Peripheral neuropeptide Y differentially influences adipogenesis and lipolysis in chicks from lines selected for low or high body weight

Thermal stress and selection for growth affect myogenic satellite cell lipid accumulation and adipogenic gene expression through mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway

Satellite cells (SCs) are multipotential stem cells having the plasticity to convert to an adipogenic lineage in response to thermal stress during the period of peak mitotic activity (the first week after hatch in poultry). The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, which regulates cellular function and fate of SCs, is greatly altered by thermal stress in turkey pectoralis major muscle SCs. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of thermal stress, selection for growth, and the role of the mTOR pathway on SC intracellular lipid accumulation and expression of adipogenic regulatory genes. These effects were analyzed using SCs isolated from the pectoralis major muscle of 1-wk-old modern faster-growing commercial turkey line (NC) selected for increased growth and breast muscle yield as compared with SCs of a historic slower-growing Randombred Control Line 2 (RBC2) turkey. Heat stress (43 °C) of SCs during proliferation increased intracellular lipid accumulation (P < 0.001), whereas cold stress (33 °C) showed an inhibitory effect (P < 0.001) in both lines. Knockdown of mTOR reduced the intracellular lipid accumulation (P < 0.001) and suppressed the expression of several adipogenic regulatory genes: peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ; P < 0.001), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-β (C/EBPβ; P < 0.001), and neuropeptide-Y (NPY; P < 0.001) during both proliferation and differentiation. The NC line SCs showed fewer reductions in lipid accumulation compared with the RBC2 line independent of temperature. Both intracellular lipid accumulation (P < 0.001) and PPARγ expression (P < 0.001) were greater at 72 h of proliferation than at 48 h of differentiation in both the RBC2 and NC lines independent of temperature. Thus, hot and cold thermal stress affected intracellular lipid accumulation in the pectoralis major muscle SCs, in part, through the mTOR pathway in wea growth-dependent manner. Altered intracellular lipid accumulation could eventually affect intramuscular fat deposition, resulting in a long-lasting effect on the structure and protein to fat ratio of the poultry pectoralis major muscle.

Avian Neuropeptide Y: Beyond Feed Intake Regulation

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is one of the most abundant and ubiquitously expressed neuropeptides in both the central and peripheral nervous systems, and its regulatory effects on feed intake and appetite- have been extensively studied in a wide variety of animals, including mammalian and non-mammalian species. Indeed, NPY has been shown to be involved in the regulation of feed intake and energy homeostasis by exerting stimulatory effects on appetite and feeding behavior in several species including chickens, rabbits, rats and mouse. More recent studies have shown that this neuropeptide and its receptors are expressed in various peripheral tissues, including the thyroid, heart, spleen, adrenal glands, white adipose tissue, muscle and bone. Although well researched centrally, studies investigating the distribution and function of peripherally expressed NPY in avian (non-mammalian vertebrates) species are very limited. Thus, peripherally expressed NPY merits more consideration and further in-depth exploration to fully elucidate its functions, especially in non-mammalian species. The aim of the current review is to provide an integrated synopsis of both centrally and peripherally expressed NPY, with a special focus on the distribution and function of the latter.

A novel c.-652C>T mutation in UCHL1 gene is associated with the growth performance in Yangzhou goose

