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Holuka C, Grova N, Charalambous EG, Le Cléac H J, Turner JD, Mposhi A. Transgenerational impacts of early life adversity: from health determinants, implications to epigenetic consequences. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105785. [PMID: 38945418 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105785] [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] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to different environmental factors, social and socioeconomic factors promotes development of the early-life adversity (ELA) phenotype. The persistence of this phenotype across generations is an interesting phenomenon that remains unexplored. Of late many studies have focused on disease-associated outcomes of ELA following exposure during childhood but the persistence of epigenetic imprints transmitted by ELA exposed parents to their offspring remains poorly described. It is possible that both parents are able to transmit ELA-associated genetic imprints to their offspring via transgenerational inheritance mechanisms. Here, we highlight the role of the mother and father in the biological process of conception, from epigenetic reprogramming cycles to later environmental exposures. We explain some of the known determinants of ELA (pollution, socioeconomic challenges, infections, etc.) and their disease-associated outcomes. Finally, we highlight the role of epigenetics, mitochondria and ncRNAs as mechanisms mediating transgenerational inheritance. Whether these transgenerational inheritance mechanisms occur in the human context remains unclear but there is a large body of suggestive evidence in non-human models that points out to its existence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyrielle Holuka
- Immune Endocrine Epigenetics Research Group, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg; Faculty of Science, University of Luxembourg, Belval L-4365, Luxembourg
| | - Nathalie Grova
- Immune Endocrine Epigenetics Research Group, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg; UMR Inserm 1256 nGERE, Nutrition-Génétique et exposition aux risques environnementaux, Institute of Medical Research (Pôle BMS) - University of Lorraine, B.P. 184, Nancy 54511, France
| | - Eleftheria G Charalambous
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medecine Greifswald, Ellernholzstr. 1-2, Greifswald 17489, Germany; Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 2109, Cyprus
| | - Jeanne Le Cléac H
- Immune Endocrine Epigenetics Research Group, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg; Faculty of Science, University of Luxembourg, Belval L-4365, Luxembourg
| | - Jonathan D Turner
- Immune Endocrine Epigenetics Research Group, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg.
| | - Archibold Mposhi
- Immune Endocrine Epigenetics Research Group, Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg
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2
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Tebelmann H, Ganslosser U. Differences in boldness between Eurasian and American wolves ( Canis lupus) might be based on adaptive mechanisms. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70178. [PMID: 39165539 PMCID: PMC11333551 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Boldness - defined as the propensity of individuals to take risks - is a key research area within animal behavioural studies, significantly affecting adaptive strategies, habitat selection, foraging behaviour, reproduction, dispersal, and other crucial survival behaviours. Despite the extensive study of personality traits like extraversion and curiosity across various animal species, data on wolves (Canis lupus), particularly on the subspecies level, remains sparse. This study aims to bridge this gap by examining boldness and its associated personality traits in different wolf subspecies (Canis lupus lupus, Canis lupus arctos, Canis lupus lycaon) (n = 23), and wolf-dog hybrids (n = 10), utilising novel object interaction tests and validated questionnaires previously applied to wild canids. Our results show significant differences in boldness as well as in related personality traits between taxa, both between pure wolves and wolf hybrids, with significantly higher boldness of North American subspecies. The inter-subspecies differences were more significant than the differences between groups or at the individual level, suggesting that subspecies ecology and historical selection pressure in subspecies history might have caused long-lasting adaptations in Canis lupus ssp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Tebelmann
- Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, School of Mathematics and ScienceCarl von Ossietzsky Universität OldenburgOldenburgGermany
- Institute for Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Faculty for BiosciencesFriedrich Schiller Universität JenaJenaGermany
| | - Udo Ganslosser
- Institute for Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Faculty for BiosciencesFriedrich Schiller Universität JenaJenaGermany
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3
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Kraft FLH, Crino OL, Adeniran-Obey SO, Moraney RA, Clayton DF, George JM, Buchanan KL. Parental developmental experience affects vocal learning in offspring. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13787. [PMID: 38877207 PMCID: PMC11178867 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64520-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Cultural and genetic inheritance combine to enable rapid changes in trait expression, but their relative importance in determining trait expression across generations is not clear. Birdsong is a socially learned cognitive trait that is subject to both cultural and genetic inheritance, as well as being affected by early developmental conditions. We sought to test whether early-life conditions in one generation can affect song acquisition in the next generation. We exposed one generation (F1) of nestlings to elevated corticosterone (CORT) levels, allowed them to breed freely as adults, and quantified their son's (F2) ability to copy the song of their social father. We also quantified the neurogenetic response to song playback through immediate early gene (IEG) expression in the auditory forebrain. F2 males with only one corticosterone-treated parent copied their social father's song less accurately than males with two control parents. Expression of ARC in caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) correlated with father-son song similarity, and patterns of expression levels of several IEGs in caudomedial mesopallium (CMM) in response to father song playback differed between control F2 sons and those with a CORT-treated father only. This is the first study to demonstrate that developmental conditions can affect social learning and neurogenetic responses in a subsequent generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny-Linn H Kraft
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Ondi L Crino
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | | | - Raven A Moraney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - David F Clayton
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Julia M George
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Katherine L Buchanan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
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Balard A, Baltazar-Soares M, Eizaguirre C, Heckwolf MJ. An epigenetic toolbox for conservation biologists. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13699. [PMID: 38832081 PMCID: PMC11146150 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13699] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Ongoing climatic shifts and increasing anthropogenic pressures demand an efficient delineation of conservation units and accurate predictions of populations' resilience and adaptive potential. Molecular tools involving DNA sequencing are nowadays routinely used for these purposes. Yet, most of the existing tools focusing on sequence-level information have shortcomings in detecting signals of short-term ecological relevance. Epigenetic modifications carry valuable information to better link individuals, populations, and species to their environment. Here, we discuss a series of epigenetic monitoring tools that can be directly applied to various conservation contexts, complementing already existing molecular monitoring frameworks. Focusing on DNA sequence-based methods (e.g. DNA methylation, for which the applications are readily available), we demonstrate how (a) the identification of epi-biomarkers associated with age or infection can facilitate the determination of an individual's health status in wild populations; (b) whole epigenome analyses can identify signatures of selection linked to environmental conditions and facilitate estimating the adaptive potential of populations; and (c) epi-eDNA (epigenetic environmental DNA), an epigenetic-based conservation tool, presents a non-invasive sampling method to monitor biological information beyond the mere presence of individuals. Overall, our framework refines conservation strategies, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of species' adaptive potential and persistence on ecologically relevant timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Balard
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | | | - Christophe Eizaguirre
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Melanie J Heckwolf
- Department of Ecology Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research Bremen Germany
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Boman J, Qvarnström A, Mugal CF. Regulatory and evolutionary impact of DNA methylation in two songbird species and their naturally occurring F 1 hybrids. BMC Biol 2024; 22:124. [PMID: 38807214 PMCID: PMC11134931 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01920-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regulation of transcription by DNA methylation in 5'-CpG-3' context is a widespread mechanism allowing differential expression of genetically identical cells to persist throughout development. Consequently, differences in DNA methylation can reinforce variation in gene expression among cells, tissues, populations, and species. Despite a surge in studies on DNA methylation, we know little about the importance of DNA methylation in population differentiation and speciation. Here we investigate the regulatory and evolutionary impact of DNA methylation in five tissues of two Ficedula flycatcher species and their naturally occurring F1 hybrids. RESULTS We show that the density of CpG in the promoters of genes determines the strength of the association between DNA methylation and gene expression. The impact of DNA methylation on gene expression varies among tissues with the brain showing unique patterns. Differentially expressed genes between parental species are predicted by genetic and methylation differentiation in CpG-rich promoters. However, both these factors fail to predict hybrid misexpression suggesting that promoter mismethylation is not a main determinant of hybrid misexpression in Ficedula flycatchers. Using allele-specific methylation estimates in hybrids, we also determine the genome-wide contribution of cis- and trans effects in DNA methylation differentiation. These distinct mechanisms are roughly balanced in all tissues except the brain, where trans differences predominate. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study provides insight on the regulatory and evolutionary impact of DNA methylation in songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper Boman
- Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Division of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, SE-752 36, Sweden.
| | - Anna Qvarnström
- Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Division of Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, SE-752 36, Sweden
| | - Carina F Mugal
- Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Division of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, SE-752 36, Sweden.
