Quantitative trait loci mapping of sexual maturity traits applied to chicken breeding

Many phenotypes are controlled by factors which include the genes, the environment, interactions between genes and interaction between the genotypes and the environment. Great strides have been made to understand how these various factors affect traits of agricultural, medical and environmental importance. The chicken is regarded as a model organism whose study would not only assist efforts towards increased agricultural productivity but also provide insight into the genetic determination of traits with potential application in understanding human health and disease. Detection of genomic regions or loci responsible for controlling quantitative traits (QTL) in poultry has focussed mainly on growth and production traits with limited information on reproductive traits. Most of the reported results have used additive-dominance models which are easy to implement because they ignore epistatic gene action despite indications that it may be important for traits with low heritability and high heterosis. The thesis presents results on the detection of loci and genetic mechanisms involved in sexual maturity traits through modelling both additive-dominance gene actions and epistasis. The study was conducted on an F2 broiler x White Leghorn layer cross for QTL detection for age, weight, abdominal fat, ovary weight, oviduct weight, comb weight, number of ovarian yellow follicles, a score for the persistence of the right oviduct and bone density. In addition, body weight QTL at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 weeks of age, QTL for growth rate between the successive ages and QTL for the parameters of the growth curve were also detected. Most of the QTL for traits at sexual maturity acted additively. A few of the QTL explained a modest proportion of the phenotypic variation with most of the QTL explaining a small component of the cumulative proportion of the variation explained by the QTL. Body weight QTL were critical in determining the attainment of puberty. The broiler allele had positive effects on weight at first egg and negative effects on age at first egg. Most QTL affecting weight at first egg overlapped with QTL for age at first egg and for early growth rate (6-9 weeks) suggesting that growth rate QTL are intimately related to the onset of puberty. Specific QTL for early and adult growth were detected but most QTL had varying influence on growth throughout life. Chromosome 4 harboured most of QTL for the assessed traits which explained the highest proportion of the phenotypic variation in the traits confirming its critical role in influencing traits of economic importance. There was no evidence for epistasis for almost all the studied traits. Evidence for role of epistasis was significant for ovary weight and suggestive for both growth rate and abdominal fat

The socio-economic aspects involved in compliance to antiretroviral therapy : Princess Marina Hospital, Gaborone

This study emanates from the need to understand the socio-economic factors that might have contributed to the patients dropping out of the MASA antiretroviral therapy programme in Botswana. The aim of the study was to explore the socio-economic factors that are involved in compliance to antiretroviral therapy. It is crucial to know what these factors are and the strategies that can be deployed to address them. This will assist in the achievement of the programme goals. The type of research that was used is applied research. One of the primary rationales of applied research is that the study may have some practical use. The purpose of applied research is to contribute knowledge that will help people understand the nature of the problem in order to intervene, and this was the main motivation for this study. Since the MASA programme was launched, there were some patients who were ‘lost to follow-up’. As a result, there was a need to understand the reasons behind this phenomenon, so that the patients who are enrolled on the programme are retained. In order to gain an in-depth understanding of how the socio-economic factors affect compliance with antiretroviral therapy, phenomenology was used as a research strategy. Using the phenomenological strategy helps in understanding the nature or meaning of the respondents’ everyday experiences and to transform experiences into consciousness. The sampling method that was used is probability sampling, utilising availability sampling. The population for this study was HIV positive adults who had dropped out of the MASA Programme at Princess Marina Hospital, IDCC clinic in Botswana. The data collection instrument that was used was the interview schedule. From the conclusions, it is apparent that the socio-economic factors are crucial and should therefore be given more attention if better compliance is to be realised. In the same breath, patients require counselling that will focus, not only on the medical aspects of HIV/AIDS but also on the socio-economic factors. As shown in this study it is predominantly the socio-economic factors that led to patients dropping out of the programme. Social workers can play a critical role in this regard as they are equipped with counselling skills. Lastly, the conclusions and recommendation arising from this study are provided.Dissertation (MA (Social Health Care))--University of Pretoria, 2007.Social Work and Criminologyunrestricte

Comparative analysis of quantitative trait loci for body weight, growth rate and growth curve parameters from 3 to 72 weeks of age in female chickens of a broiler-layer cross

