Correlation between polymorphisms in ADSL and GARS-AIRS-GART genes with inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) contents in Beijing-you chickens

Weak purifying selection in allelic diversity of the ADSL gene in indigenous and local chicken breeds and red junglefowl in Thailand

High levels of purine and uric acid, which are associated with health issues such as gout and cardiovascular disease, are found in the meat of fast-growing broiler chickens, which raises concerns about the quality of chicken meat and the health of the consumers who consume it. High genetic homogeneity and uniformity, particularly in genes involved in the synthesis of inosine monophosphate (IMP) and subsequent process of purine synthesis, which are associated with the meat quality, are exhibited in commercial broiler chickens owing to intensive inbreeding programs. Adenosine succinate lyase (ADSL) is a key enzyme involved in de novo purine biosynthetic pathway and its genetic polymorphisms affect IMP metabolism and purine content. In this study, we investigated the polymorphism of the ADSL gene in indigenous and local chicken breeds and red junglefowl in Thailand, using metabarcoding and genetic diversity analyses. Five alleles with 73 single nucleotide polymorphisms in exon 2, including missense and silent mutations, which may act on the synthesis efficiency of IMP and purine. Their protein structures revealed changes in amino acid composition that may affect ADSL enzyme activity. Weak purifying selection in these ADSL alleles was observed in the chicken population studied, implying that the variants have minor fitness impacts and a greater probability of fixation of beneficial mutations than strong purifying selection. A potential selective sweep was observed in Mae Hong Son chickens, whose purine content was lower than that in other breeds. This suggests a potential correlation between variations of the ADSL gene and reduced purine content and an impact of ADSL expression on the quality of chicken meat. However, further studies are required to validate its potential availability as a genetic marker for selecting useful traits that are beneficial to human health and well-being.

Enhancing agro-biodiversity in chicken: a sensory comparison of broths from German local chicken breeds and their crossbreeds

The poultry meat production landscape has undergone a reduction in chicken breeds, resulting in a reliance on a limited number of varieties. Motivated by the goal of promoting sustainable chicken production and enhancing agro-biodiversity, this study pioneers a comparison between local chicken breeds (LB) and their crossbreeds (CB) with modern hybrid lines. Serving as an initial exploration within a larger project, this research acts as a prelude to a comprehensive investigation, aiming to complement the human sensory assessment of product quality. Study I assessed chicken broths prepared from 3 German LBs Bielefelder (BIE), Altsteirer (ALT), and Ramelsloher (RAM) utilizing a factorial 3 × 2 × 2 design that incorporated variations in salt content (unsalted/salted) and cooking time (1 h/3 h). The sensory profiles of the LB broths were largely similar, except for BIE, which exhibited a higher skin odor intensity. Both, increased salt content and longer cooking time intensify sensory perception on most attributes. In study II, BIE was compared with 6 CBs, with variations in salt content and cooking time (6 × 2 × 2 + 1 × 2 factorial design). BIE demonstrated higher sensory intensities than the CBs. Those were comparable, with no clear advantages or disadvantages identified from a sensory standpoint. These findings support that crossbreeding with commercial lines is not associated with changes in the sensory profile. It thus represents a strategy for improving the economic viability of local chicken breeds in order to preserve their valuable agro-biodiversity. The provided protocol for evaluating chicken broth from LBs or their CBs aims to offer researchers a standardized foundation for sensory assessments in chicken broth studies.

The prevalence of ADSL (rs3788579) and CYP1A2 (rs17861162) polymorphisms in female breast cancer patients in North-West Iran

INTRODUCTION

Breast cancer is a prevalent and significant contributor to cancer-related mortality among women worldwide. Its increasing incidence, especially in regions like North-West Iran, necessitates a deeper understanding of genetic factors contributing to its development. Genetic alterations, particularly single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), are implicated in breast cancer susceptibility, making investigation in this context crucial. This study explores the role of CYP1A2-rs17861162 and ADSL-rs3788579 SNPs in breast cancer risk among Iranian women.