- CNRS, Laboratory of Biometry and Evolutionary Biology (LBBE), UMR 5558, University of Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.
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Caroppo E, Skinner MK. Could the sperm epigenome become a diagnostic tool for evaluation of the infertile man? Hum Reprod 2024; 39:478-485. [PMID: 38148019 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dead266] [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] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Although male infertility is currently diagnosed when abnormal sperm parameters are found, the poor predictive ability of sperm parameters on natural fecundity and medically assisted reproduction outcome poses the need for improved diagnostic techniques for male infertility. The accumulating evidence about the role played by the sperm epigenome in modulation of the early phases of embryonic development has led researchers to focus on the epigenetic mechanisms within the sperm epigenome to find new molecular markers of male infertility. Indeed, sperm epigenome abnormalities could explain some cases of unexplained male infertility in men showing normal sperm parameters and were found to be associated with poor embryo development in IVF cycles. The present mini-review summarizes the current knowledge about this interesting topic, starting from a description of the epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression regulation (i.e. DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs' activity). We also discuss possible mechanisms by which environmental factors might cause epigenetic changes in the human germline and affect embryonic development, as well as subsequent generations' phenotypes. Studies demonstrating sperm epigenome abnormalities in men with male infertility are reviewed, with particular emphasis on those with the more severe form of spermatogenic dysfunction. Observations demonstrate that the diagnostic and prognostic efficacy of sperm epigenome evaluation will help facilitate the management of men with male factor infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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Miltiadous A, Callahan DL, Dujon AM, Buchanan KL, Rollins LA. Maternally derived avian corticosterone affects offspring genome-wide DNA methylation in a passerine species. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17283. [PMID: 38288572 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Avian embryos develop in an egg composition which reflects both maternal condition and the recent environment of their mother. In birds, yolk corticosterone (CORT) influences development by impacting pre- and postnatal growth, as well as nestling stress responses and development. One possible mechanism through which maternal CORT may affect offspring development is via changes to offspring DNA methylation. We sought to investigate this, for the first time in birds, by quantifying the impact of manipulations to maternal CORT on offspring DNA methylation. We non-invasively manipulated plasma CORT concentrations of egg-laying female zebra finches (Taeniopygia castanotis) with an acute dose of CORT administered around the time of ovulation and collected their eggs. We then assessed DNA methylation in the resulting embryonic tissue and in their associated vitelline membrane blood vessels, during early development (5 days after lay), using two established methods - liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and methylation-sensitive amplification fragment length polymorphism (MS-AFLP). LC-MS analysis showed that global DNA methylation was lower in embryos from CORT-treated mothers, compared to control embryos. In contrast, blood vessel DNA from eggs from CORT-treated mothers showed global methylation increases, compared to control samples. There was a higher proportion of global DNA methylation in the embryonic DNA of second clutches, compared to first clutches. Locus-specific analyses using MS-AFLP did not reveal a treatment effect. Our results indicate that an acute elevation of maternal CORT around ovulation impacts DNA methylation patterns in their offspring. This could provide a mechanistic understanding of how a mother's experience can affect her offspring's phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Miltiadous
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Damien L Callahan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Antoine M Dujon
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Katherine L Buchanan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lee A Rollins
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Liao L, Yao Z, Kong J, Zhang X, Li H, Chen W, Xie Q. Exploring the role of miRNAs in early chicken embryonic development and their significance. Poult Sci 2023; 102:103105. [PMID: 37852050 PMCID: PMC10587638 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.103105] [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] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
In the early stages of embryonic development, a precise and strictly controlled hierarchy of gene expression is essential to ensure proper development of all cell types and organs. To better understand this gene control process, we constructed a small RNA library from 1- to 5-day-old chick embryos, and identified 2,459 miRNAs including 827 existing, 695 known, and 937 novel miRNAs with bioinformatic analysis. There was absolute high expression of a number of miRNAs in each stage, including gga-miR-363-3p (Em1d), gga-miR-26a-5p (Em2d and Em3d), gga-miR-10a-5p (Em4d), and gga-miR-199-5p (Em5d). We evaluated enriched miRNA profiles, identifying VEGF, Insulin, ErbB, MAPK, Hedgehog, TLR and Hippo signaling pathways as primary regulatory mechanisms enabling complex morphogenetic transformations within tight temporal constraints. Pathway analysis revealed miRNAs as pivotal nodes of interaction, coordinating cascades of gene expression critical for cell fate determination, proliferation, migration, and differentiation across germ layers and developing organ systems. Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) generated hub miRNAs whose modular connections spanned regulatory networks, including: gga-miR-181a-3p (blue module), coordinating immunegenesis and myogenesis; gga-miR-126-3p (brown module), regulating vasculogenesis and angiogenesis; gga-miR-302c-5p (turquoise module), enabling pluripotency and self-renew; and gga-miR-429-3p (yellow module), modulating neurogenesis and osteogenesis. The findings of this study extend the knowledge of miRNA expression in early embryonic development of chickens, providing insights into the intricate gene control process that helps ensure proper development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqin Liao
- Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China
| | - Ziqi Yao
- Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Kong
- Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xinheng Zhang
- Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China
| | - Hongxin Li
- Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China
| | - Weiguo Chen
- Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Qingmei Xie
- Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China.
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Tando Y, Matsui Y. Inheritance of environment-induced phenotypic changes through epigenetic mechanisms. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2023; 9:dvad008. [PMID: 38094661 PMCID: PMC10719065 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvad008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that epigenetic changes through various parental environmental factors alter the phenotypes of descendants in various organisms. Environmental factors, including exposure to chemicals, stress and abnormal nutrition, affect the epigenome in parental germ cells by different epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modification as well as small RNAs via metabolites. Some current remaining questions are the causal relationship between environment-induced epigenetic changes in germ cells and altered phenotypes of descendants, and the molecular basis of how the abnormal epigenetic changes escape reprogramming in germ cells. In this review, we introduce representative examples of intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance of phenotypic changes through parental environmental factors and the accompanied epigenetic and metabolic changes, with a focus on animal species. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms of epigenomic inheritance and their possible biological significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukiko Tando
- Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Matsui
- Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
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Vitorino Carvalho A, Hennequet-Antier C, Rouger R, Delaveau J, Bordeau T, Crochet S, Couroussé N, Pitel F, Collin A, Coustham V. Thermal conditioning of quail embryos has transgenerational and reversible long-term effects. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2023; 14:124. [PMID: 37784159 PMCID: PMC10546792 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-023-00924-2] [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: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the current context of global warming, thermal manipulation of avian embryos has received increasing attention as a strategy to promote heat tolerance in avian species by simply increasing the egg incubation temperature. However, because of their likely epigenetic origin, thermal manipulation effects may last more than one generation with consequences for the poultry industry. In this work, a multigenerational and transgenerational analysis of thermal manipulation during embryogenesis was performed to uncover the long-term effects of such procedure. RESULTS Thermal manipulation repeated during 4 generations had an effect on hatchability, body weight, and weight of eggs laid in Japanese quails, with some effects increasing in importance over generations. Moreover, the effects on body weight and egg weight could be transmitted transgenerationally, suggesting non-genetic inheritance mechanisms. This hypothesis is reinforced by the observed reversion of the effect on growth after five unexposed generations. Interestingly, a beneficial effect of thermal manipulation on heat tolerance was observed a few days after hatching, but this effect was not transgenerational. CONCLUSIONS Our multigenerational study showed that thermal conditioning of quail embryos has a beneficial effect on post-hatch heat tolerance hampered by transgenerational but reversible defects on growth. Assuming that no genetic variability underlies these changes, this study provides the first demonstration of epigenetic inheritance of traits induced by environmental temperature modification associated with long-term impacts in an avian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Vitorino Carvalho
- INRAE, Université de Tours, BOA, 37380, Tours, Nouzilly, France
- INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, PRC, 37380, Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Christelle Hennequet-Antier
- INRAE, Université de Tours, BOA, 37380, Tours, Nouzilly, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, MaIAGE, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
- INRAE, BioinfOmics, Université Paris-Saclay, MIGALE Bioinformatics Facility, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | | | - Thierry Bordeau
- INRAE, Université de Tours, BOA, 37380, Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Sabine Crochet
- INRAE, Université de Tours, BOA, 37380, Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | | | - Frederique Pitel
- INRAE, INPT, ENVT, Université de Toulouse, GenPhySE, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Anne Collin
- INRAE, Université de Tours, BOA, 37380, Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Vincent Coustham
- INRAE, Université de Tours, BOA, 37380, Tours, Nouzilly, France.