Background: Comparisons of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for growth and parameters of growth curves assist in understanding the genetics and ultimately the physiology of growth. Records of body weight at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 weeks of age and growth rate between successive age intervals of about 500 F female chickens of the Roslin broiler-layer cross were available for analysis. These data were analysed to detect and compare QTL for body weight, growth rate and parameters of the Gompertz growth function.Results: Over 50 QTL were identified for body weight at specific ages and most were also detected in the nearest preceding and/or subsequent growth stage. The sum of the significant and suggestive additive effects for bodyweight at specific ages accounted for 23-43% of the phenotypic variation. A single QTL for body weight on chromosome 4 at 48 weeks of age had the largest additive effect (550.4 ± 68.0 g, 11.5% of the phenotypic variation) and a QTL at a similar position accounted 14.5% of the phenotypic variation at 12 weeks of age. Age specific QTL for growth rate were detected suggesting that there are specific genes that affect developmental processes during the different stages of growth. Relatively few QTL influencing Gompertz growth curve parameters were detected and overlapped with loci affecting growth rate. Dominance effects were generally not significant but from 12 weeks of age they exceeded the additive effect in a few cases. No evidence for epistatic QTL pairs was found.Conclusions: The results confirm the location for body weight and body weight gain during growth that were identified in previous studies and were consistent with QTL for the parameters of the Gompertz growth function. Chromosome 4 explained a relatively large proportion of the observed growth variation across the different ages, and also harboured most of the detected QTL for Gompertz parameters, confirming its importance in controlling growth. Very few QTL were detected for body weight or gain at 48 and 72 weeks of age, probably reflecting the effect of differences in reproduction and random environmental effects

Bone mineral density QTL at sexual maturity and end of lay

1. An F cross of a broiler male line and a White Leghorn layer line was used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for bone density at the onset of lay and at the end of the laying period. A total of 686 measures of humeral bone density were available for analysis.2. There was no evidence for epistasis.3. Genome-wide significant QTL for bone density at the onset of lay were identified on chromosomes 1 (311 cM) and 8 (2 cM) and on chromosomes 1 (311 cM), 3 (57 cM) and 8 (2 cM) with a covariate for the number of yellow follicles (a proxy for the concentration of circulating oestrogen).4. Evidence for only 4 chromosome-wide suggestive QTL were detected at the end of lay (72 weeks).5. Analysis of the combined data confirmed two genome-wide suggestive QTL on chromosome 1 (137 and 266 cM) and on chromosomes 8 (2 cM) and 9 (10 cM) in analyses with or without the covariate.6. Positive QTL alleles came from the broiler line with the exception of 2 suggestive QTL at the onset of lay on chromosomes 3 and 5 in an analysis with the covariate.7. In general, QTL acted additively, except that dominant effects were identified for three suggestive QTL at the onset of lay on chromosomes 3 (57 and 187 cM) and 5 (9 cM).8. The significant QTL in this study were at similar locations to QTL identified in a range of crosses in other publications, suggesting that they are prime candidates for the search for genes and mutations that could be used as selection criteria to improve bone strength and decrease fractures in commercial laying hens

Evidence of balanced diversity at the chicken interleukin 4 receptor alpha chain locus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The comparative analysis of genome sequences emerging for several avian species with the fully sequenced chicken genome enables the genome-wide investigation of selective processes in functionally important chicken genes. In particular, because of pathogenic challenges it is expected that genes involved in the chicken immune system are subject to particularly strong adaptive pressure. Signatures of selection detected by inter-species comparison may then be investigated at the population level in global chicken populations to highlight potentially relevant functional polymorphisms.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Comparative evolutionary analysis of chicken (<it>Gallus gallus</it>) and zebra finch (<it>Taeniopygia guttata</it>) genes identified interleukin 4 receptor alpha-chain (IL-4Rα), a key cytokine receptor as a candidate with a significant excess of substitutions at nonsynonymous sites, suggestive of adaptive evolution. Resequencing and detailed population genetic analysis of this gene in diverse village chickens from Asia and Africa, commercial broilers, and in outgroup species red jungle fowl (JF), grey JF, Ceylon JF, green JF, grey francolin and bamboo partridge, suggested elevated and balanced diversity across all populations at this gene, acting to preserve different high-frequency alleles at two nonsynonymous sites.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Haplotype networks indicate that red JF is the primary contributor of diversity at chicken IL-4Rα: the signature of variation observed here may be due to the effects of domestication, admixture and introgression, which produce high diversity. However, this gene is a key cytokine-binding receptor in the immune system, so balancing selection related to the host response to pathogens cannot be excluded.</p

