Linking gastrointestinal tract structure, function, and gene expression signatures to growth variability in broilers: a novel interpretation for flock uniformity.
Akram, Muhammad Zeeshan; Sureda, Ester Arévalo; Corion, Matthiaset al.
[en] Variation in body weight (BW) within broiler flocks is a significant challenge in poultry production. Investigating differences in gut-related parameters between low (LBW) and high BW (HBW) chicks may provide insights into the underlying causes of BW heterogeneity. 908 day-old male broiler chicks were reared until d 7 and then ranked into LBW and HBW groups. Thereafter, performance parameters were compared between BW groups periodically. On d 7, 14, and 38, visceral organ characteristics, intestinal permeability, and duodenal and ileal histomorphology were examined. Expression profiles were analyzed for 79 ileal genes related to gut barrier function, immune function, nutrient transport, gut hormones, nutrient receptors, metabolism, and oxidation using high-throughput qPCR. Student's t-tests were performed to compare measurements. Multivariate statistics, including partial least square regression (PLSR) analysis, were applied to identify combinations of key genes discriminating BW groups, offering predictive capability for phenotypic variations. The HBW group remained heavier at each timepoint, which could be explained by higher feed intake. The HBW group had shorter relative small intestine length but higher villus height and villi height/crypt depth ratios. The LBW group demonstrated increased intestinal permeability on d 38. The LBW group showed upregulation of immune response genes including TNF-α on d 7 and CYP450 on d 38, while the HBW group showed higher AHSA1 and HSPA4 expressions on d 7. The LBW group had upregulation of the metabolism genes mTOR and EIF4EBP1 on d 7 and the satiety-induced hormone cholecystokinin on d 14, while the HBW group tended to increase expression of the hunger hormone ghrelin on d 38. Genes related to gut barrier function, nutrient transport, and oxidation categories were consistently upregulated in the HBW group. PLSR models revealed 4, 12, and 11 sets of key genes highly predictive of BW phenotypes on d 7, 14, and 38, respectively. These findings suggest that growth rates are linked to the intestinal size, structure, and function of broiler chickens, offering insights into the underlying mechanisms regulating BW.
Sureda, Ester Arévalo ; Nutrition and Animal-Microbiota Ecosystems Laboratory, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3000-Heverlee, Belgium
Corion, Matthias ; Nutrition and Animal-Microbiota Ecosystems Laboratory, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3000-Heverlee, Belgium
Comer, Luke; Nutrition and Animal-Microbiota Ecosystems Laboratory, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3000-Heverlee, Belgium
Everaert, Nadia ; Nutrition and Animal-Microbiota Ecosystems Laboratory, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3000-Heverlee, Belgium. Electronic address: nadia.everaert@kuleuven.be
Language :
English
Title :
Linking gastrointestinal tract structure, function, and gene expression signatures to growth variability in broilers: a novel interpretation for flock uniformity.
H2020 - 955374 - MonoGutHealth - TRAINING AND RESEARCH FOR SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT AND SUSTAIN GUT HEALTH AND REDUCE LOSSES IN MONOGASTRIC LIVESTOCK
Funders :
EU - European Union
Funding text :
This research work was supported by the MONOGUTHEALTH project which has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks grant agreement No. 955374. We acknowledge expertise provided by Vanden Avenne in formulating the feed for this animal trial. Consent for Publication: Not applicable. Availability of Data and Material: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information file. Author Contributions: The contributions of the authors were as follows: N.E. acquired the funding. N.E. and M.Z.A. conceived the study design. M.Z.A. and E.A.S. conducted the animal trial and the laboratory work. M.Z.A. performed data analysis and wrote the manuscript. M.Z.A. and M.C. performed the multivariate analysis. N.E. E.A.S, M.C. and L.C. revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.This research work was supported by the MONOGUTHEALTH project which has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks grant agreement No. 955374.
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