[Ways to improve the productivity of chickens using a feed additives based on shungite as an example] Пути повышения продуктивных показателей кур (на примере использования кормовой добавки на основе шунгита)

To increase the efficiency of poultry production, new technologies for keeping and feeding are being developed. At the same time, it is urgent to search for new types of feed and feed additives that stimulate the functional state of young animals and adults. The experiment evaluated efficacy of the Sirtila® and Mustala® mineral additives based on shungite and neutralizing mycotoxins in feeding layers. The potential of the feed additives to maintain and increase productivity, improve feed conversion, in the absence of a negative effect on metabolism, has been shown. Для увеличения эффективности птицеводства разрабатываются новые технологии содержания и кормления. При этом актуальным является поиск новых видов кормов и кормовых добавок, стимулирующих функциональное состояние молодняка и взрослого поголовья. В опыте оценивалась эффективность минеральных добавок «Сиртила®» и «Мустала®» на основе шунгита в качестве нейтрализаторов микотоксинов в кормлении яичных кур. Показан потенциал кормовых добавок к поддержанию и повышению продуктивности, улучшению конверсии корма, при отсутствии отрицательного влияния на метаболизм

[Modern biotechnology to assess the expression of chicken genes in relation to productivity and disease resistance] Современные биотехнологии для оценки экспрессии генов кур в связи с продуктивностью и устойчивостью к заболеваниям

This article highlights the main results obtained in the course of the research performed in 2017–2019 on the basis of the International Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Poultry Genomics of the Department of Zoohygiene and Poultry. A.K. Danilova FGBOU VO MGAVMiB – MBA named after K.I. Skryabin, created under the agreement No. 14. W03.3I.0013 dated February 20, 2017 on the allocation of grants from the Government of the Russian Federation for state support of scientific research conducted under the guidance of leading scientists in Russian educational institutions of higher education. The prospects for the development of the scientific direction  Development of modern biotechnologies for the assessment of gene expression in connection with productivity and resistance to diseases in poultry  are outlined. В данной статье отмечены основные результаты, полученные в ходе выполненных исследований в 2017–2019 гг. на базе международной лаборатории молекулярной генетики и геномики птицы кафедры зоогигиены и птицеводства имени А.К. Даниловой ФГБОУ ВО МГАВМиБ – MBA имени К.И. Скрябина, созданной в рамках договора № 14.W03.3I.0013 от 20 февраля 2017 г. о выделении грантов Правительства Российской Федерации для государственной поддержки научных исследований, проводимых под руководством ведущих ученых в российских образовательных организациях высшего образования. Обозначены перспективы развития научного направления «Разработка современных биотехнологий для оценки экспрессии генов в связи с продуктивностью и устойчивостью к заболеваниям в птицеводстве»

Nutritional modulation of the antioxidant capacities in poultry: the case of vitamin E

Commercial poultry production is associated with a range of stresses, including environmental, technological, nutritional, and internal/biological ones, responsible for decreased productive and reproductive performance of poultry. At the molecular level, most of them are associated with oxidative stress and damages to important biological molecules. Poultry feed contains a range of feed-derived and supplemented antioxidants and, among them, vitamin E is considered as the “headquarters” of the antioxidant defense network. It is well-established that dietary supplementation of selenium, vitamin E, and carotenoids can modulate antioxidant defenses in poultry. The aim of the present paper is to present evidence related to modulation of the antioxidant capacities in poultry by vitamin E. Using 3 model systems including poultry breeders/males, semen, and chicken embryo/postnatal chickens, the possibility of modulation of the antioxidant defense mechanisms has been clearly demonstrated. It was shown that increased vitamin E supplementation in the breeder's or cockerel's diet increased their resistance to various stresses, including high polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), mycotoxin, or heat stress. Increased vitamin E supplementation of poultry males was shown to be associated with significant increases in α-tocopherol level in semen associated with an increased resistance to oxidative stress imposed by various external stressors. Similarly, increased vitamin E concentration in the egg yolk due to dietary supplementation was shown to be associated with increased α-tocopherol concentration in the tissues of the developing embryos and newly hatched chicks resulting in increased antioxidant defenses and decreased lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, increased vitamin E transfer from the feed to egg yolk and further to the developing embryo was shown to be associated with upregulation of antioxidant enzymes reflecting antioxidant system regulation and adaptation. The role of vitamin E in cell signaling and gene expression as well as in interaction with microbiota and maintaining gut health in poultry awaits further investigation

