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Javůrková VG, Pokorná M, Mikšík I, Tůmová E. Concentration of egg white antimicrobial and immunomodulatory proteins is related to eggshell pigmentation across traditional chicken breeds. Poult Sci 2019; 98:6931-6941. [PMID: 31420680 PMCID: PMC8913977 DOI: 10.3382/ps/pez472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Gvoždíková Javůrková
- Department of Animal Science, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague – Suchdol, Czech Republic
- Corresponding author
| | - Monika Pokorná
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Mikšík
- Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Tůmová
- Department of Animal Science, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague – Suchdol, Czech Republic
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Svobodová J, Šmídová L, Javůrková VG. Different incubation patterns affect selective antimicrobial properties of the egg interior: experimental evidence from eggs of precocial and altricial birds. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.201442. [PMID: 30814292 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.201442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Avian eggs contend with omnipresent microorganisms entering the egg interior, where they affect embryo viability and hatchling phenotype. The incubation behaviour and deposition of egg white antimicrobial proteins (AMPs) vary highly across the avian altricial-precocial spectrum. Experimental evidence of how these alterations in avian reproductive strategies affect the antimicrobial properties of the precocial and altricial egg interior is lacking, however. Here, we tested the egg white antimicrobial activity in eggs of two representative model species, from each end of the avian altricial-precocial spectrum, against potentially pathogenic and beneficial probiotic microorganisms. Eggs were experimentally treated to mimic un-incubated eggs in the nest, partial incubation during the egg-laying period, the onset of full incubation and the increased deposition of two main egg white AMPs, lysozyme and ovotransferrin. We moreover assessed to what extent egg antimicrobial components, egg white pH and AMP concentrations varied as a result of different incubation patterns. Fully incubated precocial and altricial eggs decreased their antimicrobial activity against a potentially pathogenic microorganism, whereas partial incubation significantly enhanced the persistence of a beneficial probiotic microorganism in precocial eggs. These effects were most probably conditioned by temperature-dependent alterations in egg white pH and AMP concentrations. While lysozyme concentration and pH decreased in fully incubated precocial but not altricial eggs, egg white ovotransferrin increased along with the intensity of incubation in both precocial and altricial eggs. This study is the first to experimentally demonstrate that different incubation patterns may have selective antimicrobial potential mediated by species-specific effects on antimicrobial components in the egg white.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Svobodová
- Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Šmídová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Gvoždíková Javůrková
- Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Department of Animal Science, Kamýcká 957, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
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Javůrková V, Krkavcová E, Kreisinger J, Hyršl P, Hyánková L. Effects of experimentally increased in ovo lysozyme on egg hatchability, chicks complement activity, and phenotype in a precocial bird. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [PMID: 26205223 DOI: 10.1002/jez.1935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In birds, spectrum of egg white proteins deposited into the egg during its formation are thought to be essential maternal effects. Particularly, egg white lysozyme (LSM), exhibiting great between and within species variability, is considered to be essential for developing avian embryos due to its physiological, antimicrobial, and innate immune defense functions. However, there have been few studies investigating effects of LSM on early post-hatching phenotype, despite its broad physiological and protective role during embryogenesis. Here, we test how experimentally increased concentrations of egg white LSM affect hatchability in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) and chick phenotype immediately after hatching (particularly body weight, tarsus length, plasma LSM concentration, and plasma complement activity). Chicks from eggs with increased LSM concentration displayed reduced tarsus length compared to chicks from control eggs while hatchability, body weight and plasma LSM concentration were unaffected. It is worth noting that no effect of increased in ovo lysozyme on eggs hatchability could be related to pathogen-free environment during artificial incubation of experimental eggs causing minimal pressure on embryo viability. While tangible in vivo mechanisms during avian embryogenesis remain to be tested, our study is the first to document experimentally that egg white LSM appears to have growth-regulation role during embryo development, with possible underlying phenotypic consequences in the early post-hatching period in precocial birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Javůrková
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Group, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague 2, Czech Republic.,The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology v.v.i., Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Krkavcová
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Group, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Kreisinger
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Group, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague 2, Czech Republic.,Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Research and Innovation Centre, Trentino, Italy
| | - Pavel Hyršl
- Department of Animal Physiology and Immunology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ludmila Hyánková
- Department of Genetics and breeding of farm animals, Institute of Animal Science, Prague, Czech Republic