As a member of the ubiquitin-dependent proteasome degradation pathway, Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCHL1) plays a key role in post-translational modification and protein degradation, and it is extensive and important for the regulation of various biological functions of the organism. However, its function remains unclear in goose growth performance. In this study, the full-length genomic DNA and coding region of UCHL1 gene was firstly cloned and characterized in Yangzhou goose. Tissue expression profile revealed that UCHL1 was exclusively expressed in brain and gonads. A novel single nucleotide polymorphisms c.-652C>T which is significantly related to 64-d body weight of Yangzhou goose was found in UCHL1 promoter region by comparative sequencing. Correlation analysis in a population of 405 geese showed that TT genotype individuals had higher body weight than CC individuals in male, but not in female geese. Dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated that the single nucleotide polymorphisms c.-652C>T is located at the core promoter region of UCHL1, and the promoter transcription activity was significantly increased (P < 0.01) when allele C changed to T. Geese with TT genotype had higher mRNA level of UCHL1 in brain tissue than those of CC genotype (P < 0.01). Compared with CC individuals, neuropeptide Y and AdipoR1 mRNA level was significantly higher in TT individuals (P < 0.05), while FAS mRNA level was lower in the TT individuals (P < 0.05). In summary, we identify a novel mutation in the promoter of UCHL1 gene, which can alter transcriptional activity of UCHL1 gene, and affect the growth performance of male goose.

Effect of Temperature and Selection for Growth on Intracellular Lipid Accumulation and Adipogenic Gene Expression in Turkey Pectoralis Major Muscle Satellite Cells

As multipotential stem cells, satellite cells (SCs) have the potential to express adipogenic genes resulting in lipid synthesis with thermal stress. The present study determined the effect of temperature on intracellular lipid synthesis and adipogenic gene expression in SCs isolated from the pectoralis major (p. major) muscle of 7-day-old fast-growing modern commercial (NC) turkeys compared to SCs from unselected slower-growing turkeys [Randombred Control Line 2 (RBC2)]. Since proliferating and differentiating SCs have different responses to thermal stress, three incubation strategies were used: (1) SCs proliferated at the control temperature of 38°C and differentiated at 43° or 33°C; (2) SCs proliferated at 43° or 33°C and differentiated at 38°C; or (3) SCs both proliferated and differentiated at 43°, 38°, or 33°C. During proliferation, lipid accumulation increased at 43°C and decreased at 33°C with the NC line showing greater variation than the RBC2 line. During proliferation at 43°C, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and neuropeptide-Y (NPY) expression was reduced to a greater extent in the NC line than the RBC2 line. At 33°C, expression of PPARγ, NPY, and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-β (C/EBPβ) was upregulated, but only in the RBC2 line. During differentiation, both lines showed greater changes in lipid accumulation and in C/EBPβ and NPY expression if the thermal challenge was initiated during proliferation. These data suggest that adipogenic gene expression is more responsive to thermal challenge in proliferating SCs than in differentiating SCs, and that growth-selection has increased temperature sensitivity of SCs, which may significantly affect breast muscle structure and composition.

Evaluation of the Relationship between Adipose Metabolism Patterns and Secretion of Appetite-Related Endocrines on Chicken

Simple Summary

The weight of an animal conforms to a certain growth pattern. Among others, feed, environment, and body composition, in addition to genetics, affect the animal’s feed consumption and body weight. Under normal circumstances, the body weight of an animal is mainly affected by feed intake, and body composition may significantly influence feed intake. Therefore, this report sets out the effects of fat accumulation on lipid metabolism and appetite, and finally introduces the effects of feeding patterns on animal feed intake.

Abstract

In addition to the influence of genes, the quality of poultry products is mainly controlled by the rearing environment or feed composition during rearing, and has to meet human use and economical needs. As the only source of energy for poultry, feed considerably affects the metabolic pattern of poultry and further affects the regulation of appetite-related endocrine secretion in poultry. Under normal circumstances, the accumulation of lipid in adipose reduces feed intake in poultry and increases the rate of adipose metabolism. When the adipose content in cells decreases, endocrines that promote food intake are secreted and increase nutrient concentrations in serum and cells. By regulating the balance between appetite and adipose metabolism, the poultry’s growth and posture can maintain a balanced state. In addition, increasing fiber composition in feed can effectively increase poultry welfare, body weight, lean composition and antioxidant levels in poultry. According to this, the concept that proper fiber content should be added to feed should be considered for better economic benefits, poultry welfare and meat productivity.

