Project description:Here, we report on a novel chicken comb phenotype, designated Antler-comb. Using a 600K Axiom® Genome-Wide Chicken Genotyping Array, we separately genotyped 12 and 24 female Hetian Wildtype-comb and Antler-comb chickens, respectively. Meanwhile, we sequenced the genomes of 10 Hetian Antler-comb and 10 Wildtype-comb chickens to interrogate the GWAS results and explore the potential genetic variants underlying this phenotype. After conducting a genome-wide association study (GWAS), a 36.5-kb candidate genomic region (chromosome 19:757,754-794,200) related to the Antler-comb phenotype was identified, which wholly and partially encompassed heat shock factor 5 (HSF5) and ring finger protein 43 (RNF43), respectively. HSF5 was ectopically expressed and RNF43 was up-regulated in Antler-comb chickens at embryo ages 7 and 9 (E7 and E9). We further genotyped the most significant single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site, Chr19:794200, across 222 chickens of 16 breeds. We found that the major allele G in Antler-comb chickens remained highly significant across different breeds, and each Antler-comb chicken harbored an allele G. Whole-genome re-sequencing (WGS) involving 10 Hetian Antler-comb and 10 Wildtype-comb chickens reaffirmed the 36.5-kb candidate genomic region, and revealed a genomic duplication, which was 15.7 kb in length and pertained to the 5’-untranslated region and 5’-flanking region of HSF5 (Chr19:784,335-800,034), suggesting its possible role in inducing ectopic expression of HSF5 and altering expression of RNF43 during comb development (E7 and E9). The present study furthers our understanding of this novel chicken comb phenotype, and likely gives another example regarding interactions between genetic variation and phenotype.
Project description:Dongxiang blue-shelled chicken, an indigenous chicken breed in China, has segregated significantly for the dermal hyperpigmentation phenotype. Two lines of the chicken have been divergently selected with respect to comb color for over 20 generations. The recent selection has also resulted in a significant difference in egg production. The red comb line (RCL) chicken produces significantly higher number of eggs than that by the dark comb line (DCL) chicken. The objective of this study was to explore potential mechanisms involved in the relationship between comb color and egg production among chickens. We performed genome-wide association study to identify candidate genes associated with chicken comb color using SNP array data, and we conducted selective sweep analysis to identify putative regions of selection harboring pleiotropic genes affecting both comb color and egg production.
2019-06-04 | GSE124906 | GEO
Project description:Microbiota differences of the comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi in native and invasive sub-populations
Project description:Social caste determination in the honey bee is assumed to be determined by the dietary status of the young larvae and translated into physiological and epigenetic changes through nutrient-sensing pathways. We have employed Illumina/Solexa sequencing to examine the small RNA content in the bee larval food source, and show that worker jelly is enriched in miRNA complexity and abundance relative to royal jelly. The miRNA levels in worker jelly were 7-215 fold higher than in royal jelly, and both jellies showed dynamic changes in miRNA content during the 4th to 6th day of larval development. Adding specific miRNAs to royal jelly elicited significant changes in queen larval mRNA expression and in morphological characters of the emerging adult queen bee. We propose that miRNAs in the nurse bee secretions constitute an additional element in the regulatory control of caste determination in the honey bee.
Project description:C5aR1, a receptor for the complement activation proinflammatory fragment, C5a, is primarily expressed on cells of the myeloid lineage, and to a lesser extent on endothelial cells and neurons in brain. Previous work demonstrated C5aR1 antagonist, PMX205, decreased amyloid pathology and suppressed cognitive deficits in Alzheimer Disease (AD) mouse models. In the Arctic AD mouse model, genetic deletion of C5aR1 prevented behavior deficits at 10 months. However, the molecular mechanisms of this protection has not been definitively demonstrated. To understand the role of microglial C5aR1 in the Arctic AD mouse model, we have taken advantage of the CX3CR1GFP and CCR2RFP reporter mice to distinguish microglia as GFP-positive and infiltrating monocytes as GFP and RFP positive, for subsequent transcriptome analysis on specifically sorted myeloid populations from wild type and AD mouse models. Immunohistochemical analysis of mice aged to 2, 5, 7 and 10 months showed no change in amyloid beta (Ab) deposition in the Arctic C5aR1 knockout (KO) mice relative to that seen in the Arctic mice. Of importance, no CCR2+ monocytes/macrophages were found near the plaques in the Arctic brain with or without C5aR1. RNA-seq analysis on microglia from these mice identified inflammation related genes as differentially expressed, with increased expression in the Arctic mice relative to wildtype and decreased expression in the Arctic/C5aR1KO relative to Arctic. In addition, phagosomal-lysosomal proteins and protein degradation pathways that were increased in the Arctic mice were further increased in the Arctic/C5aR1KO mice. These data are consistent with a microglial polarization state with restricted induction of inflammatory genes and enhancement of clearance pathways.
Project description:In this study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was employed to compare the whole transcriptomic differences between six Partridge Shank chickens that are divergent in comb sizes and divided into two groups. A total of 563 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in the two groups. Among these DGEs, 277 were up-regulated and 286 were down-regulated in the big comb group. According to the animal QTL database, eight DEGs including BMP2 and CHADL matched the QTLs associated with the chicken comb traits. Functional annotation analysis revealed that the DEGs were involved in cell communication and calcium signaling. Protein-protein interaction network analysis showed that STK32A, PI3KR1, EDN1, HSPA5 and HSPA8 might have great impact on comb growth. Moreover, potential alternative splicing (AS) events and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were also identified.
Project description:Social caste determination in the honey bee is assumed to be determined by the dietary status of the young larvae and translated into physiological and epigenetic changes through nutrient-sensing pathways. We have employed microRNA gene-microarray, and observed that both worker jelly and royal jelly showed dynamic changes in miRNA content during the 4th to 6th day of larval development . Adding specific miRNAs to royal jelly elicited significant changes in queen larval mRNA expression and in morphological characters of the emerging adult queen bee. We propose that miRNAs in the nurse bee secretions constitute an additional element in the regulatory control of caste determination in the honey bee.