Not Available

Not AvailableSemen variables are affected by the breed and strain of chicken. The present study wasundertaken to compare the semen quality in two lines of adult chickens with particularreference to sperm chromatin condensation, sperm DNA damage and sperm membraneproteins. Semen from a PD3 and White Leghorn control line was collected at 46 and 47weeks and 55 weeks of age. The semen was evaluated for gross variables and sperm chro-matin condensation by aniline blue staining. Sperm DNA damage was assessed by usingthe comet assay at 47 weeks of age and sperm membrane proteins were assessed at 55weeks of age. The duration of fertility was studied by inseminating 100 million sperm onceinto the hens of the same line as well as another line. The eggs were collected after insem-ination for 15 days and incubated. The eggs were candled on 18th day of incubation forobserving embryonic development. The White Leghorn control line had a greater spermconcentration and lesser percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm at the differentages where assessments occurred. There was no difference in sperm chromatin condensa-tion, DNA damage and membrane proteins between the lines. Only low molecular weightprotein bands of less than 95 kDa were observed in samples of both lines. The line fromwhich semen was used had no effect on the duration over which fertility was sustainedafter insemination either when used in the same line or another line. Thus, from the resultsof the present study it may be concluded that there was a difference in gross semen vari-ables between the lines that were studied, however, the sperm chromatin condensation,DNA damage, membrane proteins and duration over which fertility was sustained afterinsemination did not differ between the lines.Institut

Not Available

Not AvailableIndigenous chicken breeds are considered to be more disease tolerant than exotic chicken breeds especially for the bacterial diseases. Nicobari and Vanaraja chicken were evaluated for the survivability/mortality patterns and host immune response after experimental infection with P. multocida A1 isolate. The birds were inoculated with 1.9 × 105 CFU/mL through intraperitoneal (I/P) and intranasal (I/N) routes at 2 different age groups viz., 12 wk and 18 wk. Symptoms, mortality rates, lesions in dead birds were observed; Serum from surviving birds of different groups from both breeds were collected at 5, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42nd d and specific antibody titers were measured by indirect ELISA. At 12 wk of age, the mortality rates were 100% and 16% in birds inoculated by I/P and I/N routes respectively in Vanaraja birds; whereas the mortality rates were 50% and 16% I/P and I/N routes respectively in Nicobari birds. At 18 wk of age the mortality rates were 16% and 50% for I/P routes in Nicobari and Vanaraja birds respectively. The mortality rates were 16% for I/N route in both Nicobari and Vanaraja birds. Lesions such as necrotic foci on liver, congestion in the liver were observed in dead birds. Serum titers were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in surviving Nicobari birds inoculated through I/P route followed by I/N route. The peak titers were reached on 14th d postinfection and declined thereafter. However, no significant difference was found in I/N route of inoculation between 2 breeds. Nicobari chicken breed showed significantly higher survivability and longer mean death time than Vanaraja germplasm to experimental Pasteuralla infection at both the ages however the survivability rate in both breeds improved at later ages.Not Availabl

Genetic diversity analysis of C-type lectin like receptors genes in indigenous and white leghorn chickens

Not AvailableC-type lectin like receptors (CLRs), play an important role in immune functions of the organisms. In chicken, B-NK and B-Lec genes encode CLRs that contain C-type lectin like domain. Polymorphism in CDS of B-NK and B-Lec genes were investigated in Ghagus, Nicobari and WLH breeds. Significant variations in polymorphisms were observed among three breeds. Highest number of SNPs was observed in Ghagus followed by Nicobari and WLH breed. Among two genes higher number of SNPs was detected in B-NK as compared to B-Lec gene. In B-NK gene, a total of 32 SNPs were detected in three breeds (24 in Ghagus, 23 in Nicobari and 17 in WLH). The interesting feature of polymorphism in this gene was that almost all SNPs were of NS type. A six bp identical insertion resulting in addition of two amino acids with open reading frame of 681bp was observed in Nicobari and WLH and no such insertion was observed in Ghagus. In B-lec gene, a total of 8 SNPs were detected in Ghagus while only 2 SNPs each in Nicobari and WLH breeds were detected. Phylogenetic analysis of coding sequence nucleotides of B-NK gene clustered Ghagus and red jungle fowl into a separate cluster. Study revealed higher variability in coding sequence of CLR genes in the form of higher SNPs in indigenous breeds of chicken.SER

