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Genetic Expression and Regulation during Growth and Reproduction of Poultry

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A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Poultry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 20552

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Huadong Yin

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Guest Editor

College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China
Interests: gene expression; transcriptional regulation; noncoding RNA; molecular genetics; poultry growth and reproduction

Dr. Zhuanjian Li

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Guest Editor

College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
Interests: structural variation; molecular biology; transcriptional regulation; myoblast proliferation and differentiation; noncoding RNA
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Dear Colleagues,

Genetic expression is a complex process of regulating and controlling gene expression in organisms, which helps the process of gene expression to be orderly in time and space in cells and to respond to changes in environmental conditions. Regulation of gene expression can occur at many levels, including gene level, transcriptional level, post-transcriptional level, translational level, and post-translational level. Regulation of gene expression is the molecular basis of cell differentiation, morphogenesis, and ontogeny in vivo. The growth and reproduction of poultry is a very complex and finely regulated biological process, which is regulated by a large number of functional genes and various transcription factors. Understanding the genetic basis is fundamental to improving growth and reproductive performance in poultry.

We invite original research articles and reviews that address any aspects of genetic expression and regulation during growth and reproduction of poultry to this Special Issue. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: mRNA, microRNA (miRNA), long ncRNA (lncRNA), circular RNA (circRNA), and the interaction between genetic expression and environment.

Prof. Dr. Huadong Yin
Dr. Zhuanjian Li
Guest Editors

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Keywords

poultry
mRNA
miRNA
lncRNA
circRNA
growth
reproduction

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2521 KiB

Open AccessArticle

NOTCH1 as a Negative Regulator of Avian Adipocyte Differentiation: Implications for Fat Deposition

by Zheng Wang, Yue Su, Mingyu Zhao, Zhenhua Ma, Jianhui Li, Zhuocheng Hou and Huifeng Li

Animals 2024, 14(4), 585; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14040585 - 9 Feb 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1352

Abstract

The NOTCH signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in diverse developmental processes, including cell proliferation and differentiation. In this study, we investigated whether this signaling molecules also contribute to avian adipogenesis. Using previous mRNA-seq datasets, we examined the expression of 11 signaling members during avian adipocyte differentiation. We found most members are down-regulated throughout differentiation (p < 0.05). As a representative, NOTCH1 was decreased in cultured chicken abdominal adipocytes during adipogenesis at mRNA and protein levels (p < 0.05). Moreover, using an overexpression plasmid for NOTCH1’s intracellular domain (NICD1), as well as siRNA and DAPT to activate or deplete NOTCH1 in cells, we investigated the role of NOTCH1 in avian adipogenesis. Our findings illuminate that NOTCH1 activates the expression of HES1 and SOCS3 while it decreases NR2F2 and NUMB (p < 0.05), as well as inhibits oleic acid-induced adipocyte differentiation (p < 0.01). We further demonstrate that HES1, a downstream transcription factor activated by NOTCH1, also significantly inhibits adipogenesis by suppressing PPARγ and C/EBPα (p < 0.01). Collectively, these findings establish NOTCH1 as a negative regulator of avian adipocyte differentiation, unveiling NOTCH signaling as a potential target for regulating avian fat deposition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Expression and Regulation during Growth and Reproduction of Poultry)

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11 pages, 1815 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developmental Characteristics of Skeletal Muscle during the Embryonic Stage in Chinese Yellow Quail (Coturnix japonica)

by Li Liu, Lingqian Yin, Yaohan Yuan, Yuan Tang, Zhongzhen Lin, Yiping Liu and Jiandong Yang

Animals 2023, 13(14), 2317; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142317 - 14 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1451

Abstract

The quail is an important research model, and the demand for quail meat has been increasing in recent years; therefore, it is worthwhile investigating the development of embryonic skeletal muscle and the expression patterns of regulatory genes. In this study, the expression of MyoD and Pax7 in the breast muscle (m. pectoralis major) and leg muscle (m. biceps femoris) of quail embryos on days 10 through 17 were determined using qRT-PCR. Paraffin sections of embryonic muscle were analyzed to characterize changes over time. Results showed that MyoD and Pax7 were expressed in both breast and leg muscles and played a significant role in embryonic muscle development. Compared to breast muscle, leg muscle grew faster and had greater weight and myofiber size. The findings suggested that embryonic day 12 (E12) may be a key point for muscle development. Correlation analysis showed that MyoD expression was significantly negatively correlated with muscle and embryo weight, whereas Pax7 gene expression had no significant correlation with these characteristics. These fundamental results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the characteristics and transition points of skeletal muscle development in quail embryos and an important reference for farmers raising quail from eggs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Expression and Regulation during Growth and Reproduction of Poultry)