METHODS

This study involved 200 female breast cancer patients and 200 healthy controls in North-West Iran. DNA was extracted from blood samples, and PCR-RFLP was used for genotyping the CYP1A2 and ADSL genes.

RESULTS

The CYP1A2-rs17861162 SNP exhibited a shift from the C allele to the G allele in breast cancer patients, resulting in a 21.7% decrease in CC genotype frequency and a 21.6% and 77.8% increase in CG and GG genotypes, respectively, compared to controls. In ADSL-rs3788579 SNP, breast cancer patients had a significantly higher prevalence of the T allele, with a 28.5% increase compared to controls. In healthy participants, CC was most common, while in the breast cancer group, TT was most common.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights significant genetic alterations in CYP1A2-rs17861162 and ADSL-rs3788579 SNPs among breast cancer patients in North-West Iran, suggesting their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying their contributions to breast cancer susceptibility in this population.

Polymorphisms and expressions of ADSL, MC4R and CAPN1 genes and their effects on economic traits in Egyptian chicken breeds

In recent years, strategic plans for poultry production have emphasized quantitative traits, particularly body weight and carcass traits (meat yield), in response to overpopulation challenges. Candidate genes such as adenylosuccinate lyase (ADSL), melanocortin-4-receptor (MC4R), and calpain 1 (CAPN1) have played vital roles in this context due to their associations with muscle growth and body composition. This study aims to investigate the influence of polymorphisms and gene expressions of the aforementioned genes on body weight (BW), growth rate (GR), breast weight (BrW), and thigh weight (TW) across four distinct chicken breeds: Fayoumi, Matrouh, Mamourah, and Leghorn. The use of PCR-SSCP analysis revealed genetic polymorphisms through the identification of various patterns (genotypes) within the three examined genes. The ADSL, MC4R, and CAPN1 genes exhibited five, three, and two different genotypes, respectively. These polymorphisms displayed promising connections with enhancing economically significant production traits, particularly BW, BrW and TW. Furthermore, gene expression analyses were conducted on breast and thigh tissues obtained from the chicken breeds at 60 days of age, where ADSL and MC4R exhibited a noteworthy up-regulation in Fayoumi and Matrouh breeds, and down-regulation in Mamourah and Leghorn. In contrast, CAPN1 expression decreased across most breeds with a slight increase noted in Fayoumi breed. In conclusion, this investigation underscores the substantial impact of ADSL, MC4R, and CAPN1 genes on economically important production traits within Egyptian domestic chicken breeds. Consequently, these genes emerge as significant molecular markers, holding potential utility in avian selection and breeding programs aimed at enhancing productive performance.

Effect of Mulberry Leaf TMR on Growth Performance, Meat Quality and Expression of Meat Quality Master Genes (ADSL, H-FABP) in Crossbred Black Goats

