water channel in quail kidney. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 287: R915-R924, 2004. First published June 17, 2004; 10.1152/ajpregu.00589.2003.—Both mammals and birds can concentrate urine hyperosmotic to plasma via a countercurrent multiplier mechanism, although evolutionary lines leading to mammals and birds diverged at an early stage of tetrapod evolution. We reported earlier (Nishimura H, Koseki C, and Patel TB. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 271: R1535-R1543, 1996) that arginine vasotocin (AVT; avian antidiuretic hormone) increases diffusional water permeability in the isolated, perfused medullary collecting duct (CD) of the quail kidney. In the present study, we have identified an aquaporin (AQP) 2 homolog water channel in the medullary cones of Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix (qAQP2), by RT-PCR-based cloning techniques. A full-length cDNA contains an 822-bp open reading frame that encodes a 274-amino acid sequence with 75.5% identity to rat AQP2. The qAQP2 has six transmembrane domains, two asparagine-proline-alanine (NPA) sequences, and putative N-glycosylation (asparagine-124) and phosphorylation sites (serine-257) for cAMP-dependent protein kinase, qAQP2 is expressed in the membrane of Xenopus laevis oocytes and significantly in- creased its osmotic water permeability (Pf), inhibitable (P < 0.01) by mercury chloride, qAQP2 mRNA (RT-PCR) was detected in the kidney; medullary mRNA levels were higher than cortical levels. qAQP2 protein that binds to rabbit anti-rat AQP2 antibody is present in the apical/subapical regions of both cortical and medullary CDs from normally hydrated quail, and the intensity of staining increased only in the medullary CDs after water deprivation or AVT treatment. The relative density of the ∼29-kDa protein band detected by immunoblot from the medullary cones was modestly higher in water- deprived/AVT-treated quail. The results suggest that 1) medullary CDs of quail kidneys express a mercury-sensitive functioning qAQP2 water channel, and 2) qAQP2 is at least partly regulated by an AVT-dependent mechanism. This is the first clear identification of AQP2 homolog in nonmammalian vertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]