Glucocorticoid metabolism in the in ovo environment modulates exposure to maternal corticosterone in Japanese quail embryos (Coturnix japonica)

Maternal effects have gained attention as a method by which mothers may alter thephysiologicalconditionandphenotypeoftheiroffspringbaseduponcurrent environmental conditions. The physiological and phenotypic outcomes of glucocorticoid-mediated maternal effects have been extensively studied in a variety of vertebrates; however, the underlying mechanism is currently unclear. Here, we injected tritiated corticosterone into the yolks of freshly laid Japanese quail eggs (Coturnix japonica) andtraced its movement andmetabolism through the in ovo development period. We found that corticosterone was extensively conjugated throughout the egg by the end of development, and while minimal corticosterone was detected within the embryo during development, accumulation of a conjugated metabolite in the embryo started to occur on day 6 of