Features of fractal conformity and bioconsolidation in the early myogenesis gene expression and their relationship to the genetic diversity of chicken breeds

Simple Summary In the bodies of animals, including birds, gene expression leads to the synthesis of many proteins. To provide optimal cellular and organismal properties and functions, many genes should work in concert, reaching certain balanced relationships (or networks) between them and the intensities of their expression. Here, we studied the expression of several genes responsible for muscle formation and growth in chick embryos of diverse breeds belonging to various utility types. Using two mathematical (fractal) models and the respective indices, we showed that there are specific coordinated patterns of gene expression in the embryonic breast and thigh muscles. These patterns correlated with growth rate of chicks after hatching and depended on a utility type of the breeds studied. Overall, the proposed models contributed to an expanded understanding of the coordinated gene expression in early development and growth, providing additional characteristics of genetic diversity in chickens. 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

Unraveling signatures of chicken genetic diversity and divergent selection in breed-specific patterns of early myogenesis, nitric oxide metabolism and post-hatch growth

Due to long-term domestication, breeding and divergent selection, a vast genetic diversity in poultry currently exists, with various breeds being characterized by unique phenotypic and genetic features. Assuming that differences between chicken breeds divergently selected for economically and culturally important traits manifest as early as possible in development and growth stages, we aimed to explore breed-specific patterns and interrelations of embryo myogenesis, nitric oxide (NO) metabolism and post-hatch growth rate (GR). These characteristics were explored in eight breeds of different utility types (meat-type, dual purpose, egg-type, game, and fancy) by incubating 70 fertile eggs per breed. To screen the differential expression of seven key myogenesis associated genes (MSTN, GHR, MEF2C, MYOD1, MYOG, MYH1, and MYF5), quantitative real-time PCR was used. We found that myogenesis associated genes expressed in the breast and thigh muscles in a coordinated manner showing breed specificity as a genetic diversity signature among the breeds studied. Notably, coordinated (“accord”) expression patterns of MSTN, GHR, and MEFC2 were observed both in the breast and thigh muscles. Also, associated expression vectors were identified for MYOG and MYOD1 in the breast muscles and for MYOG and MYF5 genes in the thigh muscles. Indices of NO oxidation and post-hatch growth were generally concordant with utility types of breeds, with meat-types breeds demonstrating higher NO oxidation levels and greater GR values as compared to egg-type, dual purpose, game and fancy breeds. The results of this study suggest that differences in early myogenesis, NO metabolism and post-hatch growth are breed-specific; they appropriately reflect genetic diversity and accurately capture the evolutionary history of divergently selected chicken breeds

Modelling effects of phytobiotic administration on coherent responses to Salmonella infection in laying hens

Practice of layer poultry farming and commercial egg production relies on the optimal use and improvement of the welfare and genetically determined functional abilities of laying hens, their efficient intake of feed and its components, adaptation to housing conditions and resistance to infectious diseases including salmonellosis. Previous studies were focussed on relationships of chicken performance and resistance with the expression profiles of individual genes involved in metabolic processes and immune system, or with genetic markers that can be closely associated with these processes in chickens. In this study, mathematical models of coherent changes in laying hens were developed for the expression of eight genes involved in immunity and metabolism, on the one hand, and biochemical and immunological blood parameters, on the other hand, in response to Salmonella infection and administration of a phytobiotic Intebio. The proposed modelling approach can be a further basis for an in-depth research of the relationship between the gene expression, functional state and welfare of poultry, impact of pathogenic microorganisms and use of immunomodulatory drugs