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Grizard S, Versteegh MA, Ndithia HK, Salles JF, Tieleman BI. Shifts in bacterial communities of eggshells and antimicrobial activities in eggs during incubation in a ground-nesting passerine. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121716. [PMID: 25880684 PMCID: PMC4400097 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 02/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial invasion of egg contents is a cause of embryonic death. To counter infection risks, the embryo is protected physically by the eggshell and chemically by antimicrobial proteins. If microbial pressure drives embryo mortality, then females may have evolved, through natural selection, to adapt their immune investment into eggs. Although frequently hypothesized, this match between immune allocation and microorganisms has not been explored yet. To examine if correlations between microbes on eggs and immunity in eggs exist, we collected eggs from red-capped larks (Calandrella cinerea) and simultaneously examined their bacterial communities and antimicrobial components—pH, lysozyme and ovotransferrin—during natural incubation. Using molecular techniques, we find that bacterial communities are highly dynamic: bacterial abundance increases from the onset to late incubation, Shannon’s α-diversity index increases during early incubation stages, and β-diversity analysis shows that communities from 1 day-old clutches are phylogenetically more similar to each other than the older ones. Regarding the antimicrobials, we notice a decrease of pH and lysozyme concentration, while ovotransferrin concentration increases during incubation. Interestingly, we show that two eggs of the same clutch share equivalent immune protection, independent of clutch age. Lastly, our results provide limited evidence of significant correlation between antimicrobial compounds and bacterial communities. Our study examined simultaneously, for the first time in a wild bird, the dynamics of bacterial communities present on eggshells and of albumen-associated antimicrobial components during incubation and investigated their relationship. However, the link between microorganisms and immunity of eggs remains to be elucidated further. Identifying invading microbes and their roles in embryo mortality, as well as understanding the role of the eggshell microbiome, might be key to better understand avian strategies of immune maternal investment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Grizard
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Maaike A. Versteegh
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Henry K. Ndithia
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Zoology, Ornithology section, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Joana F. Salles
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - B. Irene Tieleman
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Horrocks NP, Hine K, Hegemann A, Ndithia HK, Shobrak M, Ostrowski S, Williams JB, Matson KD, Tieleman BI. Are antimicrobial defences in bird eggs related to climatic conditions associated with risk of trans-shell microbial infection? Front Zool 2014; 11:49. [PMID: 25057281 PMCID: PMC4107615 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-11-49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction All bird eggs are exposed to microbes in the environment, which if transmitted to the developing embryo, could cause hatching failure. However, the risk of trans-shell infection varies with environmental conditions and is higher for eggs laid in wetter environments. This might relate to generally higher microbial abundances and diversity in more humid environments, including on the surface of eggshells, as well as the need for moisture to facilitate microbial penetration of the eggshell. To protect against microbial infection, the albumen of avian eggs contains antimicrobial proteins, including lysozyme and ovotransferrin. We tested whether lysozyme and ovotransferrin activities varied in eggs of larks (Alaudidae) living along an arid-mesic gradient of environmental aridity, which we used as a proxy for risk of trans-shell infection. Results Contrary to expectations, lysozyme activity was highest in eggs from hotter, more arid locations, where we predicted the risk of trans-shell infection would be lower. Ovotransferrin concentrations did not vary with climatic factors. Temperature was a much better predictor of antimicrobial protein activity than precipitation, a result inconsistent with studies stressing the importance of moisture for trans-shell infection. Conclusions Our study raises interesting questions about the links between temperature and lysozyme activity in eggs, but we find no support for the hypothesis that antimicrobial protein deposition is higher in eggs laid in wetter environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Pc Horrocks
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological & Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands ; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, CB2 3EJ Cambridge, UK
| | - Kathryn Hine
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological & Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Arne Hegemann
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological & Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Henry K Ndithia
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological & Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands ; Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, PO Box 40658, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Mohammed Shobrak
- Biology Department, Science College, Taif University, P.O. Box 888, 21974 Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Stéphane Ostrowski
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, 10460 Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Joseph B Williams
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 43210 Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kevin D Matson
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological & Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - B Irene Tieleman
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological & Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
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Wellman-Labadie O, Lemaire S, Mann K, Picman J, Hincke MT. Antimicrobial activity of lipophilic avian eggshell surface extracts. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2010; 58:10156-10161. [PMID: 20804124 DOI: 10.1021/jf101954g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The avian eggshell cuticle is the waxy outermost layer of the mineralized eggshell in direct contact with the environment. In this study, lipophilic eggshell surface extracts from three domestic species were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity. Chicken and goose extracts demonstrated potent bactericidal activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, while activity could not be detected for duck eggshell surface extracts. Using the chicken as a model species, evaluation of albumen, fecal material, and uropygial gland extracts eliminated these as a potential source of the observed activity. Results suggest that lipophilic components are incorporated into the egg during its formation and play a role in antimicrobial defense. This study represents the first successful extraction and evaluation of lipophilic antimicrobial components from the avian egg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Wellman-Labadie
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 835 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5Z 4E8.
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Wellman-Labadie O, Picman J, Hincke MT. Antimicrobial activity of the Anseriform outer eggshell and cuticle. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2008; 149:640-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2008.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2007] [Revised: 01/04/2008] [Accepted: 01/04/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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