This study was conducted to examine the effect of a mulberry leaf total mixed ration (TMR) diet on growth performance, apparent digestibility, meat quality and the expression of related meat-quality genes (ADSL, H-FABP) in crossbred black goats. Forty-four Guizhou crossbred black goats (Nubian black goat ♂ × Guizhou black goat ♀), weighing 33.43 ± 0.55 kg, were chosen. The goats were randomly divided into four groups, with 11 test replicates in each group. Group I was the control group and fed with the traditional feeding method of roughage and concentrate supplement without adding mulberry leaf. Group II was fed with a 40% mulberry leaf pellet TMR diet. Group III was fed with a freshly processed 40% mulberry leaf TMR diet. Group IV was fed with a 40% mulberry leaf fermented total mixed rations (FTMR) diet. The results showed that the average daily gain (ADG) of group II was significantly higher than that of group I and III (p < 0.05). The apparent digestibility of group II of ether extract (EE) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was significantly higher than that of group I (p < 0.05), and the apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) was significantly higher than that of group I (p < 0.01). Compared with group I, meat in group II had lower meat color lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) values (p < 0.01) in the Longissimus thoracis et lumborum. The shear force of group II was significantly lower than that of group I (p < 0.05). The total fatty acids (TFA) of group II was significantly higher than that of groups I and III (p < 0.05), but the total saturated fatty acids (SFA) of group II was significantly lower that than of group I (p < 0.01). Subsequently, the Unsaturated fatty acids (USFA), Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of group II were significantly higher than those in group I (p < 0.01). The contents of total amino acids (TAA), total essential amino acids (EAA), total non-essential amino acids (NEAA) and total of major fresh-tasting amino acids (DAA) of groups II, III and IV were significantly higher than those of group I (p < 0.05), as well as the contents of IMP (p < 0.01). The expression of the H-FABP gene in the arm triceps of group II was significantly higher than that of groups I, III and IV (p < 0.05). The expression of the ADSL gene in the Longissimus thoracis et lumborum and biceps femoris of group II was significantly higher than that of group I (p < 0.05). Collectively, the results of the current study indicated that the mulberry leaf TMR diet improved the growth performance, apparent digestibility and expression of related meat-quality master genes (ADSL, H-FABP) in crossbred black goats, which promoted the deposition of intramuscular fat (IMF) and inosinic acid (IMP) and improved the composition of fatty acids and amino acids in the muscles.

Taste compounds, affecting factors, and methods used to evaluate chicken soup: A review

The taste of chicken soup is dependent upon various taste substances and human senses. More than 300 nonvolatile compounds reportedly exist in chicken/chicken soup. The primary purpose of this review was to elaborate on the prominent taste substances, the taste evaluation methods, and the factors affecting the taste of chicken soup. Most taste-active compounds with taste descriptions and thresholds in chicken soup were summarized. The application of sensory evaluation, liquid chromatography, electronic tongue, and other evaluation methods in chicken soup taste analysis were elaborated. The effects of genetic constitution, preslaughter, processing, and storage on chicken soup taste had been discussed. Nucleotides (especially inosine 5'-monophosphate), amino acids and their derivatives, organic acids, sugars, and peptides play a vital role in the taste attributes of chicken soup. Combining of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry enables qualitative and quantitative analysis of taste-active compounds in chicken soup, aiding the exploration of key taste-active compounds. The electronic tongue application helps the overall taste perception of the soluble taste-active compounds present in chicken soup samples. Postmortem aging and stewing for a prolonged duration are effective techniques for improving the taste quality of chicken soup. The washing of preprocessing, the cooking temperature of processing, and the storage conditions also exert a significant impact on the taste of chicken soup.

Research progress on inosine monophosphate deposition mechanism in chicken muscle

With the continuous improvements in human diet, there is an ever-increasing demand for high-quality chicken, so it is particularly important for poultry breeders to carry out the breeding of high-quality broilers in a timely fashion. Inosine monophosphate (IMP) is a flavor-enhancing substance, which plays a critical role in the umami taste of the muscle, making the content of IMP an important umami taste indicator. Currently, research on the deposition mechanism of IMP in chicken is not only necessary for chicken breeders to promote the production of high-quality meat and poultry but also to meet the human demand for chicken meat. In this paper, the research history of IMP, its structure and taste mechanisms, the pathway and influencing factors of de novo IMP synthesis, and the key genes regulating IMP synthesis and metabolism are briefly summarized. Our aim was to lay a theoretical foundation and provide scientific background and research directions for further research on high-quality broiler breeding.

Comparison of carcass and meat quality traits between lean and fat Pekin ducks

OBJECTIVE

According to market demand, meat duck breeding mainly includes 2 breeding directions: lean Pekin duck (LPD) and fat Pekin duck (FPD). The aim of the present study was to compare carcass and meat quality traits between 2 strains, and to provide basic data for guidelines of processing and meat quality improvement.