Not Available

Not AvailableA real time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) assay was developed to detect and quantify the chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV). The two sets of primers specific to VP1 region of CIAV were designed and their sensitivity and efficacy were studied. Both the primers designed in this study were highly sensitive and were able to detect upto 0.01 fg/µl or 82 x 102 copy number of plasmid DNA. The efficiency of the real time PCR was 100.9 %. The results have also shown that the present qPCR assay is 100 times more sensitive than regular qualitative PCR. Both primer sets were validated using 28 field poultry samples and showed good results. The optimized real-time quantitative PCR will be useful in quick detection of field outbreaks, sub-clinical infection in poultry flocks, virus pathogenesis studies and for detecting vaccine contamination.Not Availabl

Not Available

Not AvailableA study on the effect of feeding of Nicobari fowl breeders with Andrographis panniculata (Kalmegh) and Morinda citrifolia (Noni) and its subsequent effect on TLR (Toll like receptors) expression in post-hatch chicks was carried out. Two hundred seventy breeding Nicobari fowls were assigned to each of three dietary treatments namely, T1: Control groups; T2: Kalmegh @ 3g per bird per day; T3: Noni @ 10ml per bird per day. Chicks were hatched out from experimental groups and at 15 days of age, spleen samples were collected from chicks through slaughter. Expression of TLR was quantified with Real-Time PCR (QPCR) and fold difference in expression of different TLRs was analysed. Supplementation Kalmegh significantly improved the expression levels of TLR3, TLR4, TLR5, by 5.4, 9.7 and 1.6 times, respectively as compared to control; while noni supplementation up regulated the expression levels of respective TLRs by 2.9, 5.0 and 0.48 times. We concluded that in vivo exposure to bioactive components present in herbal plants up regulated the expression of TLR4 and TLR5 in chicks that is responsive for their antiviral inducing property at gene level. Thereby kalmegh and noni might be promising alternatives for antibiotic growth promoters.Not Availabl

Not Available

Not AvailableToll-like receptors (TLRs) play a crucial role in innate immune response of mammalian and avian species. The chicken TLR repertoire consists of ten genes. TLR15 is avian specific TLR with no mammalian homologue. The present study has characterized full-length coding sequence of TLR15 in Japanese quail and Indian indigenous chicken (Aseel and Kadaknath). Open reading frame of all three sequences were 2,607bp long encoding 868 amino acids similar to that of broiler chicken. Japanese quail, Aseel and Kadaknath sequences showed 95.1%, 99.7% and 99.8% similarity with broiler chicken TLR15 sequence at nucleotide level respectively. Domain architecture analysis revealed minor variations in number and position of leucine rich repeats (LRRs) in the ectodomain region of all three sequences. Phylogenetic analysis revealed TLR15 groups with high bootstrap support to avian TLR1 family members. TLR15 mRNA expression in a range of tissues as quantified by real time PCR was found significantly (P<0.01) higher in Aseel in comparison to Kadaknath and Japanese quail in most of the tissues investigated.Not Availabl

Not Available

Not AvailableSemen variables are affected by the breed and strain of chicken. The present study was undertaken to compare the semen quality in two lines of adult chickens with particular reference to sperm chromatin condensation, sperm DNA damage and sperm membrane proteins. Semen from a PD3 and White Leghorn control line was collected at 46 and 47 weeks and 55 weeks of age. The semen was evaluated for gross variables and sperm chromatin condensation by aniline blue staining. Sperm DNA damage was assessed by using the comet assay at 47 weeks of age and sperm membrane proteins were assessed at 55 weeks of age. The duration of fertility was studied by inseminating 100 million sperm once into the hens of the same line as well as another line. The eggs were collected after insemination for 15 days and incubated. The eggs were candled on 18th day of incubation for observing embryonic development. The White Leghorn control line had a greater sperm concentration and lesser percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm at the different ages where assessments occurred. There was no difference in sperm chromatin condensation, DNA damage and membrane proteins between the lines. Only low molecular weight protein bands of less than 95 kDa were observed in samples of both lines. The line from which semen was used had no effect on the duration over which fertility was sustained after insemination either when used in the same line or another line. Thus, from the results of the present study it may be concluded that there was a difference in gross semen variables between the lines that were studied, however, the sperm chromatin condensation, DNA damage, membrane proteins and duration over which fertility was sustained after insemination did not differ between the lines.Not Availabl

