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Froebel LE, Calik A, Emami NK, Blue CEC, Dalloul RA. Evaluating performance, intestinal lesions, and immunity related genes in heritage and modern broiler breeds during a necrotic enteritis challenge. Poult Sci 2024; 103:104339. [PMID: 39366291 PMCID: PMC11489053 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.104339] [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: 07/30/2024] [Revised: 09/13/2024] [Accepted: 09/14/2024] [Indexed: 10/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In this comparative study, the differential responses of heritage (ACRB; Athens Canadian Random Bred) and modern (Cobb) broilers to a necrotic enteritis (NE) challenge were evaluated. The design was a 2×2 factorial with breed (ACRB and Cobb) and challenge (non-challenged and NE-challenged) as main factors. On day (d) of hatch, 96 male chicks (48 ACRB and 48 Cobb) were allocated to 4 experimental groups with 8 replicate cages and 3 birds/cage. On d 14, birds in the NE-challenged groups were orally gavaged with 3,000 Eimeria maxima sporulated oocysts followed by 2 doses of ∼1×108 CFU of Clostridium perfringens on d 19 and 20. On d 21, 2 birds/cage were necropsied to score NE lesions, and spleen and cecal tonsils (CT) samples were collected from 1 bird/cage for assessing mRNA abundance. Challenged ACRB birds exhibited reduced growth performance and relative growth performance compared to challenged Cobb birds. There was no significant interaction between breed and challenge during the challenge period (d 14-21) for mortality. However, there was a challenge main effect (P ≤ 0.05) on mortality as manifested by greater NE-associated mortality compared to non-challenged birds. No significant breed × challenge interaction or breed main effect on lesion scores were observed in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. NE-challenged Cobb birds exhibited greater mRNA abundance of IL-18, TNFα, TLR1.2, TLR2.1, CCR5, CCR6, CCL20, and AvBD1 in CT compared to NE challenged ACRB birds. There was a significant breed × challenge interaction effect on mRNA abundance of IL-10, AvBD13, NK-Lysin, and LEAP2 in the spleen. Moreover, a main effect of breed was observed in IL-1β, IL-18, TNFα, TLR2.1, CCR5, CCL20, and NK-Lysin where ACRB birds had higher mRNA abundance than Cobb birds (P ≤ 0.05). The observed differences in performance, pathology, and mRNA abundance between ACRB and Cobb broilers during the NE challenge highlight the distinct immune response profiles of heritage and modern breeds, emphasizing the need for breed-specific nutritional, managerial, and genetic selection programs for modulating immune responses during enteric disease challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laney E Froebel
- Avian Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Ali Calik
- Avian Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; Department of Animal Nutrition & Nutritional Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, 06110, Türkiye
| | - Nima K Emami
- Avian Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Candice E C Blue
- Avian Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Rami A Dalloul
- Avian Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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Aylward BA, Johnson CN, Perry F, Whelan R, Arsenault RJ. Modern broiler chickens exhibit a differential gastrointestinal immune and metabolic response to repeated CpG injection relative to a 1950s heritage broiler breed. Front Physiol 2024; 15:1473202. [PMID: 39552722 PMCID: PMC11565619 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1473202] [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: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 10/14/2024] [Indexed: 11/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The Athens Canadian Random Bred (ACRB) heritage broiler breed, which has not been selectively bred since the 1950s, is a point of comparison to the modern-day broiler and could highlight potential genetic-derived differences in immune responses. To observe the modern and heritage birds' immune responses in action, the innate immune ligand CpG oligonucleotides were administered at multiple time points through the birds' lives from the day after hatch to day 35 post-hatch. This study allowed for the observation of changes in metabolic and immune signaling in response to repeated injections of a known Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligand, CpG. Jejunum and cecal tonsil samples at multiple time points during grow out were collected and used for kinome array analysis to measure kinase activity in immunometabolic signaling pathways in the gut tissue. In addition cytokine gene expression was measured in these tissues. The modern birds' response to the treatment was more innate and showed evidence of metabolic energy shift. The heritage birds' response to the treatment was adaptive, with metabolic changes indicative of a well-regulated response. Overall, the results from this study suggest that modern broiler chickens do not adequately balance resources between growth and immune responses during an immune challenge, and this deficit is most evident around the 2-week post-hatch time point. This is a critical time for these birds, as their muscle deposition continues to accelerate, and they are vulnerable to disease challenges. Ideally, future work can clarify the reason for this response discrepancy in the modern broiler and therapeutic interventions to rescue this phenotype could be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget A. Aylward
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Casey N. Johnson
- Food and Feed Safety Research Unit, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Famatta Perry
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Rose Whelan
- Evonik Operations GmbH, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan J. Arsenault
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
- Food and Feed Safety Research Unit, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, College Station, TX, United States