METHODS

A total of 62 female Pekin ducks (32 LPDs and 30 FPDs) were slaughtered at the age of 42 days. The live body weight and carcass traits were measured and calculated. Physical properties of breast muscle were determined by texture analyzer and muscle fibers were measured by paraffin sections. The content of inosine monophosphate (IMP), intramuscular fat (IMF) and fatty acids composition were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, Soxhlet extraction method and automated gas chromatography respectively.

RESULTS

The results showed that the bodyweight of LPDs was higher than that of FPDs. FPDs were significantly higher than LPDs in subcutaneous fat thickness, subcutaneous fat weight, subcutaneous fat percentage, abdominal fat percentage and abdominal fat shear force (p<0.01). LPDs were significantly higher than FPDs in breast muscle thickness, breast muscle weight, breast muscle rate and breast muscle shear force (p<0.01). The muscle fiber average area and fiber diameter of LPDs were significantly higher than those of FPDs (p<0.01). The muscle fiber density of LPDs was significantly lower than that of FPDs (p<0.01). The IMF of LPDs in the breast muscle was significantly higher than that in the FPDs (p<0.01). There was no significant difference between the 2 strains in IMP content (p>0.05). The polyunsaturated fatty acid content of LPDs was significantly higher than that of FPDs (p<0.01), and FPDs had higher saturated fatty acid and monounsaturated fatty acid levels (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Long-term breeding work resulted in vast differences between the two strains Pekin ducks. This study provides a reference for differences between LPD and FPD that manifest as a result of long-term selection.

Identification of Metabonomics Changes in Longissimus Dorsi Muscle of Finishing Pigs Following Heat Stress through LC-MS/MS-Based Metabonomics Method

Simple Summary

Limited research exists on muscle metabolomics of finishing pigs under heat stress. In this study, nine different metabolites in the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle of finishing pigs under heat stress were screened and identified. Through quantitative verification, it was concluded that the content of L-carnitine in the LD muscles of the finishing pigs could be significantly decreased due to heat stress, which might be a biomarker for monitoring the animal health status and muscle quality under heat stress.

Abstract

Heat stress (HS) negatively affects meat quality by affecting material and energy metabolism, and exploring the mechanism underlying the muscle response to chronic HS in finishing pigs is important for the global pork industry. This study investigated changes in the metabolic profiles of the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle of finishing pigs under high temperature using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS) and multivariate data analysis (MDA). Castrated male DLY pigs (Duroc × Landrance × Yorkshire pigs, n = 24) from 8 litters were divided into three treatment groups: constant optimal ambient temperature at 22 °C and ad libitum feeding (CR, n = 8); constant high ambient temperature at 30 °C and ad libitum feeding (HS, n = 8); and constant optimal ambient temperature 22 °C and pair-feeding to the control pigs (PF, n = 8). The metabolic profile data from LD muscle samples were analyzed by MDA and external search engines. Nine differential metabolites (L-carnosine, acetylcholine, inosinic acid, L-carnitine, L-anserine, L-α-glycerylphosphorylcholine, acetylcarnitine, thiamine triphosphate, and adenosine thiamine diphosphate) were involved in antioxidant function, lipid metabolism, and cell signal transduction, which may decrease post mortem meat quality and play important roles in anti-HS. Four metabolites (L-carnosine, acetylcholine, inosinic acid, and L-carnitine) were verified, and it was indicated that the muscle L-carnitine content was significantly lower in HS than in CR (p < 0.01). The results show that constant HS affects the metabolites in the LD muscle and leads to coordinated changes in the endogenous antioxidant defense and meat quality of finishing pigs. These metabonomics results provide a basis for researching nutritional strategies to reduce the negative effects of heat stress on livestock and present new insights for further research.