[Mathematical assessment of BAC-based interspecies hybridization data in the process of genomic mapping in the white-throated sparrow as an avian behavioral model] Математическая оценка данных межвидовой БАК-гибридизации в процессе геномного картирования у белошейной зонотрихии как модели поведения птиц

The white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) known for its morphological, behavioral and chromosomal polymorphisms represents a quite new model system to study genomic mechanisms underlying variable behavioral repertoire interwoven with population biology, reproduction and adaptation in this species. It was previously shown that these polymorphisms could be due to chromosomal rearrangements (inversions) on sparrow chromosome 2 (ZAL2) that is characterized by a heterogeneity in two distinct morphs, tan (ZAL2/ZAL2) and white (ZAL2/ZAL2m). To construct a comparative genomic map of ZAL2 and other chromosomes, we used a sparrow genomic BAC library, CHORI-264. Following a cross-species overgo hybridization approach, we screened the library and developed a first-generation BAC-based comparative physical map using the chicken and zebra finch reference genomes. The map includes 640 BAC-gene assignments for 77 loci and serves for further refining the genomic regions and identifying candidate genes that are affected by rearrangements and contribute to the observed behavioral polymorphisms. Mathematical assessment of the BAC-based hybridization data was undertaken to show evolutionary relationships of avian genomes. В настоящей работе представлена математическая оценка межвидовой БАК-гибридизации в процессе геномного картирования у белошейной зонотрихии – вида воробьев, рассматриваемого в качестве удобной модели поведения птиц

Examination of the expression of immunity genes and bacterial profiles in the caecum of growing chickens infected with Salmonella Enteritidis and fed a phytobiotic

This study was performed to investigate the differential expression of eight immunity genes and the bacterial profiles in the caecum of growing chickens challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) at 1 and 23 days post inoculation (dpi) in response to SE infection at 19 days of age and administration of the phytobiotic Intebio. Following infection, the genes CASP6 and IRF7 were upregulated by greater than twofold. Chicks fed Intebio showed at 1 dpi upregulation of AvBD10, IL6, IL8L2, CASP6 and IRF7. At 23 dpi, expression of AvBD11, IL6, IL8L2, CASP6 and IRF7 lowered in the experiment subgroups as compared with the control. Examination of the caecal contents at 1 dpi demonstrated a significant decrease in the microbial biodiversity in the infected subgroup fed normal diet. Bacterial content of Lactobacillus and Bacillus declined, while that of Enterobacteriaceae rose. In the infected subgroup fed Intebio, a pronounced change in composition of the microflora was not observed. In the early infection stages, the phytobiotic seemed to promote response to infection. Subsequently, an earlier suppression of the inflammatory reaction took place in chickens fed Intebio. Thus, use of Intebio as a drug with phytobiotic activity in chickens, including those infected with Salmonella, proved to be promising

Effects of essential oils-based supplement and Salmonella infection on gene expression, blood parameters, cecal microbiome and egg production in laying hens

