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

ABSTRACT

1. Adenylosuccinate lyase (ADSL) plays an important role in the synthesis of inosine monophosphate (IMP). In this trial, a total of 200 pigeons were sampled and slaughtered. Seven meat quality traits and 11 carcass traits were measured. DNA sequencing was used to detect nucleotide mutations, and associations between ADSL gene polymorphisms and meat quality and carcass traits were analysed.

2. Sequencing results showed that 9 nucleotide mutations were found in the exons of the ADSL gene. All the mutations were synonymous except C13065G, which caused a change in amino acids (Ser to Arg). In addition, two of the detected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) had significant associations with meat quality and carcass traits.

3. For the C13065G SNP located in exon11, the IMP content of breast muscle in AA and AB genotype was higher than in the BB genotype (P < 0.01). The SNP G10696A located in exon10 was significantly associated with carcass rate, in which AA and AB genotype were higher than the BB genotype (P < 0.01).

4. The results indicated that the ADSL gene has a close association with meat quality and carcass traits in domestic pigeons, and G10696A and C13065G SNPs could be applied as genetic markers in molecular marker-assisted breeding of pigeons.     

Association of three beta-defensin gene (AvBD4, AvBD5, AvBD14) polymorphisms with carrier-state susceptibility to salmonella in chickens

ABSTRACT

1. Chicken salmonellosis is a common zoonotic infectious disease transmitted both vertically and horizontally. Avian beta-defensins (gallinacins) play an important role in the innate defence of the host and provide broad-spectrum immunity against multiple pathogens.

2. To detect the relationship between immune genes and salmonella carrier status and susceptibility to salmonellosis in chickens, polymorphisms with carrier-state susceptibility to salmonella and, hence, developing salmonellosis, were investigated in three avian beta-defensin genes (AvBD4, AvBD5, and AvBD14) in a Chinese local chicken breed, based on a case-control study.

3. Fifteen, twenty and nineteen SNPs were found in AvBD4, AvBD5 and AvBD14, respectively. Among the 54 total SNPs, four resulted in non-synonymous substitution of amino acid changes. Five SNPs in AvBD5 and four SNPs in AvBD14 were significantly associated with salmonellosis susceptibility (P < 0.05). Using the PHASE program, thirteen, ten and twelve major haplotypes were constructed in AvBD4, AvBD5 and AvBD14. Logistic regression analysis revealed that five haplotypes in AvBD5 and six haplotypes in AvBD14 were significantly associated with salmonellosis susceptibility, but no significant haplotype in AvBD4 was detected. A total of six strongly susceptible haplotypes with odds ratio (OR) values greater than 2.0 and four strongly resistant haplotypes with OR value less than 0.5 were revealed in the three genes examined.

4. These results suggested that the AvBD5 and AvBD14 genes may play an important role in the susceptibility to salmonellosis in chickens.     

Association of H-FABP gene polymorphisms with intramuscular fat content in Threeyellow chickens and Hetian-black chickens

Background: To explore the relationship between the heart-type fatty acid binding protein(H-FABP) gene and intramuscular fat(IMF), a polymorphism of the second exon of the H-FABP gene was investigated in 60 Three-yellow chickens(TYCs) and 60 Hetian-black chickens(HTBCs).Results: The IMF contents of the cardiac, chest and leg muscles in HTBC were increased compared with TYC. Both TYC and HTBC populations exhibited Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium(HWE) according to the χ2test. Three variations of the two birds were detected, namely, G939 A, G982 A and C1014 T. HTBCs with the TT genotypes exhibit increased IMF content in the chest muscles compared with the TC genotype. Thus, the G982 A site could be considered a genetic marker for selecting increased IMF content in the chest muscles of HTBC. The correlation coefficients revealed that H-FABP m RNA expression was negatively correlated with the IMF content in the cardiac, chest and leg muscles of HTBC and in the cardiac and chest muscles of TYC. The relative m RNA expression of H-FABP was reduced in the cardiac and leg muscles of HTBC compared with TYC, but this difference was not observed at the protein level, as assessed by Western blot analysis.Conclusions: These findings offer essential data that can be useful in the breeding program of HTBC and future research exploring the role of H-FABP in IMF deposition and regulation in chickens.     

