Assessing the effects of a mixed spp. challenge on performance, intestinal integrity, and the gut microbiome of broiler chickens.

A mixed spp. challenge model was designed to assess the effects of challenge on broiler chicken performance, intestinal integrity, and the gut microbiome for future use to evaluate alternative strategies for controlling coccidiosis in broiler chickens. The experimental design involved broiler chickens divided into two groups: a control group (uninfected) and a positive control group, infected with (EA), (EM), and (ET).

RNA-Seq Reveals Different Gene Expression in Liver-Specific Prohibitin 1 Knock-Out Mice.

Prohibitin 1 (PHB1) is an evolutionarily conserved and ubiquitously expressed protein that stabilizes mitochondrial chaperone. Our previous studies showed that liver-specific Phb1 deficiency induced liver injuries and aggravated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced innate immune responses. In this study, we performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis with liver tissues to investigate global gene expression among liver-specific Phb1, Phb1, and WT mice, focusing on the differentially expressed (DE) genes between Phb1 and WT.

Blood Plasma Biomarkers for Woody Breast Disease in Commercial Broilers.

Woody breast (WB) myopathy results in poor muscle quality. The increasing incidence of WB over the last several years indicates a need for improved prediction or early diagnosis. We hypothesized that the use of body fluids, including blood, may be more suitable than breast muscle tissue in developing a minimally invasive diagnostic tool for WB detection.

Identification of SNPs Associated with Stress Response Traits within High Stress and Low Stress Lines of Japanese Quail.

Mitigation of stress is of great importance in poultry production, as chronic stress can affect the efficiency of production traits. Selective breeding with a focus on stress responses can be used to combat the effects of stress. To better understand the genetic mechanisms driving differences in stress responses of a selectively bred population of Japanese quail, we performed genomic resequencing on 24 birds from High Stress (HS) and Low Stress (LS) lines of Japanese quail using Illumina HiSeq 2 × 150 bp paired end read technology in order to analyze Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) within the genome of each line.

Characterization of stress response involved in chicken myopathy.

Myopathies (Woody Breast (WB) and White Striping (WS)) of broiler chickens have been correlated with fast growth. Recent studies reported that localized hypoxia and metabolic impairment may involve in these myopathies of birds. In order to better understand the stress response mechanisms affecting myopathies of broilers, the aim of this study was to examine effects of WB and both WB/WS on stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) levels and expressional changes of stress response genes including glucocorticoid (GC) receptor (GR), 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1), DNA methylation regulators (DNMTs), and arginine vasotocin receptor 1a and 1b (V1aR, V1bR).

Copy number variation study in Japanese quail associated with stress related traits using whole genome re-sequencing data.

Copy number variation (CNV) is a major driving factor for genetic variation and phenotypic diversity in animals. To detect CNVs and understand genetic components underlying stress related traits, we performed whole genome re-sequencing of pooled DNA samples of 20 birds each from High Stress (HS) and Low Stress (LS) Japanese quail lines using Illumina HiSeq 2×150 bp paired end method. Sequencing data were aligned to the quail genome and CNVnator was used to detect CNVs in the aligned data sets.

MicroRNA profiling associated with muscle growth in modern broilers compared to an unselected chicken breed.

Background: Genetically selected modern broiler chickens have acquired outstanding production efficiency through rapid growth and improved feed efficiency compared to unselected chicken breeds. Recently, we analyzed the transcriptome of breast muscle tissues obtained from modern pedigree male (PeM) broilers (rapid growth and higher efficiency) and foundational Barred Plymouth Rock (BPR) chickens (slow growth and poorer efficiency). This study was designed to investigate microRNAs that play role in rapid growth of the breast muscles in modern broiler chickens.

Identification and Differential Abundance of Mitochondrial Genome Encoding Small RNAs (mitosRNA) in Breast Muscles of Modern Broilers and Unselected Chicken Breed.

Although small non-coding RNAs are mostly encoded by the nuclear genome, thousands of small non-coding RNAs encoded by the mitochondrial genome, termed as mitosRNAs were recently reported in human, mouse and trout. In this study, we first identified chicken mitosRNAs in breast muscle using small RNA sequencing method and the differential abundance was analyzed between modern pedigree male (PeM) broilers (characterized by rapid growth and large muscle mass) and the foundational Barred Plymouth Rock (BPR) chickens (characterized by slow growth and small muscle mass). Small RNA sequencing was performed with total RNAs extracted from breast muscles of PeM and BPR ( = 6 per group) using the 1 × 50 bp single end read method of Illumina sequencing.

A High-Protein Diet Reduces Weight Gain, Decreases Food Intake, Decreases Liver Fat Deposition, and Improves Markers of Muscle Metabolism in Obese Zucker Rats.

A primary factor in controlling and preventing obesity is through dietary manipulation. Diets higher in protein have been shown to improve body composition and metabolic health during weight loss. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a high-protein diet versus a moderate-protein diet on muscle, liver and fat metabolism and glucose regulation using the obese Zucker rat.

Leucine supplementation at the onset of high-fat feeding does not prevent weight gain or improve glycemic regulation in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Obesity is a major public health concern and it is essential to identify effective treatments and preventative strategies to stop continued increases in obesity rates. The potential functional roles of the branched chain amino acid leucine make this amino acid an attractive candidate for the treatment and/or prevention of obesity. The objective of this study was to determine if long-term leucine supplementation could prevent the development of obesity and reduce the risk factors for chronic disease in rats fed a high-fat (60 % fat) diet.