Project description:RNA N6-melthyladenosine has been suggested to play important roles in various biological processes. Chicken ovary development is a process controlled by complex gene regulations. In this study, transcriptome-wide m6A methylation of the Wuhua yellow-feathered chicken ovaries before and after sexual maturation was profiled to identify potential molecular mechanisms underlying chicken ovary development. The results showed that m6A levels of mRNAs changed dramatically during sexual maturity. A total of 1476 differential m6A peaks were found between these two stages with 662 significantly up-regulated methylation peaks and 814 down-regulated methylation peaks after sexual maturation. A positive correlation was found between the m6A peaks and gene expression levels. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that apoptosis related pathways might be the key molecular regulatory pathway underlying the poor reproductive performance of Wuhua yellow-feathered chicken. The fine expressional regulation of genes related to follicles development and follicle atresia controlled by m6A during the maturity results in the poor reproductive performance in the Wuhua yellow-feathered chicken. However, the regulatory mechanisms are still unclear, thus more further studies are required. The pathways and corresponding candidate genes found here may be useful for molecular design breeding for improving egg production performance in Chinese local chicken breed, and it will also benefit for the genetic resource protection of valuable avian species.
Project description:Optimization of broiler chicken breast muscle protein accretion is key for the efficient production of poultry meat, whose demand is steadily increasing. In a context where antimicrobial growth promoters use is being restricted, it is important to find alternatives as well as to characterize the effect of immunological stress on broiler chicken growth. Despite of its importance, research on broiler chicken muscle protein dynamics has been mostly limited to the study of mixed protein turnover. The present study aims to characterize the effect of a bacterial challenge and the feed supplementation of a citrus and a cucumber extract on broiler chicken individual breast muscle proteins fractional synthesis rates (FSR) using a recently developed dynamic proteomics pipeline. 21 day-old broiler chickens were administered a single 2H2O dose before being culled at different timepoints. A total of 60 breast muscle protein extracts from five experimental groups (Unchallenged, Challenged, Control Diet, Diet 1 and Diet 2) were analyzed using a DDA proteomics approach. Proteomics data was filtered in order to reliably calculate multiple proteins FSR making use of a newly developed bioinformatics pipeline. Broiler breast muscle proteins FSR uniformly decreased following a bacterial challenge, this change was judged significant for 15 individual proteins, the two major functional clusters identified as well as for mixed breast muscle protein. Citrus or cucumber extract feed supplementation did not show any effect on the breast muscle protein FSR of immunologically challenged broilers. The present study has identified potential predictive markers of breast muscle growth and provided new information on broiler chicken breast muscle protein turnover which could be essential for improving the efficiency of broiler chicken meat production.
Project description:This study, conducted as part of the mEATquality European Union project, used a large intervention experiment to examine the main effects and interactions of extensification factors in higher-welfare, non-organic systems with relatively low chicken stocking density. The study focused on how chicken genetics and on-farm enrichments (as two extensification factors) influence broiler performance, intrinsic meat quality and the molecular mechanisms underlying these traits with the aim of supporting improved production strategies.
2026-05-29 | PXD066390 | Pride
Project description:Microbial diversity of Yellow-feathered broiler
Project description:Global demand for animal protein is expected to double by 2050 at a time when resource-intensive livestock production is reaching peak capacity. Cellular agriculture offers an opportunity to meet the increasing demand for animal products, but the technology is currently limited by the genetic stability of immortalized cells, low culture yields, and high production costs. Here we demonstrate the spontaneous immortalization and long-term genetic stability of fibroblasts derived from the indigenous Israeli Baladi and the commercial Broiler Ross chicken breeds. Cells were adapted for growth as single-cell suspensions in animal-component free culture medium reaching cell densities of over 100x10^6 cells/mL in ATF perfusion presenting a production yield of over 33% w/v. We show that soy phosphatidylcholine, a major component of lecithin, activates PPAR, driving adipogenesis in immortalized chicken fibroblasts. Harvesting cultured adipocytes and blending them with high moisture extruded soy protein formed cultured chicken strips in which mouth feel and texture were supported by a blend of animal and plant proteins while aroma and flavor were driven by cultured animal fat. Visual and sensory analysis graded the product 4.5 out of 5.0, with over 85% percent of the study group said they are extremely likely to replace their food choice with this cultured meat product. The ability to create immortalized lines without genetic modification and the high yield process for cultured meat production presents an important steppingstone in the market realization of cultured meat.
Project description:Global demand for animal protein is expected to double by 2050 at a time when resource-intensive livestock production is reaching peak capacity. Cellular agriculture offers an opportunity to meet the increasing demand for animal products, but the technology is currently limited by the genetic stability of immortalized cells, low culture yields, and high production costs. Here we demonstrate the spontaneous immortalization and long-term genetic stability of fibroblasts derived from the indigenous Israeli Baladi and the commercial Broiler Ross chicken breeds. Cells were adapted for growth as single-cell suspensions in animal-component free culture medium reaching cell densities of over 100x10^6 cells/mL in ATF perfusion presenting a production yield of over 33% w/v. We show that soy phosphatidylcholine, a major component of lecithin, activates PPAR, driving adipogenesis in immortalized chicken fibroblasts. Harvesting cultured adipocytes and blending them with high moisture extruded soy protein formed cultured chicken strips in which mouth feel and texture were supported by a blend of animal and plant proteins while aroma and flavor were driven by cultured animal fat. Visual and sensory analysis graded the product 4.5 out of 5.0, with over 85% percent of the study group said they are extremely likely to replace their food choice with this cultured meat product. The ability to create immortalized lines without genetic modification and the high yield process for cultured meat production presents an important steppingstone in the market realization of cultured meat.
Project description:The broiler chicken is the globally most important source of commercially produced meat. While genetic approaches have played an important role in the development of chicken stocks, little is known about chicken epigenetics. We have now systematically analyzed the chicken DNA methylation toolkit and DNA methylation landscape. While overall DNA methylation patterns were similar to mammals, sperm DNA appeared distinctly hypomethylated, which correlates with the absence of the DNMT3L cofactor in the chicken genome. Additional analysis also revealed the presence of low-methylated regions in the chicken methylome, which are conserved gene regulatory elements that show tissue-specific methylation patterns. We also used whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to establish 56 single-base resolution methylomes of the broiler chicken from various tissues and developmental time points. Data analysis confirmed tissue-specific and time-dependent methylation patterns that were used to establish a DNA methylation clock to predict sample age and measure stock performance. Our study thus provides a comprehensive resource for the chicken methylome and establishes a novel epigenetic tool for livestock performance analysis.
Project description:Bacterial infections remain an important cause of morbidity in poultry production. The molecular characteristics and dynamic changes in immune cell populations after bacterial infection have yet to be fully understood. Beijing-You chicken and Cobb broiler, two broiler breeds with different disease resistance, were infected with Salmonella typhimurium, and inflammation models were constructed. We characterized chicken spleen CD45+ immune cells by single-cell RNA sequencing.
Project description:This study, conducted as part of the mEATquality European Union project, examined the main effects and interactions of space allowance and dietary fibre provision in higher-welfare systems. Using the slower-growing genotype, Hubbard JA757, we assessed broiler performance, intrinsic meat quality and the molecular mechanisms underlying these outcomes. These findings highlight how husbandry factors interact to shape meat phenotypes, offering a molecular framework to support quality-focused, welfare-aligned, and environmentally conscious meat production.