Virulence genes in bla(CTX-M) Escherichia coli isolates from chickens and humans

The aim of this study was to determine the presence of virulence genes in isolates of CTX-M Escherichia coli from diseased chickens, from healthy chickens and from urinary tract infections in people. Three CTX-M E. coli strains from three different instances of disease in poultry (two of which were E. coli related) were tested for bla(CTX-M) sequence type and replicon type. Additionally, they were tested for the presence of 56 virulence genes (encoding fimbriae, adhesins, toxins, microcins and iron acquisition genes) using a micro-array. Results were compared to the virulence genes present in isolates from 26 healthy chickens and from 10 people with urinary tract infections. All genes found in isolates from diseased birds, including the astA (heat stable toxin) and tsh (temperature sensitive haemagglutinin) genes which have previously been associated with colibacillosis in chickens, were also present in isolates from healthy birds. However, 6/10 of the virulence genes found were exclusive to isolates from humans. Genes exclusive to chicken isolates included ireA (sidephore receptor), lpfA (long polar fimbriae), mchF (microcin transporter protein) and tsh whilst genes exclusive to human isolates included ctdB (cytolethal distending toxin), nfaE (non-fimbrial adhesion), senB (plasmid encoded enterotoxin) and toxB (toxin B). The results support previous findings that CTX-M E. coli strains in chickens are generally different from those causing disease in humans, but genes such as astA and tsh in isolates from diseased birds with colisepticaemia were also present in isolates from healthy birds.     

Expression profiles and associations of muscle regulatory factor (MRF) genes with growth traits in Tibetan chickens

1. Muscle regulatory factors (MRFs), including Myf5, Myf6 (MRF4/herculin), MyoD and MyoG (myogenin), play pivotal roles in muscle growth and development. Therefore, they are considered as candidate genes for meat production traits in livestock and poultry.

2. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression profiles of these genes in skeletal muscles (breast muscle and thigh muscle) at 5 developmental stages (0, 81, 119, 154 and 210 d old) of Tibetan chickens. Relationships between expressions of these genes and growth and carcass traits in these chickens were also estimated.

3. The expression profiles showed that in the breast muscle of both genders the mRNA levels of MRF genes were highest on the day of hatching, then declined significantly from d 0 to d 81, and fluctuated in a certain range from d 81 to d 210. However, the expression of Myf5, Myf6 and MyoG reached peaks in the thigh muscle in 118-d-old females and for MyoD in 154-d-old females, whereas the mRNA amounts of MRF genes in the male thigh muscle were in a narrow range from d 0 to d 210.

4. Correlation analysis suggested that gender had an influence on the relationships of MRF gene expression with growth traits. The RNA levels of MyoD, Myf5 genes in male breast muscle were positively related with several growth traits of Tibetan chickens (P < 0.05). No correlation was found between expressions of MRF genes and carcass traits of the chickens.

5. These results will provide a base for functional studies of MRF genes on growth and development of Tibetan chickens, as well as selective breeding and resource exploration.     

苏太猪CAST基因多态性与肉质性状的相关性研究

采用PCR-RFLP方法对72头苏太猪的钙蛋白酶抑制蛋白(calpastatin,CAST)基因遗传多态性与肉质性状的相关性分析。对CAST基因第6内含子上MspⅠ、HinfⅠ、RsaⅠ三种酶切位点进行检测,结果表明:CAST基因第6内含子上,MspⅠ酶切位点的3种基因型间在肌肉的嫩度、pH值、系水力水平指标上均差异显著(P0.05);HinfⅠ酶切位点的3种基因型间在肌内脂含量指标上差异显著(P0.05),在肌肉嫩度上差异极显著(P0.01)。RsaⅠ酶切位点上也发现了3种基因型,但各基因型的不同性状间差异不显著(P0.05)。     

Sequencing of canine 5-hydroxytriptamine receptor (5-HTR) 1B, 2A, 2C genes and identification of polymorphisms in the 5-HTR1B gene

Polymorphisms of human genes encoding 5-hydroxytriptamine (serotonin) receptors (5-HTRs) are thought to be associated with psychiatric disorders and behavioral traits. In the present study, we searched for corresponding polymorphisms in the dog and compared allelic frequencies for the canine 5-HTR1B, 5-HTR2A, and 5-HTR2C genes among five canine breeds. The canine genes consisted of the following: 5-HTR1B, 1170 bp; 5-HTR2A, 1413 bp; and 5-HTR2C, 1377 bp. All of these genes were highly homologous with the human genes. We found six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5-HTR1B gene (G57A, A157C, G246A, C660G, T955C, and G1146C). Genotyping of the respective SNPs revealed that there were inter-breed variations in the genotypes and allelic frequencies for four out of the six identified SNPs, suggesting that further analyses of the polymorphisms of the 5-HTR1B gene would be useful in order to gain an understanding of the genetic background underlying the diversified behavioral traits among canine species.     

