Project description:Osteoporosis is a major problem for the laying hen industry due to welfare issues and economic losses related to bone fractures. The objective of this research was to better understand genetic influences on bone integrity by comparing gene expression profiles from bone marrow of chickens expressing phenotypic differences for a number of bone characteristics. Global expression profiles of genes included on the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) Chicken 13K array were assessed in broiler and layer chickens. Keywords: Gene expression comparison between two chicken lines at 60 weeks of age
Project description:Osteoporosis is a major problem for the laying hen industry due to welfare issues and economic losses related to bone fractures. The objective of this research was to better understand genetic influences on bone integrity by comparing gene expression profiles from bone marrow of chickens expressing phenotypic differences for a number of bone characteristics. Global expression profiles of genes included on the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) Chicken 13K array were assessed in broiler and layer chickens. Keywords: Gene expression comparison between two chicken lines at 15 weeks of age
Project description:A study of a marked QTL affecting body weight segregating in an inter-cross of a broiler and layer chickens. QTL genotypes were inferred on flanking markers and RNA from breast tissue of birds with alternative QTL genotypes was hybridized onto microarrays
Project description:We recently performed global gene expression in the breast muscles of modern broiler and foundation line chickens. In this study, we have peformed miRNA expression analyses in the same tissues to identify muscle specific miRNAs that could be regulatory factors for muscle growth and feed efficiency in chickens.
Project description:This study investigates the impact of stress on muscle physiology and meat quality in broiler chickens by comparing protein expression profiles between organic and conventional farming systems using label-free quantitative (LFQ) proteomics. Muscle samples were analyzed via nanoLC-ESI-MS/MS coupled with comprehensive bioinformatics to identify differences in protein abundance associated with rearing conditions.A total of 7,221 proteins were identified, with 1,645 proteins upregulated and 1,612 downregulated in organic chickens compared to conventional ones. Functional analyses including Gene Ontology (GO) and STRING network analyses revealed that proteins upregulated in organic chickens were predominantly involved in oxygen transport, oxygen binding, and muscle structural organization, indicating enhanced oxygen metabolism and muscle development consistent with improved animal welfare. Conversely, proteins related to ribosomal function and RNA binding were enriched in conventional chickens, suggesting stress-related alterations in protein synthesis. KEGG pathway analysis showed significant enrichment of carbon metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle pathways in organic chickens, while glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and ribosomal pathways were downregulated. Key differentially expressed proteins identified as potential biomarkers distinguishing organic from conventional meat include downregulated PGM1, AMPD1, LDHA, ENO3, and PKLR, and upregulated COL1A1, COL1A2, TTN, TPM2, CA3, MB, HSPB1, ACO2, ACAA2, and TF. These proteins are involved in muscle structure and energy metabolism and may serve as indicators of meat quality linked to stress and welfare conditions. Overall, this proteomic analysis provides novel insights into how stress modulates the muscle proteome in broiler chickens and supports the adoption of welfare-focused organic poultry production practices to improve meat quality.
Project description:Understanding and manipulating the avian gastrointestinal tract, where nutrient absorption and vital host-pathogen interactions occur, is critical for improving poultry health and productivity. To advance research in this area, chicken three-dimensional intestinal enteroid models have been developed and characterised. In this study, we report a comprehensive transcriptome atlas for 43,587 intestinal enteroid cells derived from broiler and layer chickens. Our analyses reveal clusters representing mesenchymal, epithelial, endothelial, immune and neuronal cell lineages. We classified the mesenchymal lineage into nine populations, including fibroblasts, telocytes, myofibroblasts, smooth myocytes, pericytes, and interstitial cells of Cajal, reflecting anatomically distinct intestinal layers. We identified significant heterogeneity within the epithelial lineage, including enterocytes, goblet cells, Paneth cells, tuft cells, and various enteroendocrine cell subtypes. Additionally, we provide evidence for populations of macrophages, monocytes, γδT cell, NK cells, heterophils and dendritic cells. Differential gene expression tests between layer and broiler enteroids revealed extensive cell type-specific variation, pointing at differences in immune function and appetite regulation, with the most pronounced changes in epithelial cell types. Overall, this study offers a cell-resolved perspective of chicken three-dimensional intestinal enteroids, uncovering extensive heterogeneity masked by bulk transcriptomics. Additionally, we provide a catalogue of cell-specific marker genes to explore the function and organization of the chicken gastrointestinal tract.
Project description:Avibacterium paragallinarum is the causative agent of Infectious Coryza, an acute upper respiratory tract disease in chickens. The occurrence of outbreaks has emphasized that the disease can be significant in broiler as well as layer chickens. In developing countries, infectious coryza is commonly complicated by a range of other infections, resulting in severe disease and significant economic losses. There are vaccines on the market but with limited efficiency, due to the serological differences amongst the different serogroups of A. paragallinarum. Recent advances in genomics have led to whole genome sequencing of the chicken, creating an opportunity for the use of high-throughput technology such as microarrays. The objectives of this study was to screen for gene expression patterns across clinical scores associated with the immune response in chickens infected with A. paragallinarum serovar C3, as well as to establish which biological pathways are stumulated when infected with A. paragallinarum.