Gut microbiota and transcriptome analysis reveals a genetic component to dropping moisture in chickens

Tongyu Zhang; Tao Zhu; Junhui Wen; Yu Chen; Liang Wang; Xueze Lv; Weifang Yang; Yaxiong Jia; Changqing Qu; Haiying Li; Huie Wang; Lujiang Qu; Zhonghua Ning

Poultry Science (May 2023)

Gut microbiota and transcriptome analysis reveals a genetic component to dropping moisture in chickens

Tongyu Zhang,
Tao Zhu,
Junhui Wen,
Yu Chen,
Liang Wang,
Xueze Lv,
Weifang Yang,
Yaxiong Jia,
Changqing Qu,
Haiying Li,
Huie Wang,
Lujiang Qu,
Zhonghua Ning

Affiliations

Tongyu Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
Tao Zhu: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
Junhui Wen: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
Yu Chen: Beijing Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station, Beijing, China
Liang Wang: Beijing Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station, Beijing, China
Xueze Lv: Beijing Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station, Beijing, China
Weifang Yang: Beijing Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station, Beijing, China
Yaxiong Jia: Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
Changqing Qu: Engineering Technology Research Center of Anti-aging Chinese Herbal Medicine of Anhui Province, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, China
Haiying Li: College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
Huie Wang: College of Animal Science, Tarim University, Xinjiang, China
Lujiang Qu: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; Corresponding author:
Zhonghua Ning: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; Corresponding author:

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 102, no. 5
p. 102242

Abstract

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ABSTRACT: High dropping moisture (DM) in poultry production has deleterious effects on the environment, feeding cost, and public health of people and animals. To explore the contributing genetic components, we classified DM of 67-wk-old Rhode Island Red (RIR) hens at 4 different levels and evaluated the underlying genetic heritability. We found the heritability of DM to be 0.219, indicating a moderately heritable trait. We then selected chickens with the highest and lowest DM levels. Using transcriptome, we only detected 12 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between these 2 groups from the spleen, and 1,507 DEGs from intestinal tissues (jejunum and cecum). The low number of DEGs observed in the spleen suggests that differing moisture levels are not attributed to pathogenic infection. Fourteen of the intestinal high expressed genes are associated with water-salt metabolism (WSM). We also investigated the gut microbial composition by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Six different microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (Cetobacterium, Sterolibacterium, Elusimicrobium, Roseburia, Faecalicoccus, and Megamonas) between the 2 groups from jejunum and cecum are potentially biomarkers related to DM levels. Our results identify a genetic component to chicken DM, and can guide breeding strategies.

Published in Poultry Science

ISSN: 0032-5791 (Print); 1525-3171 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Animal culture
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/poultry-science

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