Multi-Omics Insights into Regulatory Mechanisms Underlying Differential Deposition of Intramuscular and Abdominal Fat in Chickens.

Excessive abdominal fat deposition in chickens disadvantages feed conversion, meat production, and reproductive performance. Intramuscular fat contributes to meat texture, tenderness, and flavor, serving as a vital indicator of overall meat quality. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of the regulatory mechanisms governing differential deposition of abdominal versus intramuscular fat is essential in breeding higher-quality chickens with ideal fat distribution.

Comparative analyses of dynamic transcriptome profiles highlight key response genes and dominant isoforms for muscle development and growth in chicken.

Background: Modern breeding strategies have resulted in significant differences in muscle mass between indigenous chicken and specialized broiler. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms that underlie these differences remain elusive. The aim of this study was to identify key genes and regulatory mechanisms underlying differences in breast muscle development between indigenous chicken and specialized broiler.

Conservation priority and run of homozygosity pattern assessment of global chicken genetic resources.

The conservation of genetic resources is becoming increasingly important for the sustainable development of the poultry industry. In the present study, we systematically analyzed the population structure, conservation priority, runs of homozygosity (ROH) of chicken breeds globally, and proposed rational conservation strategies. We used a 600K Affymetrix Axiom HD genotyping SNP array dataset of 2,429 chickens from 134 populations.

Analysis of Conservation Priorities and Runs of Homozygosity Patterns for Chinese Indigenous Chicken Breeds.

To achieve sustainable development of the poultry industry, the effective conservation of genetic resources has become increasingly important. In the present study, we systematically elucidated the population structure, conservation priority, and runs of homozygosity (ROH) patterns of Chinese native chicken breeds. We used a high-density genotyping dataset of 157 native chickens from eight breeds.

Revealing the Regulatory Mechanism of lncRNA-LMEP on Melanin Deposition Based on High-Throughput Sequencing in Xichuan Chicken Skin.

The therapeutic, medicinal, and nourishing properties of black-bone chickens are highly regarded by consumers in China. However, some birds may have yellow skin (YS) or light skin rather than black skin (BS), which causes economic losses every year. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are widely present in living organisms, and they perform various biological functions.

Valgus-varus deformity induced abnormal tissue metabolism, inflammatory damage and apoptosis in broilers.

1. This study explored the tissue metabolic status and the relationship with inflammation in valgus-valgus deformity (VVD) broilers with increasing age.2.

Interaction Between Cecal Metabolites and Liver Lipid Metabolism Pathways During Induced Molting in Laying Hens.

Moult is a normal physiological phenomenon in poultry. Induced molting (IM) is the most widely used and economical molting technique. By inducing moult, the laying hens can grow new feathers during the next laying cycle and improve laying performance.

Two novel InDels within the promoter of are associated with growth traits in chickens.

1. The objectives of the present study were to elucidate the relationship between novel variations of the gene and chicken growth traits. In total, 1,429 chickens, including six breeds and a Gushi ×Anka F2 resource population, were genotyped using PCR-RFLP.

Chromatin Interaction Responds to Breast Muscle Development and Intramuscular Fat Deposition Between Chinese Indigenous Chicken and Fast-Growing Broiler.

Skeletal muscle development and intramuscular fat (IMF) content, which positively contribute to meat production and quality, are regulated by precisely orchestrated processes. However, changes in three-dimensional chromatin structure and interaction, a newly emerged mediator of gene expression, during the skeletal muscle development and IMF deposition have remained unclear. In the present study, we analyzed the differences in muscle development and IMF content between one-day-old commercial Arbor Acres broiler (AA) and Chinese indigenous Lushi blue-shelled-egg chicken (LS) and performed Hi-C analysis on their breast muscles.

A 104-bp Structural Variation of the Gene Is Associated With Growth Traits in Chickens.

Analyzing marker-assisted breeding is an important method utilized in modern molecular breeding. Recent studies have determined that a large number of molecular markers appear to explain the impact of "lost heritability" on human height. Therefore, it is necessary to locate molecular marker sites in poultry and investigate the possible molecular mechanisms governing their effects.

Identification of key miRNAs affecting broilers with valgus-varus deformity by RNA sequencing and analysis of miRNA-mRNA interactions.

Valgus-varus Deformity (VVD) leg disease often affects chickens raised in modern large-scale breeding operations. Losses due to VVD are costly to farmers, and the condition also causes significant suffering in affected birds. In this study, we profiled RNAs from the spleens of VVD (BS) and healthy (JS) broilers using high-throughput sequencing to identify miRNAs that might be involved in the development of the disease.

Global investigation of estrogen-responsive genes regulating lipid metabolism in the liver of laying hens.

Background: Estrogen plays an essential role in female development and reproductive function. In chickens, estrogen is critical for lipid metabolism in the liver. The regulatory molecular network of estrogen in chicken liver is poorly understood.

Comparative analysis of hypothalamus transcriptome between laying hens with different egg-laying rates.