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21 pages, 1350 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Features of Fractal Conformity and Bioconsolidation in the Early Myogenesis Gene Expression and Their Relationship to the Genetic Diversity of Chicken Breeds

by Ivan I. Kochish, Evgeni A. Brazhnik, Nikolai I. Vorobyov, Ilya N. Nikonov, Maxim V. Korenyuga, Olga V. Myasnikova, Darren K. Griffin, Peter F. Surai and Michael N. Romanov

Animals 2023, 13(3), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030521 - 1 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1945

Abstract

Elements of fractal analysis are widely used in scientific research, including several biological disciplines. In this study, we hypothesized that chicken breed biodiversity manifests not only at the phenotypic level, but also at the genetic-system level in terms of different profiles of fractal conformity and bioconsolidation in the early myogenesis gene expression. To demonstrate this effect, we developed two mathematical models that describe the fractal nature of the expression of seven key genes in the embryonic breast and thigh muscles in eight breeds of meat, dual purpose, egg and game types. In the first model, we produced breed-specific coefficients of gene expression conformity in each muscle type using the slopes of regression dependencies, as well as an integral myogenesis gene expression index (MGEI). Additionally, breed fractal dimensions and integral myogenesis gene expression fractal dimension index (MGEFDI) were determined. The second gene expression model was based on plotting fractal portraits and calculating indices of fractal bioconsolidation. The bioconsolidation index of myogenesis gene expression correlated with the chick growth rate and nitric oxide (NO) oxidation rate. The proposed fractal models were instrumental in interpreting the genetic diversity of chickens at the level of gene expression for early myogenesis, NO metabolism and the postnatal growth of chicks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Expression and Regulation during Growth and Reproduction of Poultry)

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12 pages, 2732 KiB

Open AccessArticle

miR-202-5p Inhibits Lipid Metabolism and Steroidogenesis of Goose Hierarchical Granulosa Cells by Targeting ACSL3

by Mingxia Ran, Shenqiang Hu, Qingyuan Ouyang, Hengli Xie, Xi Zhang, Yueyue Lin, Xuejian Li, Jiwei Hu, Liang Li, Hua He, Hehe Liu and Jiwen Wang

Animals 2023, 13(3), 325; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030325 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1792

Abstract

miRNAs are critical for steroidogenesis in granulosa cells (GCs) during ovarian follicular development. We have previously shown that miR-202-5p displays a stage-dependent expression pattern in GCs from goose follicles of different sizes, suggesting that this miRNA could be involved in the regulation of the functions of goose GCs; therefore, in this study, the effects of miR-202-5p on lipid metabolism and steroidogenesis in goose hierarchical follicular GCs (hGCs), as well as its mechanisms of action, were evaluated. Oil Red O staining and analyses of intracellular cholesterol and triglyceride contents showed that the overexpression of miR-202-5p significantly inhibited lipid deposition in hGCs; additionally, miR-202-5p significantly inhibited progesterone secretion in hGCs. A bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay indicated that Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 3 (ACSL3), which activates long-chain fatty acids for the synthesis of cellular lipids, is a potential target of miR-202-5p. ACSL3 silencing inhibited lipid deposition and estrogen secretion in hGCs. These data suggest that miR-202-5p exerts inhibitory effects on lipid deposition and steroidogenesis in goose hGCs by targeting the ACSL3 gene. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Expression and Regulation during Growth and Reproduction of Poultry)

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15 pages, 2590 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of PLIN1 Gene Knockout on the Proliferation, Apoptosis, Differentiation and Lipolysis of Chicken Preadipocytes

by Guiying Zhai, Yongjia Pang, Yichong Zou, Xinyu Wang, Jie Liu, Qi Zhang, Zhiping Cao, Ning Wang, Hui Li and Yuxiang Wang

