“JITTERY,” A SEX-LINKED NERVOUS DISORDER IN THE CHICK

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Abstract
A condition in day-old chicks referred to as "jittery," in which the head is retracred over the back, accompanied by a rapid shaking of the head was studied. The condition is highly lethal in post natal stages, with 1 or 2% of affected chicks reaching maturity. Expression in surviving adults is similar to that in the chick. Breeding tests show the gene for "jittery" to be a sex-linked recessive. Linkage data from 805 gametes produced little or no evidence of linkage with the sex-linked genes which produce barring, silver, and slow feathering. These data indicate that the gene for "jittery" is located distally on the sex chromosome from the other genes involved; this suggests that the sex chromosome linkage map of the fowl may be much longer than presently descr. Histo-logical examination of affected chicks revealed marked degeneration of the Purkinjie cells of the cerebellar region.

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