Expression levels of taste‐related genes in palate and tongue tip,and involvement of transient receptor potential subfamily M member 5 (TRPM5) in taste sense in chickens

The elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the taste sense of chickens will contribute to improvements in poultry feeding, because the molecular mechanism of chickens’ taste sense defines the feeding behavior of chickens. Here we focused on the gene expressions in two different oral tissues of chickens – the palate, which contains many taste buds, and the tongue tip, which contains few taste buds. Using the quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction method, we found that the molecular markers for taste buds of chickens, that is α‐gustducin and vimentin, were expressed significantly highly in the palate compared to the tongue tip. Our analyses also revealed that transient receptor potential subfamily M member 5 (TRPM5), a cation channel involved in taste transduction in mammals, was also highly expressed in the palate compared to the tongue tip. Our findings demonstrated that the expression patterns of these genes were significantly correlated. We showed that the aversion to bitter solution was alleviated by a TRPM5 inhibitor in behavior of chickens. Taken together, our findings enabled us to develop a simple method for screening taste‐related genes in chickens. The use of this method demonstrated that TRPM5 was involved in chickens’ taste transduction, and that a TRPM5 inhibitor can alleviate chickens’ bitter taste perception of feed ingredients.     

5个鸡种腺苷琥珀酸裂解酶(ADSL)基因外显子9 SNP及其与鸡肉肌苷酸含量的相关分析

根据腺苷琥珀酸裂解酶（Adenylosuccinate lyase，ADSL）基因外显子9的序列设计引物，用PCR—SSCP的方法对隐性白羽鸡、丝羽乌骨鸡、萧山鸡、白耳鸡、藏鸡进行了单核苷酸多态性分析，并检测到了多态性，表现为3种基因型，对两种纯合子进行直接测序，结果发现9839位碱基发生了突变，由C突变为A，将核苷酸序列翻译成氨基酸序列后，发现突变后引起ADSL基因第273位氨基酸由Pro突变为Thr，为错义突变。经独立性检验，发现基因型频率和基因频率分布与品种有关，但进一步方差分析并没有显示出该位点的多态性与胸肌的IMP含量之间存在关联。     

Association of MYF5 and KLF15 gene polymorphisms with carcass traits in domestic pigeons (Columba livia)

1. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the exons of the myogenic factor 5 (MYF5) and Kruppel-like factor 15 (KLF15) genes were identified and analysed by using DNA sequencing methods in 60 female domestic pigeons (Columba livia).

2. Five SNPs (T5067A, C5084T, C5101T, T5127A and C5154G) were detected in exon 3 of MYF5 and 6 SNPs (C1398T, C1464T, G1542A, C1929T, G1965A and A2355G) were found in exon 2 of KLF15, respectively. The analysis revealed three genotypes, in which the AA genotype was dominant and the A allele showed a dominant advantage.

3. For the MYF5 gene, the C5084T and T5127A SNP genotypes were significantly associated with carcass traits of pigeons. Within those two SNPs, the BB genotype showed relatively higher trait association values than those of AA or AB genotypes. No significant association was observed between the KLF15 SNP genotypes and carcass traits.

4. These results indicated that the MYF5 gene is a potential major gene affecting carcass traits in domestic pigeons. The BB genotype of the C5084T and T5127A SNPs could be a potential candidate genetic marker for marker-assisted selection in pigeon.

     

东北民猪荷包猪抗性基因多态性及其与免疫指标的相关性研究

研究目的是检测荷包猪FUT 1和Mx1基因位点多态性及其与免疫指标的相关关系。采用PCR-RFLP技术分析基因多态性,采用ELISA方法检测免疫指标白介素-4(IL-4)、分泌型免疫球蛋白A(sIgA)、α-干扰素(IFN-α)的表达量。结果表明,荷包猪FUT 1基因和Mx1基因Hin6I点酶切位点上显示多态性,优势基因型分别为GG和AA型,在Mx1基因其他两位点处未发现多态性;荷包猪免疫指标IL-4、sIgA、IFN-α的表达量明显高于大白猪(P<0.05),但抗性基因型与免疫指标间的相关性表现不明显。     

Relationship between perilipin genes polymorphisms and growth,carcass and meat quality traits in pigs