- INRAE, Université de Pau & Pays de L'Adour, NuMeA, E2S UPPA, Aquapôle, 64310, Saint-Pée-Sur-Nivelle, France.
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Douet C, Grasseau I, Vitorino Carvalho A. Avian sperm-borne RNAs: optimisation of a new isolation protocol. Br Poult Sci 2023; 64:641-649. [PMID: 37266980 DOI: 10.1080/00071668.2023.2220128] [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] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
1. Sperm-borne RNAs are involved in sperm and embryonic protein translation, the regulation of early development and the epigenetic inheritance of the paternal phenotype. Sperm-borne RNA purification protocols generally include a cell purification stage to discard contamination by somatic cells. In avian species, no protocol is currently available to isolate all the populations composing sperm-borne RNAs.2. This study evaluated the presence of somatic cells in semen samples of chickens and quails using visual examination after fluorescent nuclei staining. The efficiency of somatic cell lysis buffer (SCLB) on chicken liver cells and its impacts on chicken sperm cell integrity was explored. Three different approaches were tested to isolate RNA: two developed for mammalian sperm cells and a commercial kit for somatic cells. The efficiency and reliability of each approach was determined based on RNA quality and purity. Eventually, the presence of miRNA and mRNA in purified avian sperm-borne RNAs was investigated by RT-(q)PCR.3. No somatic cells were found in chicken and quail semen. The SCLB totally lysed chicken liver cells but also induced sperm cell necrosis. Consequently, this treatment wasn't performed on samples prior to RNA isolation. Among the tested RNA purification protocols, the commercial one was the least variable and isolated RNA with the highest purity levels. No DNA contamination was observed. Furthermore, the samples contained miRNA and mRNA already known as present in mammalian sperm cells (gga-miR-100-5p, gga-miR-191-5p, GAPDH and PLCZ1), but mRNAs associated with leucocytes (CD4) and Sertoli cells (SOX4, CLDN11) were not detected. This protocol was successfully applied to quail sperm cells.4. Altogether, the study reveals that it is unnecessary to pre-treat samples to remove somatic cell contamination before RNA purification and successfully describes an isolation protocol for sperm-borne RNAs, including small non-coding and long coding RNAs, in two distinct avian species highly valuable as biological models.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Douet
- CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, Nouzilly, France
| | - I Grasseau
- CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, Nouzilly, France
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12
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Hukkanen M, Hsu B, Cossin‐Sevrin N, Crombecque M, Delaunay A, Hollmen L, Kaukonen R, Konki M, Lund R, Marciau C, Stier A, Ruuskanen S. From maternal glucocorticoid and thyroid hormones to epigenetic regulation of offspring gene expression: An experimental study in a wild bird species. Evol Appl 2023; 16:1753-1769. [PMID: 38020869 PMCID: PMC10660793 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Offspring phenotype at birth is determined by its genotype and the prenatal environment including exposure to maternal hormones. Variation in both maternal glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones can affect offspring phenotype, but the underlying molecular mechanisms, especially those contributing to long-lasting effects, remain unclear. Epigenetic changes (such as DNA methylation) have been postulated as mediators of long-lasting effects of early-life environment. In this study, we determined the effects of elevated prenatal glucocorticoid and thyroid hormones on handling stress response (breath rate) as well as DNA methylation and gene expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and thyroid hormone receptor (THR) in great tits (Parus major). Eggs were injected before incubation onset with corticosterone (the main avian glucocorticoid) and/or thyroid hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine) to simulate variation in maternal hormone deposition. Breath rate during handling and gene expression of GR and THR were evaluated 14 days after hatching. Methylation status of GR and THR genes was analyzed from the longitudinal blood cells sampled 7 and 14 days after hatching, as well as the following autumn. Elevated prenatal corticosterone level significantly increased the breath rate during handling, indicating an enhanced metabolic stress response. Prenatal corticosterone manipulation had CpG-site-specific effects on DNA methylation at the GR putative promoter region, while it did not significantly affect GR gene expression. GR expression was negatively associated with earlier hatching date and chick size. THR methylation or expression did not exhibit any significant relationship with the hormonal treatments or the examined covariates, suggesting that TH signaling may be more robust due to its crucial role in development. This study provides some support to the hypothesis suggesting that maternal corticosterone may influence offspring metabolic stress response via epigenetic alterations, yet their possible adaptive role in optimizing offspring phenotype to the prevailing conditions, context-dependency, and the underlying molecular interplay needs further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikaela Hukkanen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine FinlandUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Bin‐Yan Hsu
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | | | | | - Axelle Delaunay
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM)Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHEMontpellierFrance
| | - Lotta Hollmen
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Riina Kaukonen
- Turku Bioscience CentreUniversity of Turku and Åbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
| | - Mikko Konki
- Turku Bioscience CentreUniversity of Turku and Åbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
- Turku Doctoral Programme of Molecular MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Riikka Lund
- Turku Bioscience CentreUniversity of Turku and Åbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
| | - Coline Marciau
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Antoine Stier
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178University of Strasbourg, CNRSStrasbourgFrance
| | - Suvi Ruuskanen
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
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13
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van Oers K, van den Heuvel K, Sepers B. The Epigenetics of Animal Personality. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 150:105194. [PMID: 37094740 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Animal personality, consistent individual differences in behaviour, is an important concept for understanding how individuals vary in how they cope with environmental challenges. In order to understand the evolutionary significance of animal personality, it is crucial to understand the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation are hypothesised to play a major role in explaining variation in phenotypic changes in response to environmental alterations. Several characteristics of DNA methylation also align well with the concept of animal personality. In this review paper, we summarise the current literature on the role that molecular epigenetic mechanisms may have in explaining personality variation. We elaborate on the potential for epigenetic mechanisms to explain behavioural variation, behavioural development and temporal consistency in behaviour. We then suggest future routes for this emerging field and point to potential pitfalls that may be encountered. We conclude that a more inclusive approach is needed for studying the epigenetics of animal personality and that epigenetic mechanisms cannot be studied without considering the genetic background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Krista van den Heuvel
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Bernice Sepers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, the Netherlands
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14
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Santana TP, Gasparino E, de Souza Khatlab A, Pereira AMFE, Barbosa LT, Fernandes RPM, Lamont SJ, Del Vesco AP. Effects of maternal methionine supplementation on the response of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) chicks to heat stress. J Anim Sci 2023; 101:skad042. [PMID: 36734330 PMCID: PMC10103070 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skad042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the hypothesis that methionine supplementation of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) hens can reduce the effects of oxidative stress and improve the performance of the offspring exposed to heat stress during growth. For that, the quail hens were fed with three diets related to the methionine supplementation: methionine-deficient diet (Md); diet supplemented with the recommended methionine level (Met1); and diet supplemented with methionine above the recommended level (Met2). Their chicks were identified, weighed, and housed according to the maternal diet group from 1 to 14 d of age. On 15 d of age, chicks were weighed and divided into two groups: thermoneutral ambient (constant temperature of 23 °C) and intermittent heat stress ambient (daily exposure to 34 °C for 6 h). Methionine-supplemented (Met1 and Met2) hens had higher egg production, better feed conversion ratio, higher hatchability of total and fertile eggs, and offspring with higher body weight. Supplemented (Met1 and Met2) hens showed greater expression of glutathione synthase (GSS) and methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MSRA) genes, greater total antioxidant capacity, and lower lipid peroxidation in the liver. The offspring of hens fed the Met2 diet had lower death rate (1 to 14 d), higher weight on 15 d of age, weight gain, and better feed conversion ratio from 1 to 14 d of age. Among chicks reared under heat stress, the progeny of methionine-supplemented hens had higher weight on 35 d, weight gain, expression of GSS, MSRA, and thermal shock protein 70 (HSP70) genes, and total antioxidant capacity in the liver, as well as lower heterophil/lymphocyte ratio. Positive correlations between expression of glutathione peroxidase 7 (GPX7) and MSRA genes in hens and offspring were observed. Our results show that maternal methionine supplementation contributes to offspring development and performance in early stages and that, under conditions of heat stress during growth, chicks from methionine-supplemented hens respond better to hot environmental conditions than chicks from nonsupplemented hens. Supplementation of quail hens diets with methionine promoted activation of different metabolic pathways in offspring subjected to stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaís Pacheco Santana
