Abstract Background: G-protein subunit beta 1 like ( GNB1L ) encodes a G-protein beta-subunit-like polypeptide. Chicken GNB1L is upregulated in the breast muscle of high feed efficiency chickens, and its expression is 1.52-fold that in low feed efficiency chickens. However, no report has described the effects of GNB1L indels on the chicken carcass and growth traits.Results: This study identified a 31-bp indel in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of GNB1L and elucidated the effect of this gene mutation on the carcass and growth traits in chickens. The 31-bp indel showed a highly significant association with the body weight at 8 different stages and was significantly correlated with daily gains at 0 to 4 weeks and 4 to 8 weeks. Similarly, the mutation was significantly associated with small intestine length, breast width, breast depth and breast muscle weight. Moreover, DD and ID were superior genotypes for chicken growth and carcass traits.Conclusions: These results show that the 31-bp indel of GNB1L significantly affects chicken body weight and carcass traits and can serve as a candidate molecular marker for chicken genetics and breeding programs.
Abstract Stress‐induced immunosuppression is one of the serious threats to the poultry industry, especially obvious for young chicken. However, the molecular mechanism of stress‐induced immunosuppression has not been clear in chicken. Here, we established an immunosuppression model of 7‐day‐old chickens with injecting dexamethasone (Dex) to analyze the molecular regulation in the chicken thymus. The microRNAs (miRNAs) transcripts profiles of thymuses from the model and control group were identified by the Solexa sequencing technology. The results showed 121 significantly differently expressed (SDE) miRNAs, including 119 known and two novel miRNAs (novel‐58 and novel‐350). A total of 391 target genes of the SDE miRNAs were predicted and annotated. We verified the potential negative correlation between gga‐miR‐103‐3p and TGM2 by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), as well as between novel‐350 and PCBD2, and the results were positive. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that there was 298 significant enrichment GO terms, in which 31 were related to immune or stress, such as lymphocyte apoptotic process and response to stress. KEGG pathway analysis suggested that the SDE miRNAs were involved in autophagy regulation, cytokine‐cytokine receptor interaction, Toll‐like receptor signaling pathway, Jak‐STAT signaling pathway, and so on (although not significantly enriched). In these immune signaling pathways, the SDE miRNAs (such as gga‐miR‐2954, gga‐miR‐146b‐3p, gga‐miR‐106‐3p, and gga‐miR‐214) and the predicted target genes (such as IL11Ra , CSF3R , IFNGR1 , CNTF , and MAP2K2 ) might affect the thymus immune function of chicken. The above results would provide a basis for uncovering the molecular regulation mechanism of immunosuppression in poultry.
Lutein can increase the body's skin color and has antioxidant potential. However, how it affects lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in chickens remains unknown. In this study, 74-day-old male chickens raised on feed supplemented with lutein had higher hip, back, breast, leg, shin and abdominal fat yellowness than the control group, and the livers of chickens in the lutein group had higher superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase and lower malondialdehyde activities. To clarify the potential regulatory network regulated by lutein, we used RNA-seq and nontargeted metabolomics to detect changes in the male chicken liver and plasma, respectively. A total of 243 differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction signaling pathways, among others. A total of 237 significantly different metabolites were enriched in lysine biosynthesis and degradation and glycerophospholipid metabolism signaling pathways, among others. Finally, we comprehensively analyzed metabolome and transcriptome data and found that many differentially expressed genes and significantly different metabolites play crucial roles in lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. In summary, dietary lutein can improve male chicken skin yellowness and antioxidant indices and affect liver gene expression and plasma metabolites and may help improve the health of chickens.
Microtia is a congenital malformation of the external ear that can be observed in many species including sheep. However, the genetic basis of microtia still remains unclear. Here, a GWAS was conducted to investigate the genetic basis underlying microtia. A total of 55 samples from 26 microtia and 29 normal animals were genotyped with Illumina OvineHD BeadChip. The strongest significant SNP was identified on OAR6, approximating the evolutionarily conserved region of the HMX1 gene, which is related to congenital malformations of the external ear in other species such as cattle and rats. Sequencing an evolutionarily conserved region surrounding HMX1 revealed a duplication of 76 bp, which is concordant with microtia, suggesting a dominant inheritance mode. Identification of this causal mutation in the HMX1 gene indicates the role of this particular gene in the development of the external ear and provides a genetic marker for selection against microtia.
Long noncoding RNA (lncRNAs) are transcripts greater than 200 nt in length with decreased coding potential and are widespread in all types of biological organisms. lncRNAs can interact with protein, DNA and RNA, respectively, which may participate in the multilevel regulation of transcriptional, post-transcriptional and epigenetic modifications. It is well known that lncRNA, which length is single-stranded non-coding RNA molecule, plays crucial roles in animal growth, development, cell proliferation and differentiation, and other life activities. In this research, we review the regulation mechanism and current research status of lncRNAs in chicken economic traits and disease, which would contribute to further understanding the regulatory mechanisms and application of lncRNAs in poultry.
Chicken muscle quality is one of the most important factors determining the economic value of poultry, and muscle development and growth are affected by genetics, environment, and nutrition. However, little is known about the molecular regulatory mechanisms of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in chicken skeletal muscle development. Our study aimed to better understand muscle development in chickens and thereby improve meat quality. In this study, Ribo-Zero RNA-Seq was used to investigate differences in the expression profiles of muscle development related genes and associated pathways between Gushi (GS) and Arbor Acres (AA) chickens. We identified two muscle tissue specific expression lncRNAs. In addition, the target genes of these lncRNAs were significantly enriched in certain biological processes and molecular functions, as demonstrated by Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, and these target genes participate in five signaling pathway, as revealed by an analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Taken together, these data suggest that different lncRNAs might be involved in regulating chicken muscle development and growth and provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs.
ABSTRACT Pardosa spiders, belonging to the wolf spider family Lycosidae, play a vital role in maintaining the health of forest and agricultural ecosystems due to their function in pest control. This study presents chromosome‐level genome assemblies for two allied Pardosa species, P. laura and P. agraria . Both species' genomes show a notable expansion of helitron transposable elements, which contributes to their large genome sizes. Methylome analysis indicates that P. laura has higher overall DNA methylation levels compared to P. agraria . DNA methylation may not only aids in transposable element‐driven genome expansion but also positively affects the three‐dimensional organisation of P. laura after transposon amplification, thereby potentially enhancing genome stability. Genes associated with hyper‐differentially methylated regions in P. laura (compared to P. agraria ) are enriched in functions related to mRNA processing and energy production. Furthermore, combined transcriptome and methylome profiling has uncovered a complex regulatory interplay between DNA methylation and gene expression, emphasising the important role of gene body methylation in the regulation of gene expression. Comparative genomic analysis shows a significant expansion of cuticle protein and detoxification‐related gene families in P. laura , which may improve its adaptability to various habitats. This study provides essential genomic and methylomic insights, offering a deeper understanding of the relationship between transposable elements and genome stability, and illuminating the adaptive evolution and species differentiation among allied spiders.
'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(23.036 .093 25.536)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(45.87 1.273 16.18)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(69.945 .996 12.078)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(20.66 -19.689 31.932)'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)