Animals 2023, 13(1), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13010092 - 26 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1892

Abstract

Perilipin 1 (PLIN1) is one of the most abundant lipid droplet-related proteins on the surface of adipocytes. Our previous results showed that PLIN1 plays an important role in chicken lipid metabolism. To further reveal the role of PLIN1 in the growth and development of adipocytes, a chicken preadipocyte line with a PLIN1 gene knockout was established by the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technique, and the effects of the PLIN1 gene on the proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and lipolysis of chicken preadipocytes were detected. The results showed that the CRISPR/Cas9 system effectively mediated knockout of the PLIN1 gene. After the deletion of PLIN1, the differentiation ability and early apoptotic activity of chicken preadipocytes decreased, and their proliferation ability increased. Moreover, knockout of PLIN1 promoted chicken preadipocyte lipolysis under basal conditions and inhibited chicken preadipocyte lipolysis under hormone stimulation. Taken together, our results inferred that PLIN1 plays a regulatory role in the process of proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and lipolysis of chicken preadipocytes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Expression and Regulation during Growth and Reproduction of Poultry)

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14 pages, 4266 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phosphoproteomics Profile of Chicken Cecum in the Response to Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis Inoculation

by Xiuxiu Miao, Ya’nan Zhao, Huilong Li, Yanru Ren, Geng Hu, Jingchao Yang, Liying Liu and Xianyao Li

Animals 2023, 13(1), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13010078 - 25 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1810

Abstract

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is a foodborne pathogen, which can cause great threats to human health through the consumption of contaminated poultry products. This research combines TMT labeling, HPLC and mass-spectrometry-based phosphoproteomics on cecum of the F1 cross of Guangxi Yao chicken and Jining Bairi chicken. The treated group was inoculated with 0.3 mL inoculum S. Enteritidis, and the control group was inoculated with 0.3 mL phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). A total of 338 differentially phosphorylated modification sites in 243 differentially phosphorylated proteins (DPPs) were chosen for downstream analyses. A total of 213 sites in 146 DPPs were up-regulated and 125 sites in 97 DPPs were down-regulated. Functional analysis was performed for DPPs based on gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, and the protein domain. The DPPs were mainly enriched in immune- and metabolic-related GO-BP (biological process) and KEGG pathways. We predicted and classified the subcellular structure and COG/KOG of DPPs. Furthermore, protein–protein interaction network analyses were performed by using multiple algorithms. We identified 71 motifs of the phosphorylated modification sites and selected 18 sites randomly to detect the expression level through parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). S. Enteritidis inoculation caused phosphorylation alteration in immune- and metabolic-related proteins. The invasion of S. Enteritidis may be actualized by inducing cecum cell apoptosis through the endoplasmic reticulum pathway, and chickens could resist the invasion of S. Enteritidis by affecting the function of ECM receptors. The findings herein provide a crucial theoretical foundation to understand the molecular mechanism and epigenetic regulation in response to S. Enteritidis inoculation in chickens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Expression and Regulation during Growth and Reproduction of Poultry)

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13 pages, 1056 KiB

Open AccessArticle

QPCTL Affects the Daily Weight Gain of the F2 Population and Regulates Myogenic Cell Proliferation and Differentiation in Chickens

by Tuanhui Ren, Wujian Lin, Xiuxian Yang, Zihao Zhang, Shizi He, Wangyu Li, Zhuanjian Li and Xiquan Zhang

Animals 2022, 12(24), 3535; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12243535 - 14 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1567

Abstract

Molecular breeding can accelerate the process of animal breeding and improve the breeding efficiency. To date, many Indel molecular markers have been identified in livestock and poultry, but how Indels affect economic traits is not well understood. For molecular breeding, it is crucial to reveal the mechanism of action of Indels and to provide more accurate information. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the 52/224-bp multiallelic Indels of the chicken QPCTL promoter area affect the daily weight gain of chickens and the potential regulatory mechanism of the QPCTL gene. The analysis was conducted by association analysis, qPCR, dual-fluorescence assay and Western blotting. The results showed that Indels in the QPCTL promoter region were significantly associated with the daily weight gain in chickens and that QPCTL expression showed a decreasing trend in embryonic breast muscle tissues. Furthermore, QPCTL expression was significantly higher in breast muscle tissues of the AC genotype than in those of the AB and BB genotypes. Based on the transcriptional activity results, the pGL3-C vector produced more luciferase activity than pGL3-A and pGL3-B. In addition, overexpression of QPCTL promoted chicken primary myoblast (CPM) proliferation and inhibited differentiation. The results of this study suggest that Indels in the promoter region of the QPCTL gene may regulate the proliferation and differentiation of CPMs by affecting the expression of QPCTL, which ultimately affects the growth rate of chickens. These Indels have important value for the molecular breeding of chickens, and QPCTL can be used as a candidate gene to regulate and improve chicken growth and development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Expression and Regulation during Growth and Reproduction of Poultry)

