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Wang Z, Yu X, Yang S, Zhao M, Wang L. Non-Targeted Metabolomics of Serum Reveals Biomarkers Associated with Body Weight in Wumeng Black-Bone Chickens. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2743. [PMID: 39335332 PMCID: PMC11429424 DOI: 10.3390/ani14182743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2024] [Revised: 09/14/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Growth performance is an important economic trait of broilers but the related serum metabolomics remains unclear. In this study, we utilized non-targeted metabolomics using ultra-high-performance liquid phase tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) to establish metabolite profiling in the serum of Chinese Wumeng black-bone chickens. The biomarker metabolites in serum associated with growth performance of chickens were identified by comparing the serum metabolome differences between chickens that significantly differed in their weights at 160 days of age when fed identical diets. A total of 766 metabolites were identified including 13 differential metabolite classes such as lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic acids and their derivatives, and organoheterocyclic compounds. The results of difference analysis using a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model indicated that the low-body-weight group could be differentiated based on inflammatory markers including prostaglandin a2, kynurenic acid and fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFA), and inflammation-related metabolic pathways including tryptophan and arachidonic acid metabolism. In contrast, the sera of high-body-weight chickens were enriched for riboflavin and 2-isopropylmalic acid and for metabolic pathways including riboflavin metabolism, acetyl group transfer into mitochondria, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. These results provide new insights into the practical application of improving the growth performance of local chickens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
- College of Animal Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Xuan Yu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
- College of Animal Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Shenghong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
- College of Animal Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Mingming Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
- College of Animal Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Liqi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
- College of Animal Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
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2
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Urgessa OE, Woldesemayat AA. OMICs approaches and technologies for understanding low-high feed efficiency traits in chicken: implication to breeding. Anim Biotechnol 2023; 34:4147-4166. [PMID: 36927292 DOI: 10.1080/10495398.2023.2187404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
In poultry production, there has been a trend of continuous increase in cost of feed ingredients which represents the major proportion of the production costs. Feed costs can be reduced by improving feed efficiency traits which increase the possibility of using various indigestible feed sources and decrease the environmental impact of the enhanced poultry production. Therefore, feed efficiency has been used as one of the most important economic traits of selection in the breeding program of chickens. Recently, many OMICs experimental studies have been designed to characterize biological differences between the high and low feed efficiency chicken phenotypes. Biological complexity cannot be fully captured by main individual OMICs such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. Therefore, researchers have combined multiple assays from the same set of samples to create multi-OMICs datasets. OMICs findings are crucial in improving existing approaches to poultry breeding. The current review aimed to highlight the components of feed efficiency and general OMICs approaches and technologies. Besides, individual and multi-OMICs based understanding of chicken feed efficiency traits and the application of the acquired knowledge in the chicken breeding program were addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olyad Erba Urgessa
- School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Haramaya University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
- Department of Applied Biology, School of Applied Natural Science, Adama Science and Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia
| | - Adugna Abdi Woldesemayat
- College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Department of Biotechnology, Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida Science Campus, 28 Pioneer Ave, Florida Park, Roodepoort, South Africa
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3
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Huang D, Wang Y, Qi P, Ding H, Zhao H. Transcriptome analysis of divergent residual feed intake phenotypes in the M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum of Wannan Yellow rabbits. Front Genet 2023; 14:1247048. [PMID: 37937196 PMCID: PMC10625914 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1247048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Feed efficiency is an important economic trait in rabbit meat production. The identification of molecular mechanisms and candidate genes for feed efficiency may improve the economic and environmental benefits of the rabbit meat industry. As an alternative to the conventional feed conversion ratio, residual feed intake (RFI) can be used as an accurate indicator of feed efficiency. Methods: RNA sequencing was used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum of eight Wannan Yellow rabbits with excessively high or low RFIs (HRFI or LRFI, respectively). Thereafter, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, enrichment