- Animal Science Department, Federal University of Sergipe, 49100-000 São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
| | - Eliane Gasparino
- Animal Science Department, State University of Maringá, 87020-900 Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | | | | | - Leandro Teixeira Barbosa
- Animal Science Department, Federal University of Sergipe, 49100-000 São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
| | | | - Susan J Lamont
- Animal Science Department, Iowa State University, Iowa State University, Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Ana Paula Del Vesco
- Animal Science Department, Federal University of Sergipe, 49100-000 São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
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15
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Caspi T, Johnson JR, Lambert MR, Schell CJ, Sih A. Behavioral plasticity can facilitate evolution in urban environments. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:1092-1103. [PMID: 36058767 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity-led evolution is central to evolutionary theory. Although challenging to study in nature, this process may be particularly apparent in novel environments such as cities. We document abundant evidence of plastic behavioral changes in urban animals, including learning, contextual, developmental, and transgenerational plasticities. Using behavioral drive as a conceptual framework, our analysis of notable case studies suggests that plastic behaviors, such as altered habitat use, migration, diurnal and seasonal activity, and courtship, can have faciliatory and cascading effects on urban evolution via spatial, temporal, and mate-choice mechanisms. Our findings highlight (i) the need to incorporate behavioral plasticity more formally into urban evolutionary research and (ii) the opportunity provided by urban environments to study behavioral mechanisms of plasticity-led processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Caspi
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Jacob R Johnson
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Max R Lambert
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Science Division, Habitat Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, WA, USA
| | - Christopher J Schell
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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16
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Cordero GA, Werneburg I. Domestication and the comparative embryology of birds. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2022; 338:447-459. [PMID: 35604321 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Studies of domesticated animals have greatly contributed to our understanding of avian embryology. Foundational questions in developmental biology were motivated by Aristotle's observations of chicken embryos. By the 19th century, the chicken embryo was at the center stage of developmental biology, but how closely does this model species mirror the ample taxonomic diversity that characterizes the avian tree of life? Here, we provide a brief overview of the taxonomic breadth of comparative embryological studies in birds. We particularly focused on staging tables and papers that attempted to document the timing of developmental transformations. We show that most of the current knowledge of avian embryology is based on Galliformes (chicken and quail) and Anseriformes (duck and goose). Nonetheless, data are available for some ecologically diverse avian subclades, including Struthioniformes (e.g., ostrich, emu) and Sphenisciformes (penguins). Thus far, there has only been a handful of descriptive embryological studies in the most speciose subclade of Aves, that is, the songbirds (Passeriniformes). Furthermore, we found that temporal variances for developmental events are generally uniform across a consensus chronological sequence for birds. Based on the available data, developmental trajectories for chicken and other model species appear to be highly similar. We discuss future avenues of research in comparative avian embryology in light of the currently available wealth of data on domesticated species and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo A Cordero
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Animal Biology, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ingmar Werneburg
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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17
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Magierecka A, Aristeidou A, Papaevripidou M, Gibson JK, Sloman KA, Metcalfe NB. Timing of reproduction modifies transgenerational effects of chronic exposure to stressors in an annual vertebrate. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221462. [PMID: 36476008 PMCID: PMC9554732 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Stressful environmental conditions can shape both an individual's phenotype and that of its offspring. However, little is known about transgenerational effects of chronic (as opposed to acute) stressors, nor whether these vary across the breeding lifespan of the parent. We exposed adult female (F0 generation) three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to chronic environmental stressors and compared their reproductive allocation with that of non-exposed controls across early, middle and late clutches produced within the single breeding season of this annual population. There was a seasonal trend (but no treatment difference) in F0 reproductive allocation, with increases in egg mass and fry size in late clutches. We then tested for transgenerational effects in the non-exposed F1 and F2 generations. Exposure of F0 females to stressors resulted in phenotypic change in their offspring and grandoffspring that were produced late in their breeding lifespan: F1 offspring produced from the late-season clutches of stressor-exposed F0 females had higher early life survival, and subsequently produced heavier eggs and F2 fry that were larger at hatching. Changed maternal allocation due to a combination of seasonal factors and environmental stressors can thus have a transgenerational effect by influencing the reproductive allocation of daughters, especially those born late in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Magierecka
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Antreas Aristeidou
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Maria Papaevripidou
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - John K. Gibson
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Katherine A. Sloman
- Institute for Biomedical and Environmental Health Research, University of the West of Scotland, Lanarkshire G72 0LH, UK
| | - Neil B. Metcalfe
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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18
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Population Epigenetics: The Extent of DNA Methylation Variation in Wild Animal Populations. EPIGENOMES 2022; 6:epigenomes6040031. [PMID: 36278677 PMCID: PMC9589984 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes6040031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Population epigenetics explores the extent of epigenetic variation and its dynamics in natural populations encountering changing environmental conditions. In contrast to population genetics, the basic concepts of this field are still in their early stages, especially in animal populations. Epigenetic variation may play a crucial role in phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation as it can be affected by the environment, it is likely to have higher spontaneous mutation rate than nucleotide sequences do, and it may be inherited via non-mendelian processes. In this review, we aim to bring together natural animal population epigenetic studies to generate new insights into ecological epigenetics and its evolutionary implications. We first provide an overview of the extent of DNA methylation variation and its autonomy from genetic variation in wild animal population. Second, we discuss DNA methylation dynamics which create observed epigenetic population structures by including basic population genetics processes. Then, we highlight the relevance of DNA methylation variation as an evolutionary mechanism in the extended evolutionary synthesis. Finally, we suggest new research directions by highlighting gaps in the knowledge of the population epigenetics field. As for our results, DNA methylation diversity was found to reveal parameters that can be used to characterize natural animal populations. Some concepts of population genetics dynamics can be applied to explain the observed epigenetic structure in natural animal populations. The set of recent advancements in ecological epigenetics, especially in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in wild animal population, might reshape the way ecologists generate predictive models of the capacity of organisms to adapt to changing environments.