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13 pages, 2541 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptome Sequencing Analysis of circRNA in Skeletal Muscle between Fast- and Slow-Growing Chickens at Embryonic Stages

by Genxi Zhang, Jin Zhang, Pengfei Wu, Xuanze Ling, Qifan Wang, Kaizhi Zhou, Peifeng Li, Li Zhang, Hongxin Ye, Qi Zhang, Qingyu Wei, Tao Zhang and Xinglong Wang

Animals 2022, 12(22), 3166; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12223166 - 16 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2271

Abstract

Skeletal muscle growth has always been the focus of the broiler industry, and circRNAs play a significant role in this process. We collected leg muscles of slow- and fast-growing Bian chicken embryos in the study at 14 (S14 and F14) and 20 (S20 and F20) days for RNA-seq. Finally, 123 and 121 differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs) were identified in S14 vs. F14 and S20 vs. F20, respectively. GO enrichment analysis for DECs obtained important biological process (BP) terms including nicotinate nucleotide biosynthetic process, nicotinate nucleotide salvage, and NAD salvage in S20 vs. F20 and protein mannosylation in S14 vs. F14. KEGG pathway analysis showed Wnt signaling pathway, Tight junction, Ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, and Notch signaling pathway were enriched in the top 20. Based on the GO and KEGG analysis results, we found some significant host genes and circRNAs such as NAPRT and novel_circ_0004547, DVL1 and novel_circ_0003578, JAK2 and novel_circ_0010289, DERA and novel_circ_0003082, etc. Further analysis found 19 co-differentially expressed circRNAs between the two comparison groups. We next constructed a circRNA-miRNA network for them, and some candidate circRNA-miRNA pairs related to skeletal muscle were obtained, such as novel_circ_0002153-miR-12219-5p, novel_circ_0003578-miR-3064-3p, and novel_circ_0010661-miR-12260-3p. These results would help to reveal the mechanism for circRNAs in skeletal muscle and also provide some guidance for the breeding of broilers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Expression and Regulation during Growth and Reproduction of Poultry)

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Review

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15 pages, 2457 KiB

Open AccessReview

Formation, Application, and Significance of Chicken Primordial Germ Cells: A Review

by Mathan, Gul Zaib, Kai Jin, Qisheng Zuo, Maham Habib, Yani Zhang and Bichun Li

Animals 2023, 13(6), 1096; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13061096 - 20 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5107

Abstract

Chicken is one of the most widely consumed sources of protein globally. Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the precursors for ova and sperm. One of the early embryogenesis events in most animals is the segregation of the somatic and germ lineages. PGC cultures occur in the germline, and PGCs are less studied in many species. It is relatively challenging to separate, cultivate, and genetically alter chicken without mutating the basic germline. The present study aims to gather previous research about chicken PGCs and provide a customized review of studies and developments in the field of PGCs, especially for avian species. Furthermore, we show that the propagation of chicken PGCs into embryonic germ cells that contribute to somatic tissues may be produced in vitro. Primordial germ cells offer an ideal system in developmental biology, as these cells play a vital role in the genetic modification and treatment of infertility. Cryopreservation helps to maintain genetic resources and sustainable production in the poultry industry. Keeping in mind the significance of cryopreservation for storage and gametogenesis, we discuss its role in the preservation of primordial germ cells. Transgenesis and genetic modifications in chicken lead to the development of various medicinal chicken varieties and aid in improving their production and quality for consumption purposes. Additionally, these characteristics open up new possibilities for modifying the chicken genome for agricultural and medical purposes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Expression and Regulation during Growth and Reproduction of Poultry)

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