using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was conducted. Results: In total, 445 DEGs were identified in the M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum of rabbits with high and low RFIs. The significantly enriched GO terms identified in these two groups were primarily involved in energy and mitochondrial metabolism and oxidation-reduction processes. KEGG analysis identified 11 significantly enriched pathways, including oxidative phosphorylation, PI3K-Akt signaling, and extracellular matrix-receptor interaction pathways. According to GSEA, the expressions of genes and pathways related to mitochondrial function were upregulated in HRFI rabbits, whereas genes with upregulated expressions in LRFI rabbits were related to immune response and energy metabolism. Additionally, PPI network analysis revealed five potential candidate genetic markers. Conclusion: Comparative analysis of the M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum transcriptomes in HRFI and LRFI rabbits revealed FOS, MYC, PRKACB, ITGA2, and FN1 as potential candidate genes that affect feed efficiency in rabbits. In addition, key signaling pathways involved in oxidative phosphorylation and PI3K-Akt and ECM-receptor interaction signaling impact rabbit feed efficiency. These findings will aid in breeding programs to improve feed efficiency and optimize RFI selection of rabbits for meat production.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Huiling Zhao
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Product Safety Engineering, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, China
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4
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Xiang X, Yu Z, Liu Y, Huang Y, Wang J, Chen L, Ma M. Differential proteomics between unhatched male and female egg yolks reveal the molecular mechanisms of sex-allocation and sex-determination in chicken. Poult Sci 2022; 101:101906. [PMID: 35696754 PMCID: PMC9198474 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.101906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a huge demand to identify the sex of unhatched fertilized eggs for laying industry and to understand the differences between male and female eggs as early as possible. Then the molecular mechanisms of sex determination and sex allocation in chicken were revealed. Therefore, TMT proteomic was applied to characterize the variation of molecular matrix between unhatched male and female egg yolks. A total of 411 proteins were identified and 35 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), including 375332005, 015809562, 763550308 (upregulated, UPs) and 1337178851, 89000557, 89000581 (downregulated, DPs), etc. were confirmed between them. Gene ontology analyses showed that DEPs were mainly involved in response to stimulus, distributed in the extracellular region and participated in binding; KEGG analyses showed that few DPs were participated in cell growth and death, transport and catabolism, signaling molecules, interaction and were enriched in ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, endocytosis, ferroptosis, etc. metabolic pathways. Moreover, most of the DEPs and related metabolic pathways were associated with sex hormones. More importantly, this study supports maternal sex-allocation theory and extends our understanding of the molecular mechanism of sex determination and differentiation in avian. Which also provides a powerful evidence for ovo sexing of unhatched fertilized domestic chicken eggs by nondestructive approach and will be of great significance to eggs processing and production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaole Xiang
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Research and Development Center for Egg Processing, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhuosi Yu
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yongle Liu
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yiqun Huang
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Department of Food Science, Foshan University, Foshan, 528000, China
| | - Lei Chen
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing of Aquatic Product of Guangdong Higher Education Institution, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Meihu Ma
- National Research and Development Center for Egg Processing, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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5
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Emerging Roles of Non-Coding RNAs in the Feed Efficiency of Livestock Species. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13020297. [PMID: 35205343 PMCID: PMC8872339 DOI: 10.3390/genes13020297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A global population of already more than seven billion people has led to an increased demand for food and water, and especially the demand for meat. Moreover, the cost of feed used in animal production has also increased dramatically, which requires animal breeders to find alternatives to reduce feed consumption. Understanding the biology underlying feed efficiency (FE) allows for a better selection of feed-efficient animals. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), especially micro RNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), play important roles in the regulation of bio-logical processes and disease development. The functions of ncRNAs in the biology of FE have emerged as they participate in the regulation of many genes and pathways related to the major FE indicators, such as residual feed intake and feed conversion ratio. This review provides the state of the art studies related to the ncRNAs associated with FE in livestock species. The contribution of ncRNAs to FE in the liver, muscle, and adipose tissues were summarized. The research gap of the function of ncRNAs in key processes for improved FE, such as the nutrition, heat stress, and gut–brain axis, was examined. Finally, the potential uses of ncRNAs for the improvement of FE were discussed.