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19
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Camacho C, Sáez-Gómez P, Hidalgo-Rodríguez P, Rabadán-González J, Molina C, Negro JJ. Leucistic plumage as a result of progressive greying in a cryptic nocturnal bird. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3411. [PMID: 35233024 PMCID: PMC8888543 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07360-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Leucism, broadly defined as the lack of melanin pigmentation, occurs in many animal species. Most studies on leucism and other colour aberrations are based on opportunistic observations or small cross-sectional samples, thus limiting our ability to produce reliable results and test theoretical predictions. This study combines cross-sectional and longitudinal data collected in 2016-2020 from a population of red-necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis). The goals of the study are (i) to investigate sex and age effects on partial leucism, (ii) to separate within-subject effects (progressive greying) from between-subject effects (selective disappearance), and (iii) to examine differences in body mass, structural size, and life span between leucistic and non-leucistic individuals. The probability of leucism in nightjars increased from juveniles to adults at similar rates in males and females. Our longitudinal analysis and life-span comparisons indicated a minor contribution of selective disappearance to age-related changes in leucism, but rather suggested that the loss of melanin from feathers can be attributed to progressive greying in ageing adults. Body mass and size were consistently smaller (5% and 1.5%, respectively) in leucistic than in non-leucistic nightjars, although the reason for this difference remains unclear. Our study sheds light on the sources and mechanisms of variation in leucism in natural populations and its relationship with important life-history traits, such as life span.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Camacho
- Department of Biological Conservation and Ecosystem Restoration, Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología - CSIC, Av. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria 16, 22700, Jaca, Huesca, Spain. .,Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research (CAnMove), Lund University, Ecology Building, S lvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Pedro Sáez-Gómez
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio "Ramon Margalef", Universidad de Alicante, 03080, Alicante, Spain
| | - Paula Hidalgo-Rodríguez
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, University Pablo de Olavide, Carretera Utrera km.1, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | | | - Carlos Molina
- Sociedad Española de Ornitología, Centro Ornitológico Francisco Bernis, Paseo Marismeño s.n., 21750, Huelva, Spain
| | - Juan José Negro
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Av. Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092, Seville, Spain.
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20
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Robaire B, Delbes G, Head JA, Marlatt VL, Martyniuk CJ, Reynaud S, Trudeau VL, Mennigen JA. A cross-species comparative approach to assessing multi- and transgenerational effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112063. [PMID: 34562476 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A wide range of chemicals have been identified as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in vertebrate species. Most studies of EDCs have focused on exposure of both male and female adults to these chemicals; however, there is clear evidence that EDCs have dramatic effects when mature or developing gametes are exposed, and consequently are associated with in multigenerational and transgenerational effects. Several publications have reviewed such actions of EDCs in subgroups of species, e.g., fish or rodents. In this review, we take a holistic approach synthesizing knowledge of the effects of EDCs across vertebrate species, including fish, anurans, birds, and mammals, and discuss the potential mechanism(s) mediating such multi- and transgenerational effects. We also propose a series of recommendations aimed at moving the field forward in a structured and coherent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Robaire
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Geraldine Delbes
- Centre Armand Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de La Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Jessica A Head
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Vicki L Marlatt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Stéphane Reynaud
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, Université. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, 38000, France
| | - Vance L Trudeau
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jan A Mennigen
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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21
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Palinauskas V, Mateos-Hernandez L, Wu-Chuang A, de la Fuente J, Aželytė J, Obregon D, Cabezas-Cruz A. Exploring the Ecological Implications of Microbiota Diversity in Birds: Natural Barriers Against Avian Malaria. Front Immunol 2022; 13:807682. [PMID: 35250978 PMCID: PMC8891477 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.807682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural antibodies (Abs), produced in response to bacterial gut microbiota, drive resistance to infection in vertebrates. In natural systems, gut microbiota diversity is expected to shape the spectrum of natural Abs and resistance to parasites. This hypothesis has not been empirically tested. In this 'Hypothesis and Theory' paper, we propose that enteric microbiota diversity shapes the immune response to the carbohydrate α-Gal and resistance to avian malaria. We further propose that anti-α-Gal Abs are transmitted from mother to eggs for early malaria protection in chicks. Microbiota modulation by anti-α-Gal Abs is also proposed as a mechanism favoring the early colonization of bacterial taxa with α1,3-galactosyltransferase (α1,3GT) activity in the bird gut. Our preliminary data shows that bacterial α1,3GT genes are widely distributed in the gut microbiome of wild and domestic birds. We also showed that experimental infection with the avian malaria parasite P. relictum induces anti-α-Gal Abs in bird sera. The bird-malaria-microbiota system allows combining field studies with infection and transmission experiments in laboratory animals to test the association between microbiota composition, anti-α-Gal Abs, and malaria infection in natural populations of wild birds. Understanding how the gut microbiome influences resistance to malaria can bring insights on how these mechanisms influence the prevalence of malaria parasites in juvenile birds and shape the host population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Alejandra Wu-Chuang
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - José de la Fuente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Justė Aželytė
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Dasiel Obregon
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
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22
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Andrieux C, Petit A, Collin A, Houssier M, Métayer-Coustard S, Panserat S, Pitel F, Coustham V. Early Phenotype Programming in Birds by Temperature and Nutrition: A Mini-Review. FRONTIERS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2021.755842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Early development is a critical period during which environmental influences can have a significant impact on the health, welfare, robustness and performance of livestock. In oviparous vertebrates, such as birds, embryonic development takes place entirely in the egg. This allows the effects of environmental cues to be studied directly on the developing embryo. Interestingly, beneficial effects have been identified in several studies, leading to innovative procedures to improve the phenotype of the animals in the long term. In this review, we discuss the effects of early temperature and dietary programming strategies that both show promising results, as well as their potential transgenerational effects. The timing, duration and intensity of these procedures are critical to ensure that they produce beneficial effects without affecting animal survival or final product quality. For example, cyclic increases in egg incubation temperature have been shown to improve temperature tolerance and promote muscular growth in chickens or fatty liver production in mule ducks. In ovo feeding has also been successfully used to enhance digestive tract maturation, optimize chick development and growth, and thus obtain higher quality chicks. In addition, changes in the nutritional availability of methyl donors, for example, was shown to influence offspring phenotype. The molecular mechanisms behind early phenotype programming are still under investigation and are probably epigenetic in nature as shown by recent work in chickens.