Not Available

Not Available1. The survivability, innate and adaptive immunity, growth and production traits up to 72 weeks of age were determined in Ghagus, Nicobari (unimproved indigenous) and White Leghorn (WLH) breeds and the study investigated links between innate and adaptive immunity and survivability and production traits. 2. At 20 and 40 weeks of age, there was a significant effect of breed on innate immunity assessed by measuring titres of natural antibody (NAb) binding to rabbit red blood cells (RRBC) and adaptive immunity assessed by measuring specific antibody titre (SpAb) to Newcastle disease virus. 3. Highest survivability was in WLH (91.6%) followed by Nicobari (87.1%) and Ghagus (82.9%) breeds. Growth traits at different ages were higher (P< 0.001) in Ghagus followed by WLH and Nicobari breeds. Egg production up to 72 weeks was higher (P < 0.001) in WLH followed by Nicobari and Ghagus breeds, whereas egg weight at different ages was higher (P < 0.001) in WLH than Ghagus and Nicobari breeds. 4. NAb titres measured at 20 weeks were significantly (P = 0.002) associated with the survivability of hens during 20 to 72 weeks of age. Breed-wise analysis showed a significant (P = 0.019) association between NAb titres at 20 weeks and survivability in the Ghagus breed. Furthermore, NAb titres at 20 weeks were higher in hens which survived to 72 weeks compared with those that died (P = 0.002). 5. Measuring NAb titres to RRBC is quick, economical and simple. This method has potential to be used in a breeding programme to increase survivability of laying hens.SER

Not Available

Not AvailableChicken Mx protein confers resistance against viral infections including avian influenza virus. Mx protein is one of the strong antiviral proteins induced by interferon system. Different alleles of chicken Mx gene have been shown to vary in their antiviral activity against influenza virus. A non-synonymous mutation at position 2032 of chicken Mx gene responsible for variation of amino acid (Ser to Asn) in Mx protein is responsible for negative to positive antiviral activity of Mx protein. In the present study it was analyzed that SNP at G2032A in chicken Mx gene in two Indian native chicken breeds, Aseel, Kadaknath and compared with White Leghorn layer. A total of 90 samples, including 50 of White Leghorn and 20 each from native chicken breed were screened for SNP at position 2032 of Mx gene by using real time multiplex allele specific PCR. The resistant allele (A) frequency is higher than susceptible allele in all three chicken breeds investigated. Among the breeds, the resistant allele frequency (A) is higher in White Leghorn (0.95) followed by Aseel (0.75) and Kadaknath (0.625). Homozygous to resistant allele (AA) is the major genotype in White Leghorn whereas heterozygous to both alleles is the major genotype in Kadaknath. Variations in the gene frequency might have emerged from varying degree of selection pressure the different breeds had undergone. In future, the resistant genotype could be selected in modern breeding programs to improve the genetic status for disease resistance against viral infections.Not Availabl

Not Available

Not AvailablePattern recognition receptors (PRR) such as Toll-like receptors, NOD-like receptors, RIG-I helicase receptors, and C-type lectin receptors play a critical role in innate immunity as a first line of defense against invading pathogens through recognition of pathogen and/or damage-associated molecular patterns. Genetic makeup of birds is known to play a role in resistance or susceptibility to various infectious diseases. Therefore, the present study was carried out to elucidate the differential expression of PRR and some of the cytokine genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of indigenous chicken breeds such as Ghagus and Nicobari and an exotic chicken breed, White Leghorn (WLH). The stability of expression of reference genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 3 breeds was first determined using NormFinder and BestKeeper programs. NormFinder determined B2M and G6PDH reference genes as the best combination with stability value of 0.38. Out of total 14 genes studied expression of ten genes was found to be significantly different among 3 breeds after normalization with these reference genes. Ghagus breed showed higher level of expression of TLR1LB, TLR7, NOD1, NOD5, B-Lec, IFNβ, IL1β, and IL8 genes when compared to Nicobari breed. Further, Ghagus showed higher expression of TLR1LB, MDA5, LGP2, B-Lec, IL1β, and IL8 genes as compared to WLH breed. Higher expression of LGP2 and MDA5 genes was observed in Nicobari compared to the WLH breed while higher expression of TLR7, NOD1, NOD5, and IFNβ genes was observed in WLH as compared to Nicobari breed. No difference was observed in the expression of TLR1LA, TLR3, B-NK, and IFNα genes among 3 breeds. Study revealed significant breed effect in expression profile of PRR and some of the cytokine genes and Ghagus breed seems to have better expression profile of these genes linked to the innate immunity when compared to the WLH and Nicobar breeds.Science and Engineering Research Boar