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6
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Yang L, Wang X, He T, Xiong F, Chen X, Chen X, Jin S, Geng Z. Association of residual feed intake with growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and blood variables in native chickens. J Anim Sci 2020; 98:5821583. [PMID: 32303739 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skaa121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Improving feed efficiency is a primary goal in poultry breeding strategies. Residual feed intake (RFI) in chickens typically calculated during the growing period is a measure of feed efficiency that is independent of the level of production. The objective of this study was to evaluate phenotypic correlations of growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and blood variables with RFI in growing native chickens. A total of 1,008 chickens were selected for the experiment to derive RFI. After the RFI measurement period of 42 d, 25 chickens with low RFI values, 25 chickens with medium RFI values, and 25 chickens with high RFI values were selected. The RFI was significantly positively correlated with feed conversion ratio and average daily feed intake, while it was not significantly correlated with initial body weight (BW), final BW, average daily body weight gain, and metabolic BW0.75. The abdominal fat weight and yield of high RFI group were significantly greater than those of medium and low RFI groups, and the abdominal fat yield was significantly positively correlated with RFI. Moreover, the plasma insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) content of low RFI group was significantly greater than those of high and medium RFI groups. The plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone, triiodothyronine (T3), and cortisol of high RFI birds were significantly greater than that of low RFI birds. RFI was significantly positively correlated with plasma concentrations of T3 and cortisol, while it was significantly negatively correlated with plasma concentration of IGF-1. In addition, the serum levels of glucose and triglyceride of high RFI birds were significantly lower than that of low RFI birds. The serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) content of high RFI group was significantly greater than that of medium and low RFI groups, and it was significantly positively correlated with RFI. Our data suggested that selection of chickens with low RFI values may be beneficial to reduce fat deposition in native chickens without affecting the meat quality. Circulating IGF-1, T3, cortisol, and LDL-C concentrations can be used as indirect selection indicators of feed efficiency in native chickens. The effect of IGF-1, T3, cortisol, and LDL-C on feed efficiency of native chickens should be carefully examined and validated in future breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China
| | - Xiaolong Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China
| | - Tingting He
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China
| | - Fengliang Xiong
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China
| | - Xianzhen Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China
| | - Xingyong Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China
| | - Sihua Jin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China
| | - Zhaoyu Geng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, P.R. China
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7
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Metzler-Zebeli BU, Siegerstetter SC, Magowan E, Lawlor PG, O Connell NE, Zebeli Q. Fecal Microbiota Transplant From Highly Feed Efficient Donors Affects Cecal Physiology and Microbiota in Low- and High-Feed Efficient Chickens. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1576. [PMID: 31354670 PMCID: PMC6629952 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) may be used to improve chicken’s feed efficiency (FE) via modulation of the intestinal microbiota and microbe-host signaling. This study investigated the effect of the administration of FMT from highly feed efficient donors early in life on the jejunal and cecal microbiota, visceral organ size, intestinal morphology, permeability, and expression of genes for nutrient transporters, barrier function and innate immune response in chickens of diverging residual feed intake (RFI; a metric for FE). Chicks (n = 110) were inoculated with the FMT or control transplant (CT) on 