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23
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Dunislawska A, Slawinska A, Siwek M, Bednarczyk M. Epigenetic changes in poultry due to reprogramming of the gut microbiota. Anim Front 2021; 11:74-82. [PMID: 34934532 PMCID: PMC8683152 DOI: 10.1093/af/vfab063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Dunislawska
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Anna Slawinska
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Maria Siwek
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Marek Bednarczyk
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland
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24
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Dunislawska A, Pietrzak E, Wishna Kadawarage R, Beldowska A, Siwek M. Pre-hatching and post-hatching environmental factors related to epigenetic mechanisms in poultry. J Anim Sci 2021; 100:6473202. [PMID: 34932113 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skab370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications are phenotypic changes unrelated to the modification of the DNA sequence. These modifications are essential for regulating cellular differentiation and organism development. In this case, epigenetics controls how the animal's genetic potential is used. The main epigenetic mechanisms are microRNA activity, DNA methylation and histone modification. The literature has repeatedly shown that environmental modulation has a significant influence on the regulation of epigenetic mechanisms in poultry. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the current state of the knowledge in poultry epigenetics in terms of issues relevant to overall poultry production and the improvement of the health status in chickens and other poultry species. One of the main differences between birds and mammals is the stage of embryonic development. The bird's embryo develops outside its mother, so an optimal environment of egg incubation before hatching is crucial for development. It is also the moment when many factors influence the activation of epigenetic mechanisms, i.e., incubation temperature, humidity, light, as well as in ovo treatments. Epigenome of the adult birds, might be modulated by: nutrition, supplementation and treatment, as well as modification of the intestinal microbiota. In addition, the activation of epigenetic mechanisms is influenced by pathogens (i.e., pathogenic bacteria, toxins, viruses and fungi) as well as, the maintenance conditions. Farm animal epigenetics is still a big challenge for scientists. This is a research area with many open questions. Modern methods of epigenetic analysis can serve both in the analysis of biological mechanisms and in the research and applied to production system, poultry health and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Dunislawska
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Mazowiecka , Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - E Pietrzak
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Mazowiecka , Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - R Wishna Kadawarage
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Mazowiecka , Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - A Beldowska
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Mazowiecka , Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - M Siwek
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Mazowiecka , Bydgoszcz, Poland
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25
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Kraft FLH, Crino OL, Buchanan KL. Developmental conditions have intergenerational effects on corticosterone levels in a passerine. Horm Behav 2021; 134:105023. [PMID: 34224992 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The developmental environment can have powerful, canalizing effects that last throughout an animal's life and even across generations. Intergenerational effects of early-life conditions may affect offspring phenotype through changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). However, such effects remain largely untested in altricial birds. Here, we tested the impact of maternal and paternal developmental conditions on offspring physiology and morphology in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Specifically, we exposed one generation (F1) to elevated corticosterone (CORT) during development and quantified the impact on offspring (F2) phenotype. We predicted that intergenerational effects would be apparent through effects of parental developmental treatment on offspring body mass, growth, body condition, body composition, and CORT levels. We found an intergenerational impact on CORT levels, such that F2 birds reared by CORT-treated fathers had higher baseline CORT than F2 birds reared by control fathers. This result shows the potential for intergenerational effects on endocrine function, resulting from developmental conditions. We found no effect of parental treatment on F2 body mass, size, or body condition, but we found that the body mass and tarsus length for offspring and parent were correlated. Our study demonstrates the subtle effects of developmental conditions across generations and highlights the importance of distinguishing between maternal and paternal effects when studying intergenerational effects, especially for species with biparental care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ondi L Crino
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Katherine L Buchanan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 3228 Victoria, Australia
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26
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Dishon L, Avital-Cohen N, Zaguri S, Bartman J, Heiblum R, Druyan S, Porter TE, Gumułka M, Rozenboim I. The effect of selected in ovo green light photostimulation periods on post-hatch broiler growth and somatotropic axis activity. Poult Sci 2021; 100:101229. [PMID: 34161851 PMCID: PMC8239476 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted in ovo green light (GL) photostimulation during the last days of broiler egg incubation increases embryonic expression of the somatotropic axis, similar to in ovo green light photostimulation from embryonic day (ED) 0 to the end of incubation. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of selected in ovo GL photostimulation periods on post-hatch broiler growth. Four hundred twenty fertile broiler eggs were divided into 7 treatment groups: the first incubated in the dark (standard conditions) as a negative control; the second incubated under monochromatic GL from ED0-ED20 (positive control); the third group incubated under monochromatic GL light from ED15-ED20; the fourth, fifth and sixth groups were incubated under monochromatic GL on ED16, ED17, and ED18, respectively; and the seventh group was incubated under monochromatic GL from ED18-ED20. All illumination was provided intermittently using LED lamps. After hatch, all chicks were transferred to a controlled room under standard rearing conditions. The group incubated under green light from ED18 until hatch showed similar results to the positive control group in body weights, as well as breast muscle weights (as % of body weights), and an elevation in the somatotropic axis activity during the experiment. We suggest that broiler embryos can be exposed to in ovo GL photostimulation from ED18 until hatch (hatching period), and still exhibit the same performance as obtained by photostimulation from d 0 of incubation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Dishon
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
| | - N Avital-Cohen
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - S Zaguri
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - J Bartman
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - R Heiblum
- Institute of Animal Science, ARO, The Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - S Druyan
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - T E Porter
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Anatomy and Genomics, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Kraków, Poland
| | - M Gumułka
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - I Rozenboim
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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27
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De Haas EN, Newberry RC, Edgar J, Riber AB, Estevez I, Ferrante V, Hernandez CE, Kjaer JB, Ozkan S, Dimitrov I, Rodenburg TB, Janczak AM. Prenatal and Early Postnatal Behavioural Programming in Laying Hens, With Possible Implications for the Development of Injurious Pecking. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:678500. [PMID: 34336975 PMCID: PMC8323009 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.678500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Injurious pecking (IP) represents a serious concern for the welfare of laying hens (Gallus gallus domesticus). The risk of IP among hens with intact beaks in cage-free housing prompts a need for solutions based on an understanding of underlying mechanisms. In this review, we explore how behavioural programming via prenatal and early postnatal environmental conditions could influence the development of IP in laying hens. The possible roles of early life adversity and mismatch between early life programming and subsequent environmental conditions are considered. We review the role of maternal stress, egg conditions, incubation settings (temperature, light, sound, odour) and chick brooding conditions on behavioural programming that could be linked to IP. Brain and behavioural development can be programmed by prenatal and postnatal environmental conditions, which if suboptimal could lead to a tendency to develop IP later in life, as we illustrate with a Jenga tower that could fall over if not built solidly. If so, steps taken to optimise the environmental conditions of previous generations and incubation conditions, reduce stress around hatching, and guide the early learning of chicks will aid in prevention of IP in commercial laying hen flocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elske N De Haas
- Division of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Melle, Belgium
| | - Ruth C Newberry
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Joanne Edgar
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, United Kingdom
| | - Anja B Riber
- Aarhus University, Department of Animal Science, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Inma Estevez
- Department of Animal Production, Neiker, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Valentina Ferrante
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Carlos E Hernandez
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Joergen B Kjaer
- Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Celle, Germany
| | - Sezen Ozkan
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ivan Dimitrov
- Agricultural Institute - Stara Zagora, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
| | - T Bas Rodenburg
- Division of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Andrew M Janczak
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
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28
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Bednarczyk M, Dunislawska A, Stadnicka K, Grochowska E. Chicken embryo as a model in epigenetic research. Poult Sci 2021; 100:101164. [PMID: 34058565 PMCID: PMC8170499 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics is defined as the study of changes in gene function that are mitotically or meiotically heritable and do not lead to a change in DNA sequence. Epigenetic modifications are important mechanisms that fine tune the expression of genes in response to extracellular signals and environmental changes. In vertebrates, crucial epigenetic reprogramming events occur during early embryogenesis and germ cell development. Chicken embryo, which develops external to the mother's body, can be easily manipulated in vivo and in vitro, and hence, it is an excellent model for performing epigenetic studies. Environmental factors such as temperature can affect the development of an embryo into the phenotype of an adult. A better understanding of the environmental impact on embryo development can be achieved by analyzing the direct effects of epigenetic modifications as well as their molecular background and their intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance. In this overview, the current possibility of epigenetic changes during chicken embryonic development and their effects on long-term postembryonic development are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Bednarczyk
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, UTP University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
| | - Aleksandra Dunislawska
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, UTP University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Stadnicka
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, UTP University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Ewa Grochowska
- Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, UTP University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland
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29
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Karlsson O, Svanholm S, Eriksson A, Chidiac J, Eriksson J, Jernerén F, Berg C. Pesticide-induced multigenerational effects on amphibian reproduction and metabolism. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 775:145771. [PMID: 33621874 PMCID: PMC7615066 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Underlying drivers of species extinctions need to be better understood for effective conservation of biodiversity. Nearly half of all amphibian species are at risk of extinction, and pollution may be a significant threat as seasonal high-level agrochemical use overlaps with critical windows of larval development. The potential of environmental chemicals to reduce the fitness of future generations may have profound ecological and evolutionary implications. This study characterized effects of male developmental exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of the anti-androgenic pesticide linuron over two generations of offspring in Xenopus tropicalis frogs. The adult male offspring of pesticide-exposed fathers (F1) showed reduced body size, decreased fertility, and signs of endocrine system disruption. Impacts were further propagated to the grand-offspring (F2), providing evidence of transgenerational effects in amphibians. The adult F2 males demonstrated increased weight and fat body palmitoleic-to-palmitic acid ratio, and decreased plasma glucose levels. The study provides important cross-species evidence of paternal epigenetic inheritance and pollutant-induced transgenerational toxicity, supporting a causal and complex role of environmental contamination in the ongoing species extinctions, particularly of amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Karlsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm 114 18, Sweden.
| | - Sofie Svanholm
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andreas Eriksson
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Joseph Chidiac
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 591, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johanna Eriksson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 591, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Jernerén
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 591, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Berg
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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30
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miRNA Profiling in the Chicken Liver under the Influence of Early Microbiota Stimulation with Probiotic, Prebiotic, and Synbiotic. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12050685. [PMID: 34062867 PMCID: PMC8147272 DOI: 10.3390/genes12050685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is a form of interaction of the external environment on reading and transcription of genetic information encoded in nucleic acids. We provided evidence that early stimulation of the chicken microbiota with in ovo delivered synbiotics influenced gene expression and DNA methylation in the liver. Therefore, we hypothesize that the stimulation of microbiota by administering bioactive substances in ovo also affects the activity of miRNA in liver. For the analysis of miRNA activity, RNA was isolated from liver of adult broiler chicken and native chicken breed. The animals received a prebiotic, probiotic and synbiotic in ovo on day 12 of egg incubation. The analysis of miRNA expression was performed using the LNA method on a miRNA panel selected on the basis of previous microarray experiments. We have found increased miRNA expression activity after probiotic and synbiotic administration, especially in native chicken breed. Our results suggest that prebiotics reduce or do not affect miRNA activity. We have also shown that miRNA activity is regulated by the substance and genotype of the chicken. We can conclude that miRNAs constitute an important component of the molecular mechanism of host–probiotic interaction in liver.