Simple Summary Salmonellosis is one of the most severe zoonotic diseases transmitted to humans through animal products (especially poultry meat and eggs). Essential oils (EOs)-based feed additives in poultry nutrition are a possible alternative replacement of antimicrobials to fight this infection. In the present study on laying hens, we tested a phytobiotic, Intebio®, and elucidated formation of immune response and changes in cecal microbiocenosis and biochemical/immunological variables in blood caused by Salmonella. Changes in differential gene expression were observed at both one and seven days post-inoculation in the hens’ intestines, revealing similarities with known mammalian/human tissue-specific expression. The results of this study suggest that the challenge of birds with Salmonella had a negative effect, while phytobiotic intake had a positive effect on the status of their gastrointestinal microbiome, their level of metabolism, and their performance. Abstract One of the main roles in poultry resistance to infections caused by Salmonella is attributed to host immunity and intestinal microbiota. We conducted an experiment that involved challenging Lohmann White laying hens with Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), feeding them a diet supplemented with an EOs-based phytobiotic Intebio®. At 1 and 7 days post-inoculation, the expression profiles of eight genes related to immunity, transport of nutrients in the intestine, and metabolism were examined. Cecal microbiome composition and blood biochemical/immunological indices were also explored and egg production traits recorded. As a result, the SE challenge of laying hens and Intebio® administration had either a suppressive or activating effect on the expression level of the studied genes (e.g., IL6 and BPIFB3), the latter echoing mammalian/human tissue-specific expression. There were also effects of the pathogen challenge and phytobiotic intake on the cecal microbiome profiles and blood biochemical/immunological parameters, including those reflecting the activity of the birds’ immune systems (e.g., serum bactericidal activity, β-lysine content, and immunoglobulin levels). Significant differences between control and experimental subgroups in egg performance traits (i.e., egg weight/number/mass) were also found. The phytobiotic administration suggested a positive effect on the welfare and productivity of poultry

[Determination of intestinal microbiocenoses of chickens of the Hisex breed by the T-RFLP method in ontogenesis] Определение микробиоценозов кишечника кур породы «Хайсекс» методом T-RFLP в онтогенезе

Организаторы: Сибирское отделение Российской академии наук; Институт химической биологии и фундаментальной медицины Лаптев Г.Ю., Ильина Л.А., Никонов И.Н., Кочиш И.И., Романов М.Н., Смоленский В.И., Панин А.Н., Йылдырым Е.А., Новикова Н.И., Филиппова В.А., Дубровин А.В. Цель работы: выявление структуры и таксономического состава микроорганизмов слепых отростков ЖКТ кур породы «Хайсекс» в онтогенезе с применением комплекса молекулярно-генетических методов. Исследования состава бактериального сообщества слепых отростков кишечника 40-, 155- и 315-суточных кур-несушек (по 3 из каждой группы) проводили молекулярно-генетическими методами (Т-RFLP и ПЦР в реальном времени). У исследуемой птицы в онтогенезе происходило развитие микробного сообщества ЖКТ, изменение содержания и появление новых микроорганизмов. Отмечено, что спектр выявляемых бактерий был выше у 40- и 155-суточной птицы (221 11 и 258 9 филотипов соответственно) по сравнению с 315-суточными курами-несушками (178 8 филотипов). Также у 315-суточной птицы выявлено наименьшее содержание неидентифицированных филотипов. В слепых отростках ЖКТ взрослой птицы выявлено изменение доминирующих таксономических групп микроорганизмов - более высокая доля бактерий кислот-утилизирующих бактерий класса Negativicutes, целлюлозолитиков класса Clostridia. Обратная тенденция наблюдалась в отношении бактерий классов Bifidobacteriales, Bacillales. Большее содержание лактобактерий порядка Lactobacillales наблюдалась у 315-суточных кур-несушек (33,15 1,05%) по сравнению с 40- (5,13 0,23%) и 155-суточной (24,58 0,86%) птицей. Разнообразие и количество бактерий в слепых отростков ЖКТ, которых традиционно относят к возбудителям различных заболеваний птицы, из родов Enterobacter, Pantoea, Listeria, Acinetobacter, Mycoplasma, семейств Campylobacteraceae, Pasteurellaceae, филума Fusobacteria увеличивается с возрастом птицы. Таким образом, в ходе молекулярно-генетических исследований был определен видовой состав микробиоценозов слепых отростков ЖКТ кур яичной породы «Хайсекс» в онтогенезе. Исследования выполнены при поддержке Министерства образования и науки Российской Федерации, Договор № 14.W03.31.0013 от 20.02.2017 г