1, 6, and 9 days posthatch (dph), from which 56 chickens were selected on 30 dph as the extremes in RFI, resulting in 15 low and 13 high RFI chickens receiving the FMT and 14 low and 14 high RFI chickens receiving the CT. RFI rank and FMT only caused tendencies for alterations in the jejunal microbiota and only one unclassified Lachnospiraceae genus in cecal digesta was indicative of high RFI. By contrast, the FMT caused clear differences in the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profile in the crop and cecal microbiota composition compared to the CT, which indicated alterations in amylolytic, pullulanolytic and hemicellulolytic bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Dorea, and Ruminococcus. Moreover, the FMT caused alterations in intestinal development as indicated by the longer duodenum and shallower crypts in the ceca. From the observed RFI-associated variation, energy-saving mechanisms and moderation of the mucosal immune response were indicated by higher jejunal permeability, shorter villi in the ileum, and enhanced cecal expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10 in low RFI chickens. Relationships obtained from supervised multigroup data integration support that certain bacteria, including Ruminococcocaceae-, Lactobacillus-, and unclassified Clostridiales-phylotypes, and SCFA in jejunal and cecal digesta modulated expression levels of cytokines, tight-junction protein OCLN and nutrient transporters for glucose and SCFA uptake. In conclusion, results suggest that the intestine only played a moderate role for the RFI-associated variation of the present low and high RFI phenotypes, whereas modulating the early microbial colonization resulted in long-lasting changes in bacterial taxonomic and metabolite composition as well as in host intestinal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara U Metzler-Zebeli
- Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sina-Catherine Siegerstetter
- Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Peadar G Lawlor
- Teagasc, Pig Development Department, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Ireland
| | - Niamh E O Connell
- Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Qendrim Zebeli
- Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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8
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Feed Restriction Reveals Distinct Serum Metabolome Profiles in Chickens Divergent in Feed Efficiency Traits. Metabolites 2019; 9:metabo9020038. [PMID: 30823619 PMCID: PMC6409680 DOI: 10.3390/metabo9020038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Restrictive feeding influences systemic metabolism of nutrients; however, this impact has not been evaluated in chickens of diverging feed efficiency. This study investigated the effect of ad libitum versus restrictive feeding (85% of ad libitum) on the serum metabolome and white blood cell composition in chickens of diverging residual feed intake (RFI; metric for feed efficiency). Blood samples were collected between days 33 and 37 post-hatch. While serum glucose was similar, serum uric acid and cholesterol were indicative of the nutritional status and chicken’s RFI, respectively. Feed restriction and RFI rank caused distinct serum metabolome profiles, whereby restrictive feeding also increased the blood lymphocyte proportion. Most importantly, 10 amino acids were associated with RFI rank in birds, whereas restrictive feeding affected almost all detected lysophosphatidylcholines, with 3 being higher and 6 being lower in restrictively compared to ad libitum fed chickens. As indicated by relevance networking, isoleucine, lysine, valine, histidine, and ornithine were the most discriminant for high RFI, whereas 3 biogenic amines (carnosine, putrescine, and spermidine) and 3 diacyl-glycerophospholipids (38:4, 38:5, and 40:5) positively correlated with feed intake and body weight gain, respectively. Only for taurine, feed intake mostly explained the RFI-associated variation, whereas for most metabolites, other host physiological factors played a greater role for the RFI-associated differences, and was potentially related to insulin-signaling, phospholipase A2, and arachidonic acid metabolism. Alterations in the hepatic synthesis of long-chain fatty acids and the need for precursors for gluconeogenesis due to varying energy demand may explain the marked differences in serum metabolite profiles in ad libitum and restrictively fed birds.
