miR-317 regulates the proliferation and apoptosis of duck follicle granulosa cells by targeting VIPR1.

VIPR1 can specifically bind VIP, a PRL release factor, which promotes the secretion of PRL from the pituitary gland, and participates in the regulation of bird nesting behavior. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of miR-317 overexpression or silencing on VIPR1 gene and protein expression in duck follicle granulosa cells. The ovaries of Muscovy ducks were collected during the nesting and laying periods, and histological differences were analyzed via HE staining.

Whole-genome resequencing revealed the population structure and selection signal of 4 indigenous Chinese laying ducks.

The assessment of animal genetic structure had significant importance for the preservation and breeding of animal germplasm resources. Selection signals are genotype markers generated during the process of biological evolution, and the detection of selection signals could reveal the direction of species evolution. The aim of this study was to generate a whole-genome resequencing data from Jinding duck, Shanma duck, Youxian Partridge duck, and Taiwan Brown tsaiya duck to reveal their population structure and selection signals.

Analysis of circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of embryonic gonadal development in Mulard duck.

The aim of the study was to explore the regulatory mechanism of differences in embryonic gonadal development between intergeneric distance hybrid offspring Mulard ducks and parent ducks. The morphological differences gonadal tissues of Muscovy ducks, Pekin ducks and Mulard ducks at 12.5-day embryonic age were observed by sectioning and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining.

The network regulation mechanism of the effects of heat stress on the production performance and egg quality of Jinding duck was analyzed by miRNA‒mRNA.

To explore the differential regulation mechanism of heat stress on the egg production performance and egg quality of Jinding ducks, 200 Jinding ducks (360-day-old) in good health and with similar body weights and a normal appetite were selected and randomly divided into a control (normal temperature [NT]) group (20°C-25°C) and a heat stress (HS) group (32°C-36°C), with 4 replicates in each group and 25 ducks in each replicate. The pretrial period was 1 wk, and the formal trial period was 4 wk. At the end of the 4th wk, 12 duck eggs were collected from each replicate to determine egg quality.

Metabolomic characterization of Liancheng white and Cherry Valley duck breast meat and their relation to meat quality.

Liancheng white duck is a typical local duck breed in Fujian Province famous for its meat traits. To better understand how meat quality varies with breed, the chemical composition of breast meats of Liancheng white ducks (LD) and Cherry Valley ducks (CD) were examined using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS).The correlation between meat quality and the differential metabolites was further analyzed.

Identification of genes related to sexual differentiation and sterility in embryonic gonads of Mule ducks by transcriptome analysis.

The key genes of avian gonadal development are of great significance for sex determination. Transcriptome sequencing analysis of Mule duck gonad as potential sterile model is expected to screen candidate genes related to avian gonad development. In this study, the embryonic gonadal tissues of Mule ducks, Jinding ducks, and Muscovy ducks were collected and identified.

Comparative transcriptome and histomorphology analysis of testis tissues from mulard and Pekin ducks.

Testicular transcriptomes were analyzed to characterize the differentially expressed genes between mulard and Pekin ducks, which will help establish gene expression datasets to assist in further determination of the mechanisms of genetic sterility in mulard ducks. Paraffin sections were made to compare the developmental differences in testis tissue between mulard and Pekin ducks. Comparative transcriptome sequencing of testis tissues was performed, and the expression of candidate genes was verified by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

Differential protein profiles in duck meat during the early postmortem storage period.

The present study was designed to investigate proteomic differences in duck breast muscle during the early postmortem storage period. The meat quality was evaluated at 0 hr and 24 hr postmortem at 4°C in Pekin ducks, black Muscovy ducks and Mule ducks. Differentially expressed proteins were detected by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS) at 0 hr and 24 hr postmortem in the three duck breeds.

Ovarian transcriptomic analysis of Shan Ma ducks at peak and late stages of egg production.

Objective: To assess the differences in ovarian transcriptomes in Shan Ma ducks between their peak and late stages of egg production, and to obtain new transcriptomic data of these egg-producing ducks.

Methods: The Illumina HiSeq 2000 system was used for high throughput sequencing of ovarian transcriptomes from Shan Ma ducks at their peak or late stages of egg production.

Results: Greater than 93% of the sequencing data had a base quality score (Q score) that was not less than 20 (Q20).

Non-synonymous SNPs in MC1R gene are associated with the extended black variant in domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos).

In this study, we performed a sequence characterization of the duck melanocortin 1 receptor (alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor) (MC1R) gene to analyze the relationship between MC1R polymorphism and the extended black variant in domestic ducks based on the extended black (E) and non-extended black (e(+) ) allele hypothesis of the duck MC1R gene. Both c.52G>A and c.

Cloning and expression profiling of the VLDLR gene associated with egg performance in duck (Anas platyrhynchos).

Background: The very low density lipoprotein receptor gene (VLDLR), a member of the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene family, plays a crucial role in the synthesis of yolk protein precursors in oviparous species. Differential splicing of this gene has been reported in human, rabbit and rat. In chicken, studies showed that the VLDLR protein on the oocyte surface mediates the uptake of yolk protein precursors into growing oocytes.