Egg-laying performance is one of the most important economic traits in the poultry industry. Commercial layers can lay one egg almost every day during their peak-laying period. However, many Chinese indigenous chicken breeds show a relatively low egg-laying rate, even during their peak-laying period.

Genome-wide identification evolution and expression of vestigial-like gene family in chicken.

() genes are widespread in vertebrates and play an important role in muscle development. In this study, we used bioinformatics methods to systematically identify the chicken family in the whole genome and investigated its evolutionary history and gene structure features. Tissue expression spectra combined with real-time PCR data were used to analyze the organizational expression pattern of the genes.

Identification and expression analysis of MicroRNAs in chicken spleen in a corticosterone-induced stress model.

For investigating the effects of stress on the immune response of chickens, we established a corticosterone (CORT)-induced stress model by exogenous intake of CORT. Control group was fed with a basal diet and the stress model group was fed with a 30 mg/Kg CORT-treated diet in ad libitum conditions for 7 days. Then, we used RNA-seq technology to identify the expression pattern of miRNAs, target genes, and relevant pathways in chicken spleen.

Analysis of miRNA and mRNA reveals core interaction networks and pathways of dexamethasone-induced immunosuppression in chicken bursa of Fabricius.

Stress-induced immunosuppression is a serious problem affecting the production value of poultry, but its specific molecular mechanism has not yet been elucidated. We selected 7-day-old Gushi cocks as test animals and successfully established a stress-induced immunosuppression model by injecting 2.0 mg/kg (body weight) dexamethasone (Dex).

Evolution, Expression Profile, Regulatory Mechanism, and Functional Verification of EBP-Like Gene in Cholesterol Biosynthetic Process in Chickens (Gallus Gallus).

The emopamil binding protein (EBP) is an important enzyme participating in the final steps of cholesterol biosynthesis in mammals. A predictive gene , which encodes the protein with a high identity to human EBP, was found in chicken genome. No regulatory mechanisms and biological functions of have been characterized in chickens.

LncRNAs and their regulatory networks in breast muscle tissue of Chinese Gushi chickens during late postnatal development.

Background: Chicken skeletal muscle is an important economic product. The late stages of chicken development constitute the main period that affects meat production. LncRNAs play important roles in controlling the epigenetic process of growth and development.

Estrogen enhances the expression of a growth-associated long noncoding RNA in chicken liver via ERα.

1. The long noncoding RNA is significantly differentially expressed in the livers of peak-laying hens compared with that in the livers of pre-laying hens, but its potential biological role and expression regulation are unclear.2.

Genome-wide association study reveals the genetic determinism of growth traits in a Gushi-Anka F chicken population.

Chicken growth traits are economically important, but the relevant genetic mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Herein, we performed a genome-wide association study to identify the variants associated with growth traits. In total, 860 chickens from a Gushi-Anka F resource population were phenotyped for 68 growth and carcass traits, and 768 samples were genotyped based on the genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) method.

Integrative analysis of long non-coding RNA and mRNA in broilers with valgus-varus deformity.

Background: Bone abnormality and leg disease in commercial broiler flocks are increasingly prominent, causing serious economic losses to the broiler breeding industry. Valgus-varus deformity (VVD) is a common deformity of the long bone in broilers that manifests as an outward or inward deviation of the tibiotarsus or tarsometatarsus. There is a paucity of studies on the molecular mechanisms of VVD.

Evolution, expression profile, and regulatory characteristics of ACSL gene family in chicken (Gallus gallus).

Long chain acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSLs), which drive the conversion of long chain fatty acid into acyl-CoA, an ingredient of lipid synthesis, have been well-acknowledged to exert an indispensable role in many metabolic processes in mammals, especially lipid metabolism. However, in chicken, the evolutionary characteristics, expression profiles and regulatory mechanisms of ACSL gene family are rarely understood. Here, we analyzed the genomic synteny, gene structure, evolutionary event and functional domains of the ACSL gene family members using bioinformatics methods.

Molecular characterization and a duplicated 31-bp indel within the LDB2 gene and its associations with production performance in chickens.

Many studies have shown that the LDB2 gene plays a regulatory role in retinal development and the cell cycle, but its biological role remains unclear. In this study, a 31-bp indel in the LDB2 gene was found for the first time on the basis of 2797 individuals from 10 different breeds, which led to different genotypes among individuals (II, ID and DD). Among these genotypes, DD was the most dominant.

Identification of genes related to dexamethasone-induced immunosuppression in chicken thymus using transcriptome analysis.

The molecular mechanism of stress-induced immunosuppression (SIS) in certain poultry immune organs is not completely clear. In this study, we constructed a stress immunosuppression model by selecting 180 healthy 7-day-old Gushi chickens and dividing them randomly into two groups: a D_T group and a B_T group. The D_T group was given dexamethasone, and the B_T group was given normal saline, according to the treatment method established and reported in our previous study.