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9
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Siegerstetter SC, Petri RM, Magowan E, Lawlor PG, Zebeli Q, O'Connell NE, Metzler-Zebeli BU. Feed Restriction Modulates the Fecal Microbiota Composition, Nutrient Retention, and Feed Efficiency in Chickens Divergent in Residual Feed Intake. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2698. [PMID: 30510543 PMCID: PMC6254087 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a great interest to understand the impact of the gut microbiota on host's nutrient use and FE in chicken production. Both chicken's feed intake and gut bacterial microbiota differ between high and low-feed efficient chickens. To evaluate the impact of the feed intake level on the feed efficiency (FE)-associated variation in the chicken intestinal microbiota, differently feed efficient chickens need to eat the same amount of feed, which can be achieved by feeding chickens restrictively. Therefore, we investigated the effect of restrictive vs. ad libitum feeding on the fecal microbiome at 16 and 29 days posthatch (dph), FE and nutrient retention in chickens of low and high residual feed intake (RFI; metric for FE). Restrictively fed chickens were provided the same amount of feed which corresponded to 85% of the ad libitum fed group from 9 dph. FE was determined for the period between 9 and 30 dph and feces for nutrient retention were collected on 31 to 32 dph. From the 112 chickens (n = 56 fed ad libitum, and n = 56 fed restrictively), 14 low RFI and 15 high RFI ad libitum fed chickens, and 14 low RFI (n = 7 per sex) and 14 high RFI restrictively fed chickens were selected as the extremes in RFI and were retrospectively chosen for data analysis. Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrices showed significant separation between time points, and feeding level groups at 29 dph for the fecal bacterial communities. Relevance networking indicated positive associations between Acinetobacter and feed intake at 16 dph, whereas at 29 dph Escherichia/Shigella and Turicibacter positively and Lactobacillus negatively correlated to chicken's feed intake. Enterobacteriaceae was indicative for low RFI at 16 dph, whereas Acinetobacter was linked to high RFI across time points. However, restrictive feeding-associated changes in the fecal microbiota were not similar in low and high RFI chickens, which may have been related to the higher nutrient retention and thus lower fecal nutrient availability in restrictively fed high RFI chickens. This may also explain the decreased RFI value in restrictively fed high RFI chickens indicating improved FE, with a stronger effect in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina-Catherine Siegerstetter
- Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Renée M Petri
- Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elizabeth Magowan
- Agriculture Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, United Kingdom
| | - Peadar G Lawlor
- Teagasc, Pig Development Department, Animal & Grassland Research & Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Ireland
| | - Qendrim Zebeli
- Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Niamh E O'Connell
- Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara U Metzler-Zebeli
- Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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10
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Reyer H, Metzler-Zebeli BU, Trakooljul N, Oster M, Muráni E, Ponsuksili S, Hadlich F, Wimmers K. Transcriptional shifts account for divergent resource allocation in feed efficient broiler chickens. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12903. [PMID: 30150666 PMCID: PMC6110741 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31072-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Considerable variation in feed efficiency (FE) has been observed in indigenous and selected meat-type chicken populations. Although this variation could be partially linked to extrinsic factors like diet, housing environment and microbiota, it further illustrates the existence of strong molecular mechanisms enabling the differential allocation of resources for various physiological processes. To further deepen the molecular basis of individual allocation capacity in male and female broilers, an RNA-seq experiment was conducted which based on a phenotyped chicken population divergent in FE. Transcriptional differences linked to FE were pronounced in intestinal and muscular tissue sites of male animals. Specifically, signalling pathways of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR) might contribute to mediate individual FE. The transcriptional profiles suggested ACSBG2 (muscular lipid utilisation), ASBT (intestinal bile salt transport), CLEC2B (natural killer cell activation), HMGCS2 (jejunal, duodenal and muscular ketogenesis), and SCARB1 (jejunal lipid uptake) as potential mediators driving FE. Results indicate that improvements in FE exploit shifts in resource allocation which might occur at the expense of general immune responsiveness in high efficient male chickens. Consequently, to further improve FE traits and to explore causative molecular patterns, effects originating from sex-dimorphism in chickens need to be taken into consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Reyer
- Institute for Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Barbara U Metzler-Zebeli
- Department of Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nares Trakooljul
- Institute for Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Michael Oster
- Institute for Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Eduard Muráni
- Institute for Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Siriluck Ponsuksili
- Institute for Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Frieder Hadlich
- Institute for Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Klaus Wimmers
- Institute for Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany. .,Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University Rostock, 18059, Rostock, Germany.
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