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Stege PB, Schokker D, Harders F, Kar SK, Stockhofe N, Perricone V, Rebel JMJ, de Jong IC, Bossers A. Diet-induced changes in the jejunal microbiota of developing broilers reduce the abundance of Enterococcus hirae and Enterococcus faecium. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:627. [PMID: 38910254 PMCID: PMC11193906 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10496-8] [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: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Modern broiler breeds allow for high feed efficiency and rapid growth, which come at a cost of increased susceptibility to pathogens and disease. Broiler growth rate, feed efficiency, and health are affected by the composition of the gut microbiota, which in turn is influenced by diet. In this study, we therefore assessed how diet composition can affect the broiler jejunal gut microbiota. A total of 96 broiler chickens were divided into four diet groups: control, coated butyrate supplementation, medium-chain fatty acid supplementation, or a high-fibre low-protein content. Diet groups were sub-divided into age groups (4, 12 and 33 days of age) resulting in groups of 8 broilers per diet per age. The jejunum content was used for metagenomic shotgun sequencing to determine the microbiota taxonomic composition at species level. The composed diets resulted in a total of 104 differentially abundant bacterial species. Most notably were the butyrate-induced changes in the jejunal microbiota of broilers 4 days post-hatch, resulting in the reduced relative abundance of mainly Enterococcus faecium (-1.8 l2fc, Padj = 9.9E-05) and the opportunistic pathogen Enterococcus hirae (-2.9 l2fc, Padj = 2.7E-08), when compared to the control diet. This effect takes place during early broiler development, which is critical for broiler health, thus exemplifying the importance of how diet can influence the microbiota composition in relation to broiler health. Future studies should therefore elucidate how diet can be used to promote a beneficial microbiota in the early stages of broiler development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Stege
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and Research, Lelystad, Netherlands.
| | - Dirkjan Schokker
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and Research, Lelystad, Netherlands
| | - Frank Harders
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and Research, Lelystad, Netherlands
| | - Soumya K Kar
- Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Norbert Stockhofe
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and Research, Lelystad, Netherlands
| | - Vera Perricone
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Johanna M J Rebel
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and Research, Lelystad, Netherlands
| | - Ingrid C de Jong
- Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Alex Bossers
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and Research, Lelystad, Netherlands
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Goo D, Ko H, Sharma MK, Choppa VSR, Paneru D, Shi H, Kim WK. Comparison of necrotic enteritis effects on growth performance and intestinal health in two different meat-type chicken strains Athens Canadian Random Bred and Cobb 500. Poult Sci 2024; 103:103599. [PMID: 38479098 PMCID: PMC10950882 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Chickens have undergone genetic improvements in the past few decades to maximize growth efficiency. However, necrotic enteritis (NE), an enteric disease primarily caused by C. perfringens, remains a significant problem in poultry production. A study investigated the differences in intestinal health between the nonselected meat-type chicken Athens Canadian Random Bred (ACRB) and the modern meat-type Cobb 500 broilers (Cobb) when challenged with experimental NE. The study utilized a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, consisting of two main effects of chicken strain and NE challenge model (nonchallenged control, NC; NE challenge with 2,500/12,500 Eimeria maxima oocysts + 1 × 109C. perfringens, NE2.5/NE12.5). A total of 432 fourteen-day-old male ACRB and Cobb were used until 22 d (8 d postinoculation with E. maxima on d 14, dpi), and the chickens were euthanized on 6 and 8 dpi for the analysis. All data were statistically analyzed using a two-way ANOVA, and Student's t-test or Tukey's HSD test was applied when P < 0.05. The NE12.5 group showed significant decreases in growth performance and relative growth performance from d 14 to 20, regardless of chicken strain (P < 0.01). The ACRB group exhibited significant decreases in relative body weight and relative body weight gain compared to the Cobb group from d 14 to 22 (P < 0.01). On 6 and 8 dpi, both NE challenge groups showed significant decreases in intestinal villus height to crypt depth ratio, jejunal goblet cell count, and jejunal MUC2 and LEAP2 expression (P < 0.01). Additionally, the NE12.5 group had significantly higher intestinal NE lesion score, intestinal permeability, fecal E. maxima oocyst count, intestinal C. perfringens count, and jejunal IFNγ and CCL4 expression compared to the NC group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, NE negatively impacts growth performance and intestinal health in broilers, parameters regardless of the strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doyun Goo
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Hanseo Ko
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Milan Kumar Sharma
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | | | - Deependra Paneru
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Hanyi Shi
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Woo Kyun Kim
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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Ma Y, Cai G, Chen J, Yang X, Hua G, Han D, Li X, Feng D, Deng X. Combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis reveals breed-specific regulatory mechanisms in Dorper and Tan sheep. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:70. [PMID: 38233814 PMCID: PMC10795462 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09870-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dorper and Tan sheep are renowned for their rapid growth and exceptional meat quality, respectively. Previous research has provided evidence of the impact of gut microbiota on breed characteristics. The precise correlation between the gastrointestinal tract and peripheral organs in each breed is still unclear. Investigating the metabolic network of the intestinal organ has the potential to improve animal growth performance and enhance economic benefits through the regulation of intestinal metabolites. RESULTS In this study, we identified the growth advantage of Dorper sheep and the high fat content of Tan sheep. A transcriptome study of the brain, liver, skeletal muscle, and intestinal tissues of both breeds revealed 3,750 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The genes PPARGC1A, LPL, and PHGDH were found to be highly expressed in Doper, resulting in the up-regulation of pathways related to lipid oxidation, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and