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31
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Bautista NM, do Amaral-Silva L, Dzialowski E, Burggren WW. Dietary Exposure to Low Levels of Crude Oil Affects Physiological and Morphological Phenotype in Adults and Their Eggs and Hatchlings of the King Quail ( Coturnix chinensis). Front Physiol 2021; 12:661943. [PMID: 33897469 PMCID: PMC8063051 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.661943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the current knowledge of the devastating effects of external exposure to crude oil on animal mortality, the study of developmental, transgenerational effects of such exposure has received little attention. We used the king quail as an animal model to determine if chronic dietary exposure to crude oil in a parental population would affect morpho-physiological phenotypic variables in their immediate offspring generation. Adult quail were separated into three groups: (1) Control, and two experimental groups dietarily exposed for at least 3 weeks to (2) Low (800 PAH ng/g food), or (3) High (2,400 PAH ng/g food) levels of crude oil. To determine the parental influence on their offspring, we measured metabolic and respiratory physiology in exposed parents and in their non-exposed eggs and hatchlings. Body mass and numerous metabolic (e.g., O2 consumption, CO2 production) and respiratory (e.g., ventilation frequency and volume) variables did not vary between control and oil exposed parental groups. In contrast, blood PO2, PCO2, and SO2 varied among parental groups. Notably, water loss though the eggshell was increased in eggs from High oil level exposed parents. Respiratory variables of hatchlings did not vary between populations, but hatchlings obtained from High oil-exposed parents exhibited lower capacities to maintain body temperature while exposed to a cooling protocol in comparison to hatchlings from Low- and Control-derived parents. The present study demonstrates that parental exposure to crude oil via diet impacts some aspects of physiological performance of the subsequent first (F1) generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naim M Bautista
- Zoophysiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Developmental Integrative Biology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, United States
| | - Lara do Amaral-Silva
- Developmental Integrative Biology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, United States.,Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, College of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Edward Dzialowski
- Developmental Integrative Biology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, United States
| | - Warren W Burggren
- Developmental Integrative Biology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, United States
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32
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Sepers B, Erven JAM, Gawehns F, Laine VN, van Oers K. Epigenetics and Early Life Stress: Experimental Brood Size Affects DNA Methylation in Great Tits (Parus major). Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.609061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Early developmental conditions are known to have life-long effects on an individual’s behavior, physiology and fitness. In altricial birds, a majority of these conditions, such as the number of siblings and the amount of food provisioned, are controlled by the parents. This opens up the potential for parents to adjust the behavior and physiology of their offspring according to local post-natal circumstances. However, the mechanisms underlying such intergenerational regulation remain largely unknown. A mechanism often proposed to possibly explain how parental effects mediate consistent phenotypic change is DNA methylation. To investigate whether early life effects on offspring phenotypes are mediated by DNA methylation, we cross-fostered great tit (Parus major) nestlings and manipulated their brood size in a natural study population. We assessed genome-wide DNA methylation levels of CpG sites in erythrocyte DNA, using Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS). By comparing DNA methylation levels between biological siblings raised in enlarged and reduced broods and between biological siblings of control broods, we assessed which CpG sites were differentially methylated due to brood size. We found 32 differentially methylated sites (DMS) between siblings from enlarged and reduced broods, a larger number than in the comparison between siblings from control broods. A considerable number of these DMS were located in or near genes involved in development, growth, metabolism, behavior and cognition. Since the biological functions of these genes line up with previously found effects of brood size and food availability, it is likely that the nestlings in the enlarged broods suffered from nutritional stress. We therefore conclude that early life stress might directly affect epigenetic regulation of genes related to early life conditions. Future studies should link such experimentally induced DNA methylation changes to expression of phenotypic traits and assess whether these effects affect parental fitness to determine if such changes are also adaptive.
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33
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van Oers K, Sepers B, Sies W, Gawehns F, Verhoeven KJF, Laine VN. Epigenetics of Animal Personality: DNA Methylation Cannot Explain the Heritability of Exploratory Behavior in a Songbird. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:1517-1530. [PMID: 33031487 PMCID: PMC7742756 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The search for the hereditary mechanisms underlying quantitative traits traditionally focused on the identification of underlying genomic polymorphisms such as single-nucleotide polymorphisms. It has now become clear that epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, can consistently alter gene expression over multiple generations. It is unclear, however, if and how DNA methylation can stably be transferred from one generation to the next and can thereby be a component of the heritable variation of a trait. In this study, we explore whether DNA methylation responds to phenotypic selection using whole-genome and genome-wide bisulfite approaches. We assessed differential erythrocyte DNA methylation patterns between extreme personality types in the Great Tit (Parus major). For this, we used individuals from a four-generation artificial bi-directional selection experiment and siblings from eight F2 inter-cross families. We find no differentially methylated sites when comparing the selected personality lines, providing no evidence for the so-called epialleles associated with exploratory behavior. Using a pair-wise sibling design in the F2 intercrosses, we show that the genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of individuals are mainly explained by family structure, indicating that the majority of variation in DNA methylation in CpG sites between individuals can be explained by genetic differences. Although we found some candidates explaining behavioral differences between F2 siblings, we could not confirm this with a whole-genome approach, thereby confirming the absence of epialleles in these F2 intercrosses. We conclude that while epigenetic variation may underlie phenotypic variation in behavioral traits, we were not able to find evidence that DNA methylation can explain heritable variation in personality traits in Great Tits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen, 6708 PB, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, the Netherlands
| | - Bernice Sepers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen, 6708 PB, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, the Netherlands
| | - William Sies
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen, 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Fleur Gawehns
- Bioinformatics Unit, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen, 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Koen J F Verhoeven
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen, 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Veronika N Laine
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, Wageningen, 6708 PB, The Netherlands
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34
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Monaco AP. An epigenetic, transgenerational model of increased mental health disorders in children, adolescents and young adults. Eur J Hum Genet 2020; 29:387-395. [PMID: 32948849 PMCID: PMC7940651 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-020-00726-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Prevalence rates of mental health disorders in children and adolescents have increased two to threefold from the 1990s to 2016. Some increase in prevalence may stem from changing environmental conditions in the current generation which interact with genes and inherited genetic variants. Current measured genetic variant effects do not explain fully the familial clustering and high heritability estimates in the population. Another model considers environmental conditions shifting in the previous generation, which altered brain circuits epigenetically and were transmitted to offspring via non-DNA-based mechanisms (intergenerational and transgenerational effects). Parental substance use, poor diet and obesity are environmental factors with known epigenetic intergenerational and transgenerational effects, that regulate set points in brain pathways integrating sensory-motor, reward and feeding behaviors. Using summary statistics for eleven neuropsychiatric and three metabolic disorders from 128,989 families, an epigenetic effect explains more of the estimated heritability when a portion of parental environmental effects are transmitted to offspring alongside additive genetic variance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony P Monaco
- Office of the President, Ballou Hall, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
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35