Association of ADSL gene polymorphisms with meat quality and carcass traits in domestic pigeons (Columba livia)

1. Adenylosuccinate lyase (ADSL) plays an important role in the synthesis of inosine monophosphate (IMP). In this trial, a total of 200 pigeons were sampled and slaughtered. Seven meat quality traits and 11 carcass traits were measured. DNA sequencing was used to detect nucleotide mutations, and associations between ADSL gene polymorphisms and meat quality and carcass traits were analysed. 2. Sequencing results showed that 9 nucleotide mutations were found in the exons of the ADSL gene. All the mutations were synonymous except C13065G, which caused a change in amino acids (Ser to Arg). In addition, two of the detected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) had significant associations with meat quality and carcass traits. 3. For the C13065G SNP located in exon11, the IMP content of breast muscle in AA and AB genotype was higher than in the BB genotype (P < 0.01). The SNP G10696A located in exon10 was significantly associated with carcass rate, in which AA and AB genotype were higher than the BB genotype (P < 0.01). 4. The results indicated that the ADSL gene has a close association with meat quality and carcass traits in domestic pigeons, and G10696A and C13065G SNPs could be applied as genetic markers in molecular marker-assisted breeding of pigeons.

Specific expression pattern of IMP metabolism related-genes in chicken muscle between cage and free range conditions

Inosine monophosphate (IMP) is a key factor affecting the fleshy flavor of meat; meanwhile, the free-range mode is an efficient strategy to improve muscular IMP content. To assess expression differences in IMP metabolism-related genes under different feeding patterns, Illumina Nextseq 500 sequencing was used to catalog the global gene expression profiles of muscle samples from Lueyang black-bone chicken under free-range and caging conditions. A total of 15510 unigenes were assembled, with 13423 (86.54%) and 6088 (39.25%) unigenes correctly annotated in the GO and KOG databases, respectively. Next, the "purine metabolism" pathway in the "nucleotide metabolism group" was assessed in depth. Through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, we retrieved 172 nucleotide- and 5 purine- metabolism related genes that were differentially expressed in muscle samples from free-range and caged chickens. At 60-day-old, AMPD1, NT5C1A and ENTPD8 showed higher levels in the free-range group, while only ENTPD8 was upregulated in 120-day-old chickens. In addition, GART, GARS and ADSL in free-range chickens showed higher levels compared with caged animals. Furthermore, IMPDH levels in free-range chicken were lower than those of caged chicken. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to validate the above findings. These results revealed a set of differentially expressed genes potentially related to IMP metabolism in chicken under different breeding modes, providing novel insights into controlling IMP levels in chicken meat.

Effects of exogenous inosine monophosphate on growth performance, flavor compounds, enzyme activity, and gene expression of muscle tissues in chicken

The goal of this experiment was to examine effects of diets supplemented with exogenous inosine monophosphate (IMP) on the growth performance, flavor compounds, enzyme activity and gene expression of chicken. A total of 1,500 healthy, 1-day-old male 3-yellow chickens were used for a 52-d experimental period. Individuals were randomly divided into 5 groups (group I, II, III, IV, V) with 6 replicates per group, and fed a basal diet supplemented with 0.0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3% IMP, respectively. There was no significant response to the increasing dietary IMP level in average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed:gain ratio (F/G) (P ≥ 0.05). IMP content of the breast and thigh muscle showed an exponential and linear response to the increasing dietary IMP level (P < 0.05), the highest IMP content was obtained when the diet with 0.3% and 0.2% exogenous IMP was fed. There were significant effects of IMP level in diet on free amino acids (FAA) (exponential, linear and quadratic effect, P < 0.05) and delicious amino acids (DAA) (quadratic effect, P < 0.01) content in breast muscle. FAA and DAA content in thigh muscle showed an exponential and linear response (P < 0.05), and quadratic response (P < 0.01) to the increasing dietary IMP level, the highest FAA and DAA content was obtained when the diet with 0.2% exogenous IMP was fed. Dietary IMP supplementation had a quadratic effect on 5΄-NT and the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme activity in the breast muscle (P < 0.05), and the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) enzyme activity in the thigh muscles increased exponentially and linearly with increasing IMP level in diet (exponential effect, P = 0.061; linear effect, P = 0.059). Cyclohydrolase (ATIC) gene expression in thigh muscle had a quadratic response to the increasing dietary IMP level (P < 0.05), 0.2% exogenous IMP group had the highest (AMPD1) gene expression of the breast muscle and ATIC gene expression of the thigh muscle. These results indicate that dietary IMP did not affect the growth performance of chicken, the diet with 0.2 to 0.3% exogenous IMP is optimal to improve the meat flavor quality in chicken.