amino acid anabolism. Tan sheep highly express the BSEP, LDLR, and ACHE genes, which up-regulate the pathways involved in bile transport and cholesterol homeostasis. Hindgut content analysis identified 200 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs). Purines, pyrimidines, bile acids, and fatty acid substances were more abundant in Dorper sheep. Based on combined gene and metabolite analyses, we have identified glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, bile secretion, cholesterol metabolism, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction as key factors contributing to the differences among the breeds. CONCLUSIONS This study indicates that different breeds of sheep exhibit unique breed characteristics through various physiological regulatory methods. Dorper sheep upregulate metabolic signals related to glycine, serine, and threonine, resulting in an increase in purine and pyrimidine substances. This, in turn, promotes the synthesis of amino acids and facilitates body development, resulting in a faster rate of weight gain. Tan sheep accelerate bile transport, reduce bile accumulation in the intestine, and upregulate cholesterol homeostasis signals in skeletal muscles. This promotes the accumulation of peripheral and intramuscular fat, resulting in improved meat quality. This work adopts a joint analysis method of multi-tissue transcriptome and gut metabolome, providing a successful case for analyzing the mechanisms underlying the formation of various traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhao Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Beijing Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ganxian Cai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Beijing Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianfei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Beijing Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xue Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Beijing Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Guoying Hua
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Beijing Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Deping Han
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Beijing Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xinhai Li
- Department of Animal Science and college of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China
| | - Dengzhen Feng
- Department of Animal Science and college of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China
| | - Xuemei Deng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Beijing Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Gul H, Habib G, Khan IM, Rahman SU, Khan NM, Wang H, Khan NU, Liu Y. Genetic resilience in chickens against bacterial, viral and protozoal pathogens. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:1032983. [PMID: 36439341 PMCID: PMC9691405 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1032983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The genome contributes to the uniqueness of an individual breed, and enables distinctive characteristics to be passed from one generation to the next. The allelic heterogeneity of a certain breed results in a different response to a pathogen with different genomic expression. Disease resistance in chicken is a polygenic trait that involves different genes that confer resistance against pathogens. Such resistance also involves major histocompatibility (MHC) molecules, immunoglobulins, cytokines, interleukins, T and B cells, and CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, which are involved in host protection. The MHC is associated with antigen presentation, antibody production, and cytokine stimulation, which highlight its role in disease resistance. The natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1 (Nramp-1), interferon (IFN), myxovirus-resistance gene, myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), receptor-interacting serine/threonine kinase 2 (RIP2), and heterophile cells are involved in disease resistance and susceptibility of chicken. Studies related to disease resistance genetics, epigenetics, and quantitative trait loci would enable the identification of resistance markers and the development of disease resistance breeds. Microbial infections are responsible for significant outbreaks and have blighted the poultry industry. Breeding disease-resistant chicken strains may be helpful in tackling pathogens and increasing the current understanding on host genetics in the fight against communicable diseases. Advanced technologies, such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system, whole genome sequencing, RNA sequencing, and high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping, aid the development of resistant breeds, which would significantly decrease the use of antibiotics and vaccination in poultry. In this review, we aimed to reveal the recent genetic basis of infection and genomic modification that increase resistance against different pathogens in chickens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haji Gul
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Embryo Development and Reproduction Regulation, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Hormone and Reproduction, School of Biological and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Gul Habib
- Department of Microbiology, Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, Abbottabad, Pakistan
| | - Ibrar Muhammad Khan
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Embryo Development and Reproduction Regulation, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Hormone and Reproduction, School of Biological and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, China
| | - Sajid Ur Rahman
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Animal Products on Biohazards (Shanghai) of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Nazir Muhammad Khan
- Department of Zoology, University of Science and Technology, Bannu, Pakistan
| | - Hongcheng Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Embryo Development and Reproduction Regulation, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Hormone and Reproduction, School of Biological and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, China
| | - Najeeb Ullah Khan
- Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Yong Liu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Embryo Development and Reproduction Regulation, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Hormone and Reproduction, School of Biological and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, China
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