Sex differences in basal hypothalamic anorectic and orexigenic gene expression and the effect of quantitative and qualitative food restriction

Abstract Background Research into energy balance and growth has infrequently considered genetic sex, yet there is sexual dimorphism for growth across the animal kingdom. We test the hypothesis that in the chicken, there is a sex difference in arcuate nucleus neuropeptide gene expression, since previous research indicates hypothalamic AGRP expression is correlated with growth potential and that males grow faster than females. Because growth has been heavily selected in some chicken lines, food restriction is necessary to improve reproductive performance and welfare, but this increases hunger. Dietary dilution has been proposed to ameliorate this undesirable effect. We aimed to distinguish the effects of gut fullness from nutritional feedback on hypothalamic gene expression and its interaction with sex. Methods Twelve-week-old male and female fast-growing chickens were either released from restriction and fed ad libitum or a restricted diet plus 15% w/w ispaghula husk, a non-nutritive bulking agent, for 2 days. A control group remained on quantitative restriction. Hypothalamic arcuate nucleus neuropeptides were measured using real-time PCR. To confirm observed sex differences, the experiment was repeated using only ad libitum and restricted fed fast-growing chickens and in a genetically distinct breed of ad libitum fed male and female chickens. Linear mixed models (Genstat 18) were used for statistical analysis with transformation where appropriate. Results There were pronounced sex differences: expression of the orexigenic genes AGRP (P < 0.001) and NPY (P < 0.002) was higher in males of the fast-growing strain. In genetically distinct chickens, males had higher AGRP mRNA (P = 0.002) expression than females, suggesting sex difference was not restricted to a fast-growing strain. AGRP (P < 0.001) expression was significantly decreased in ad libitum fed birds but was high and indistinguishable between birds on a quantitative versus qualitative restricted diet. Inversely, gene expression of the anorectic genes POMC and CART was significantly higher in ad libitum fed birds but no consistent sex differences were observed. Conclusion Expression of orexigenic peptides in the avian hypothalamus are significantly different between sexes. This could be useful starting point of investigating further if AGRP is an indicator of growth potential. Results also demonstrate that gut fill alone does not reduce orexigenic gene expression

Genetic loci inherited from hens lacking maternal behaviour both inhibit and paradoxically promote this behaviour

International audienceBackground A major step towards the success of chickens as a domesticated species was the separation between maternal care and reproduction. Artificial incubation replaced the natural maternal behaviour of incubation and, thus, in certain breeds, it became possible to breed chickens with persistent egg production and no incubation behaviour; a typical example is the White Leghorn strain. Conversely, some strains, such as the Silkie breed, are prized for their maternal behaviour and their willingness to incubate eggs. This is often colloquially known as broodiness.ResultsUsing an F2 linkage mapping approach and a cross between White Leghorn and Silkie chicken breeds, we have mapped, for the first time, genetic loci that affect maternal behaviour on chromosomes 1, 5, 8, 13, 18 and 19 and linkage group E22C19W28. Paradoxically, heterozygous and White Leghorn homozygous genotypes were associated with an increased incidence of incubation behaviour, which exceeded that of the Silkie homozygotes for most loci. In such cases, it is likely that the loci involved are associated with increased egg production. Increased egg production increases the probability of incubation behaviour occurring because egg laying must precede incubation. For the loci on chromosomes 8 and 1, alleles from the Silkie breed promote incubation behaviour and influence maternal behaviour (these explain 12 and 26 % of the phenotypic difference between the two founder breeds, respectively).ConclusionsThe over-dominant locus on chromosome 5 coincides with the strongest selective sweep reported in chickens and together with the loci on chromosomes 1 and 8, they include genes of the thyrotrophic axis. This suggests that thyroid hormones may play a critical role in the loss of incubation behaviour and the improved egg laying behaviour of the White Leghorn breed. Our findings support the view that loss of maternal incubation behaviour in the White Leghorn breed is the result of selection for fertility and egg laying persistency and against maternal incubation behaviour