The perilipins (PLIN) belong to a family of structural proteins that play a role regulating intracellular lipid storage and mobilization. Here, PLIN1 and PLIN2 have been evaluated as candidate genes for growth, carcass and meat quality traits in pigs. A sample of 607 Duroc pigs were genotyped for two single‐nucleotide polymorphisms, one in intron 2 of the PLIN1 gene (JN860199:g.173G>A) and the other at the 3′ untranslated region of the PLIN2 gene (GU461317:g.98G>A). Using a Bayesian approach, we have been able to find evidence of additive, dominant and epistatic associations of the PLIN1 and PLIN2 polymorphisms with early growth rate and carcass length. However, the major effects were produced by the dominant A allele at the PLIN2 polymorphism, which also affected the carcass lean weight. Thus, pigs carrying an additional copy of the A allele at the g.98G>A PLIN2 polymorphism had a probability of at least 98% of producing carcasses with heavier lean weight (+0.41 kg) and ham weight (+0.10 kg). The results obtained indicate that the PLIN2 polymorphism could be a useful marker for lean growth. In particular, it may help to reduce the undesired negative correlated response in lean weight to selection for increased intramuscular fat content, a common scenario in some Duroc lines involved in the production of high quality pork products.     

猪抗病基因Mx1第14外显子多态性与免疫性能的相关分析

为分析辽宁种猪群体Mx1基因多态性与免疫性能之间的关系,提取猪耳组织DNA,采用PCR-RFLP技术分析荷包猪、大白猪的Mx1基因多态性,通过双抗体夹心酶联免疫分析(ELISA)方法对两个种群中IFN-α、IL-4、SIgA的水平进行分析,显示:Hin6Ⅰ酶切仅检测到荷包猪存在AA、AB、BB三种基因型,基因型频率为0.681 4、0.061 9、0.256 6;荷包猪群体免疫数据整体高于大白猪群体,且波动范围大。结果表明:荷包猪与大白猪Mx1基因频率存在差别,荷包猪群体免疫水平高于大白猪,且携带更多Mx1基因的抗病性基因型。本研究为辽宁种猪资源保存、品种选育和开发利用提供了科学依据。     

蛋鸡卵黄与血清中H5N1亚型禽流感病毒Re-4株抗体效价相关性研究

用卵黄样本和血清样本监测H5N1亚型禽流感病毒Re-4株HI 抗体效价,对2种样本监测结果进行相关性研究。对115日龄蛋鸡群免疫重组禽流感病毒灭活疫苗（H5N1亚型,Re-4株,禽用）,免疫后20～260 d对固定鸡群采样（血清样本和卵黄样本）,进行免疫抗体监测。结果表明,115日龄鸡群免疫后20～260 d卵黄和血清HI 抗体效价呈强相关,相差在1 log2以内的占绝大多数,均值t检验差异不显著。因此,用卵黄样本监测禽流感 HI 抗体效价是可行的。     

Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and milk production traits in Italian Brown cattle

Italian Brown is a cattle breed largely exploited in the production of many dairy products in Italy, including typical and traditional cheeses. For this reason, the improvement of selection methods is of economic relevance while a deeper understanding of the genetic mechanisms regulating milk production is of general scientific interest. We selected a total of 561 samples, representing virtually all Italian Brown bull population, to test for association between milk production traits and 29 known genes harbouring 106 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). After filtering, a total of 31 SNPs in 22 candidate genes and 473 bulls were retained. Associations between each SNP and milk traits were tested by a mixed model approach, obtaining seven significantly associated SNPs, two of which (in β-Lactoglobulin) associated with all traits, and four (in Chemokin receptor I, αs1 casein, k casein, fatty acid synthase, thyroid hormone responsive and Oxytocin prepropetide genes) associated with at least one trait.     

海拨高度与肉鸡腹水征的相关性研究

选择云南省海拔高度76．4m～3200m不同的5个地、县自然发生的肉鸡腹水综合征（ASB）与同品种的健康鸡进行对比研究。结果证实,同品种肉鸡喂同种饲料并在相同的饲养管理条件下,无论在低海拔地区还是高海拔地区发病相同,肉鸡腹水综合征的发生与海拔高低无关。     

Lack of interaction between avian leukosis virus subgroup J and fowl adenovirus (FAV) in FAV-antibody-positive chickens

Unfounded field speculation has suggested that avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) predisposes young meat-type chickens to inclusion body hepatitis caused by fowl adenovirus (FAV). To address this hypothesis, we infected 1-day-old grandparent meat-type chickens carrying maternal antibodies against FAV with a field isolate of FAV associated with inclusion body hepatitis in broilers, ALV-J, or both FAV and ALV-J. We examined the effects of FAV alone or in combination with ALV-J on the basis of clinical signs, overall mortality, growth rate, and gross and microscopic lesions. With such criteria for evaluating possible interactions, we found no significant differences in the dually infected birds in comparison with chickens that received a monovalent challenge with either FAV or ALV-J.