Physiological Implications of Orexins/Hypocretins on Energy Metabolism and Adipose Tissue Development

Orexins/hypocretins and their receptors (OXRs) are ubiquitously distributed throughout the nervous system and peripheral tissues. Recently, various reports have indicated that orexins play regulatory roles in numerous physiological processes involved in obesity, energy homeostasis, sleep-wake cycle, analgesia, alcoholism, learning, and memory. This review aims to outline recent progress in the research and development of orexins used in biochemical signaling pathways, secretion pathways, and the regulation of energy metabolism/adipose tissue development. Orexins regulate a variety of physiological functions in the body by activating phospholipase C/protein kinase C and AC/cAMP/PKA pathways, through receptors coupled to Gq and Gi/Gs, respectively. The secretion of orexins is modulated by blood glucose, blood lipids, hormones, and neuropeptides. Orexins have critical functions in energy metabolism, regulating both feeding behavior and energy expenditure. Increasing the sensitivity of orexin-coupled hypothalamic neurons concurrently enhances spontaneous physical activity, non-exercise activity thermogenesis, white adipose tissue lipolysis, and brown adipose tissue thermogenesis. With this comprehensive review of the current literature on the subject, we hope to provide an integrated perspective for the prevention/treatment of obesity.

Changes in adipose tissue physiology during the first two weeks posthatch in chicks from lines selected for low or high body weight

Chickens from lines selected for low (LWS) or high (HWS) body weight (BW) differ in appetite and adiposity. Mechanisms associated with the predisposition to becoming obese are unclear. The objective of the experiment was to evaluate developmental changes in depot-specific adipose tissue during the first 2 wk posthatch. Subcutaneous (SQ), clavicular (CL), and abdominal (AB) depots were collected at hatch (DOH) and days 4 (D4) and 14 (D14) posthatch for histological and mRNA measurements. LWS chicks had decreased SQ fat mass on a BW basis with reduced adipocyte size from DOH to D4 and increased BW and fat mass with unchanged adipocyte size from D4 to D14. HWS chicks increased in BW from DOH to D14 and increased in fat mass in all three depots with enlarged adipocytes in the AB depot from D4 to D14. Meanwhile, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α, neuropeptide Y, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, and acyl-CoA dehydrogenase mRNAs differed among depots between lines at different ages. Plasma nonesterified fatty acids were greater in LWS than HWS at D4 and D14. From DOH to D4, LWS chicks mobilized SQ fat and replenished the reservoir through hyperplasia, whereas HWS chicks were dependent on hyperplasia and hypertrophy to maintain adipocyte size and depot mass. From D4 to D14, adipose tissue catabolism and adipogenesis slowed. Whereas LWS fat depots and adipocyte sizes remained stable, HWS chicks rapidly accumulated fat in CL and AB depots. Chicks predisposed to be anorexic or obese have different fat development patterns during the first 2 wk posthatch.

Central injection of oxytocin reduces food intake and affects hypothalamic and adipose tissue gene expression in chickens