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Pei Y, Forstmeier W, Kempenaers B. Offspring performance is well buffered against stress experienced by ancestors. Evolution 2020; 74:1525-1539. [PMID: 32463119 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Evolution should render individuals resistant to stress and particularly to stress experienced by ancestors. However, many studies report negative effects of stress experienced by one generation on the performance of subsequent generations. To assess the strength of such transgenerational effects we propose a strategy aimed at overcoming the problem of type I errors when testing multiple proxies of stress in multiple ancestors against multiple offspring performance traits, and we apply it to a large observational dataset on captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). We combine clear one-tailed hypotheses with steps of validation, meta-analytic summary of mean effect sizes, and independent confirmatory testing. We find that drastic differences in early growth conditions (nestling body mass 8 days after hatching varied sevenfold between 1.7 and 12.4 g) had only moderate direct effects on adult morphology (95% confidence interval [CI]: r = 0.19-0.27) and small direct effects on adult fitness traits (r = 0.02-0.12). In contrast, we found no indirect effects of parental or grandparental condition (r = -0.017 to 0.002; meta-analytic summary of 138 effect sizes), and mixed evidence for small benefits of matching environments between parents and offspring, as the latter was not robust to confirmatory testing in independent datasets. This study shows that evolution has led to a remarkable robustness of zebra finches against undernourishment. Our study suggests that transgenerational effects are absent in this species, because CIs exclude all biologically relevant effect sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Pei
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany
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Auboeuf D. Physicochemical Foundations of Life that Direct Evolution: Chance and Natural Selection are not Evolutionary Driving Forces. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10020007. [PMID: 31973071 PMCID: PMC7175370 DOI: 10.3390/life10020007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The current framework of evolutionary theory postulates that evolution relies on random mutations generating a diversity of phenotypes on which natural selection acts. This framework was established using a top-down approach as it originated from Darwinism, which is based on observations made of complex multicellular organisms and, then, modified to fit a DNA-centric view. In this article, it is argued that based on a bottom-up approach starting from the physicochemical properties of nucleic and amino acid polymers, we should reject the facts that (i) natural selection plays a dominant role in evolution and (ii) the probability of mutations is independent of the generated phenotype. It is shown that the adaptation of a phenotype to an environment does not correspond to organism fitness, but rather corresponds to maintaining the genome stability and integrity. In a stable environment, the phenotype maintains the stability of its originating genome and both (genome and phenotype) are reproduced identically. In an unstable environment (i.e., corresponding to variations in physicochemical parameters above a physiological range), the phenotype no longer maintains the stability of its originating genome, but instead influences its variations. Indeed, environment- and cellular-dependent physicochemical parameters define the probability of mutations in terms of frequency, nature, and location in a genome. Evolution is non-deterministic because it relies on probabilistic physicochemical rules, and evolution is driven by a bidirectional interplay between genome and phenotype in which the phenotype ensures the stability of its originating genome in a cellular and environmental physicochemical parameter-depending manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Didier Auboeuf
- Laboratory of Biology and Modelling of the Cell, Univ Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, INSERM U1210, 46 Allée d'Italie, Site Jacques Monod, F-69007, Lyon, France
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Sadler-Riggleman I, Klukovich R, Nilsson E, Beck D, Xie Y, Yan W, Skinner MK. Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of testis pathology and Sertoli cell epimutations: generational origins of male infertility. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2019; 5:dvz013. [PMID: 31528361 PMCID: PMC6736068 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvz013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Male reproductive health has been in decline for decades with dropping sperm counts and increasing infertility, which has created a significant societal and economic burden. Between the 1970s and now, a general decline of over 50% in sperm concentration has been observed in the population. Environmental toxicant-induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance has been shown to affect testis pathology and sperm count. Sertoli cells have an essential role in spermatogenesis by providing physical and nutritional support for developing germ cells. The current study was designed to further investigate the transgenerational epigenetic changes in the rat Sertoli cell epigenome and transcriptome that are associated with the onset of testis disease. Gestating female F0 generation rats were transiently exposed during the period of fetal gonadal sex determination to the environmental toxicants, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) or vinclozolin. The F1 generation offspring were bred (i.e. intercross within the lineage) to produce the F2 generation grand-offspring that were then bred to produce the transgenerational F3 generation (i.e. great-grand-offspring) with no sibling or cousin breeding used. The focus of the current study was to investigate the transgenerational testis disease etiology, so F3 generation rats were utilized. The DNA and RNA were obtained from purified Sertoli cells isolated from postnatal 20-day-old male testis of F3 generation rats. Transgenerational alterations in DNA methylation, noncoding RNA, and gene expression were observed in the Sertoli cells from vinclozolin and DDT lineages when compared to the control (vehicle exposed) lineage. Genes associated with abnormal Sertoli cell function and testis pathology were identified, and the transgenerational impacts of vinclozolin and DDT were determined. Alterations in critical gene pathways, such as the pyruvate metabolism pathway, were identified. Observations suggest that ancestral exposures to environmental toxicants promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of Sertoli cell epigenetic and transcriptome alterations that associate with testis abnormalities. These epigenetic alterations appear to be critical factors in the developmental and generational origins of testis pathologies and male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Sadler-Riggleman
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Rachel Klukovich
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Eric Nilsson
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Daniel Beck
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Yeming Xie
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Wei Yan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Michael K Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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Andrade MC. Sexual selection and social context: Web-building spiders as emerging models for adaptive plasticity. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Paiva JT, De Resende MDV, Resende RT, Oliveira HR, Silva HT, Caetano GC, Calderano AA, Lopes PS, Viana JMS, Silva FF. A note on transgenerational epigenetics affecting egg quality traits in meat-type quail. Br Poult Sci 2018; 59:624-628. [PMID: 30141691 DOI: 10.1080/00071668.2018.1514582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
1. The aim of the following experiment was to estimate transgenerational epigenetic variance for egg quality traits using genealogical and phenotypic information in meat-type quail. Measured traits included egg length (EL) and width (EWD), albumen weight (AW), shell weight (SW), yolk weight (YW) and egg weight (EW). 2. A total of 391 birds were evaluated for egg quality by collecting a sample of one egg per bird, during three consecutive days, starting on the 14th d of production. Analyses were performed using mixed models including the random epigenetic effect. Variance components were estimated by the restricted maximum likelihood method. A grid-search for values for the auto-recursive parameter (λ) was used in the variance components estimation. This parameter is directly related to the reset (v) and epigenetic transmissibility (1 - v) coefficients. 3. The epigenetic effect was not significant for any of the egg quality traits evaluated. Direct heritability estimates for egg quality traits ranged in magnitude from 0.06 to 0.33, whereby the higher estimates were found for AW and SW. Epigenetic heritability estimates were low and close to zero (ranging from 0.00 to 0.07) for all evaluated traits. 4. The current breeding strategies accounting for additive genetic effect seem to be suitable for egg quality traits in meat-type quail.
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Affiliation(s)
- J T Paiva
- a Department of Animal Science , Universidade Federal de Viçosa , Viçosa , Brazil
| | - M D V De Resende
- b Department of Forestry , Universidade Federal de Viçosa , Viçosa , Brazil.,c EMBRAPA Forestry Research , Colombo , Brazil
| | - R T Resende
- b Department of Forestry , Universidade Federal de Viçosa , Viçosa , Brazil
| | - H R Oliveira
- a Department of Animal Science , Universidade Federal de Viçosa , Viçosa , Brazil
| | - H T Silva
- a Department of Animal Science , Universidade Federal de Viçosa , Viçosa , Brazil
| | - G C Caetano
- a Department of Animal Science , Universidade Federal de Viçosa , Viçosa , Brazil
| | - A A Calderano
- a Department of Animal Science , Universidade Federal de Viçosa , Viçosa , Brazil
| | - P S Lopes
- a Department of Animal Science , Universidade Federal de Viçosa , Viçosa , Brazil
| | - J M S Viana
- d Department of General Biology , Universidade Federal de Viçosa , Viçosa , Brazil
| | - F F Silva
- a Department of Animal Science , Universidade Federal de Viçosa , Viçosa , Brazil
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