Analysis of extended haplotype in Korean cattle (Hanwoo) population

Korean cattle (Hanwoo) are categorized into three breeds based on color: brown, brindle, and black. Among these breeds, brown Hanwoo has been subjected to intensive selection to improve meat traits. To identify genetic traces driven by recent selection in brown Hanwoo, we scanned the genomes of brown and brindle Hanwoo using a bovine SNP chip. We identified 17 candidate selection signatures in brown Hanwoo and sequenced four candidate regions from 10 individuals each of brown and brindle Hanwoo. In particular, non-synonymous SNPs in the ADSL gene (K88M, L189H, and R302Q) might have had mutational effects on protein structure as a result of altering the purine pathway during nucleotide breakdown. The ADSL gene was previously reported to affect meat quality and yield in livestock. Meat quality and yield are main breeding goals for brown Hanwoo, and our results support a potential causal influence of non-synonymous SNPs in the ADSL gene. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(9): 514-519]

Analysis of meat flavor compounds in pedigree and two-strain Yangzhou geese

In this study, we evaluated the meat flavor compounds of Yangzhou geese, including one group of pedigree strain (AA group) and 4 groups of 2-strain crossbreds (KA, KB, CA, and SA). Each group consisted of 100 geese comprised of 5 replicates of 10 males and 10 females each. Inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP), amino acid (AA), and fatty acid (FA) levels in breast and thigh muscle were determined. Results showed that AA group had the highest levels of total amino acid (TAA) and dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) in breast muscle and of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in thigh muscle (P<0.05). In SA group, the levels of C17:1, C22:0, C22:1, C20:4, and C24:1 in breast muscle were significantly higher in SA than in other groups (P<0.05). KB group had the lowest glycine levels in breast muscle (P<0.05) while MUFA levels were significantly higher in KB than in other groups (P<0.05). In KA, the levels of C18:3 in breast muscle in were higher than in CA and KB (P<0.05). CA had relevant higher IMPc levels in breast muscle than SA (P<0.05) and other groups (P>0.05); however, no significant differences were obtained in thigh muscle (P>0.05). In conclusion, Yangzhou AA goose has high levels of meat flavor compounds than its crossbreeds. Future efforts should focus on assessing meat flavor through measurement of sensory characteristics of Yangzhou geese.

Mining the key regulatory genes of chicken inosine 5'-monophosphate metabolism based on time series microarray data

IMP (inosine 5'-monophosphate) is a compound that enhances the flavor of poultry meat. IMP has become a new breeding trait to improve poultry meat quality. We tried to identify several potential regulatory genes, and construct their predicted regulatory relationships. Time series gene expression profiles of thigh muscle tissues of Rugao chicken, a famous indigenous breed in China, were performed for analysis of genes that are co-expressed or correlated with the concentration of IMP. We found 15 crucial co-expression genes, which are Hspa2, Pten, Gabpa, Bpi, Mkl1, Srf, Cd34, Hspa4, Etv6, Bmpr2, Gde1, Igfbp5, Cd28, Pecam1 and Gja1, that may directly or indirectly regulate IMP metabolism. Eventually, we computed the correlation coefficient between 19 IMP Genes and 15 CGs (15 co-expression genes), and we identified and constructed a predicted regulation network. In conclusion, variation of IMP concentration was primarily connected with the muscle development process. During this process, 15 CGs were identified that may have significant influence on IMP metabolism. In particular, Bmpr2, Pten and co-expression genes correlated with Entpd8 might play important roles in regulating IMP de novo synthesis, decomposition and salvage synthesis.