Oxytocin (OT) is a well-characterized neurotransmitter that participates in a wide range of physiological processes including the inhibition of food intake. The avian ortholog, mesotocin (MT), differs from OT by a single amino acid. Little is known regarding the function of OT in regulating energy balance in birds; thus, this study was designed to determine the effects of central OT injection on food intake and adipose tissue physiology in chicks. At 4-d post-hatch, broiler chicks were fasted for 3 h and injected intracerebroventricularly with 0 (vehicle), 0.63, 2.5, 5.0, or 10 nmol OT. Oxytocin decreased food and water intake during the entire 180-min observation period. The reduction in water intake was likely not prandial because chicks that were food restricted after OT injection also drank less. There was increased c-Fos immunoreactivity in several appetite-associated hypothalamic nuclei in OT-injected chicks at 1 h, including the arcuate (ARC), dorsomedial nucleus (DMN), lateral hypothalamus (LH), paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). OT treatment was associated with reduced hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) mRNA and increased cloacal temperature at 1 h post-injection. We then investigated appetite- and adipose tissue-associated effects of OT in chicks from lines that have undergone long-term selection for either low (LWS) or high (HWS) juvenile body weight. Central injection of OT decreased food intake in both lines with the magnitude of response greater in the HWS than LWS chicks. Adipose tissue abundance of fatty acid-binding protein 4, monoglyceride lipase (MGLL), MT, and perilipin-1 mRNA was greater in LWS than HWS chicks. Lipoprotein lipase, MGLL, and MT mRNAs increased in response to OT injection in LWS but not HWS chicks. In conclusion, central injection of OT induced anorexia, reduced water intake, increased body temperature, and was associated with activation of the ARC, DMN, LH, PVN, and VMH in the hypothalamus. The effects on appetite and body temperature may involve CRF signaling in the hypothalamus and lipolysis in the adipose tissue, respectively. There were differences in the appetite, and adipose tissue response to OT in body weight-selected lines of chicks supports that MT plays a role in energy balance regulation in chickens.

Polymorphisms in the Chicken Growth Differentiation Factor 9 Gene Associated with Reproductive Traits

The aim of the study was to investigate GDF9 gene polymorphisms and their association with reproductive traits in chicken using DNA sequencing. A total of 279 Dongxiang blue-shelled (DX) chickens and 232 Luhua (LH) chickens were used for validation. We detected 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): nine SNPs were previously unreported in chicken, two were missense mutations, and only three exhibited significant associations with reproductive traits. G.17156387C>T was significantly associated with age at first egg (AFE) and weight of first egg (WFE) in both breeds. Birds carrying the CC genotype exhibited higher AFE and WFE values than those with the TT genotype. The SNP g.17156427A>G exhibited an association with egg weight at 300 days of age (EWTA) in DX but not in LH chickens. The SNP g.17156703A>C affected the AFE and EN (total number of eggs at 300 days of age) in DX chickens. In addition, certain diplotypes significantly affected AFE, BWTA (body weight at 300 days of age), and EN in both breeds. RT-PCR results showed that the GDF9 gene was highly expressed in stroma with cortical follicles (STR) and prehierarchal follicles. These results provided further evidence that the GDF9 gene is involved in determining reproductive traits in chicken.

Responses to peripheral neuropeptide Y in avian adipose tissue are diet, depot, and time specific

The goal of this research was to determine the effect of dietary macronutrient composition on peripheral neuropeptide Y (NPY)-induced changes in adipose tissue dynamics in chicks. Chicks were fed one of three isocaloric diets from the day of hatch: high carbohydrate (HC), high fat (HF), or high protein (HP). On day 4 post-hatch, 0 (vehicle), 60, or 120 µg/kg BW of NPY was injected intraperitoneally, and subcutaneous, clavicular and abdominal adipose tissue samples were collected at 1 and 3 h post-injection. The effect of NPY was most pronounced in chicks fed the HF or HP diet. In the subcutaneous fat at 1 h post-injection, 60 µg/kg BW of NPY was associated with an increase in NPY receptor 2 (NPYR2) mRNA in chicks fed the HP diet and a decrease in 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase 2 (AGPAT2) mRNA in chicks fed the HC diet. In response to 120 µg/kg BW of NPY, there was greater AGPAT2 mRNA in the clavicular fat of chicks that consumed the HP diet and less CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha in the abdominal fat of chicks that were provided the HF diet. There were no gene expression changes in the abdominal fat at 3 h post-injection, whereas there were decreases in AGPAT2, adipose triglyceride lipase, fatty acid binding protein 4 and NPY mRNA in the clavicular fat of chicks fed the HP diet. Results demonstrate that diet affects exogenous NPY-dependent physiological effects in a time- and depot-dependent manner in chick adipose tissue.