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Nucleus (Austin, Tex.) Dec 2020Lamins interact with the nuclear membrane and chromatin but the precise players and mechanisms of these interactions are unknown. Here, we tested whether the removal of...
Lamins interact with the nuclear membrane and chromatin but the precise players and mechanisms of these interactions are unknown. Here, we tested whether the removal of the CaaX motif from Lamin B disrupts its attachment to the nuclear membrane and affects chromatin distribution. We used homozygous mutants that lack the CaaX box. We found that the mutant Lamin B was not confined to the nuclear periphery but was distributed throughout the nuclear interior, colocalizing with chromosomes in salivary gland and proventriculus. The peripheral position of Lamin C, nuclear pore complex (NPC), heterochromatin protein 1a (HP1a), H3K9me2- and H3K27me3-associated chromatin remained intact. The fluorescence intensity of the DAPI-stained peripheral chromatin significantly decreased and that of the central chromatin significantly increased in the proventriculus nuclei of the mutantflies compared to wild-type. However, the mutation had little effect on chromatin radial distribution inside highly polytenized salivary gland nuclei.
Topics: Animals; Chromatin; Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; Drosophila Proteins; Drosophila melanogaster; Histones; Homozygote; Lamin Type B; Lamins; Mutation; Nuclear Pore
PubMed: 32960740
DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2020.1819704 -
Poultry Science Sep 2021Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a tumor suppressor gene, functions in antiviral innate immunity and regulates the development and function of T cells and B cells....
Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a tumor suppressor gene, functions in antiviral innate immunity and regulates the development and function of T cells and B cells. However, limited information about PTEN is available in poultry. In the present study, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry staining were used to study the tissue distribution and developmental changes of PTEN in the main immune organs of chicken. The effects of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) infection on PTEN mRNA expression in the bursa of Fabricius (BF) of chickens were also investigated. The results are as follows. 1) The order of PTEN mRNA expression levels at the 18th d of hatching (E18) was: muscle and immune organs (spleen and thymus) > visceral organs (heart, lung, kidney, and liver) > hypothalamus and digestive tracts (duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, proventriculus, BF [originates from cloaca], and cecum tonsil [locates at the lamina propria of cecum]). However, at the 15th d of raising (D15), the PTEN mRNA expression in the heart was the highest among all the tissues, followed by those in the liver, proventriculus, and kidney. The PTEN mRNA expression levels in the rest tissues were very low and were only 1.20 to 19.47% as much as that in the heart (P < 0.05). 2) The changes in the expression of PTEN mRNA in the BF, spleen, and thymus from E15 to D15 had no obvious regularity. PTEN-immunopositive (PTEN-ip) cells in the BF were distributed in epithelium mucosa, bursal follicles and interfollicles before hatching, but only in bursal follicles after hatching. PTEN-ip cells in the spleen were expressed in the periarterial lymphatic sheath from E18 to D15. Most of PTEN-ip cells distributed in the thymic medulla and only a few distributed in the thymic cortex during the whole experiment. 3) Chicken with IBDV infection had a remarkable decrease in PTEN mRNA expression from 1 d postinfection (dpi) to 7 dpi. Although PTEN mRNA level was reversed at 7 dpi, it was still significantly lower than that at 0 dpi (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the PTEN of chicken might play important roles in the development of embryos and T/B lymphocytes, and the downregulation of PTEN in chickens infected with IBDV might be a mechanism of IBDV evasion from host immunity. Strategies designed to restore PTEN expression may be a therapy for preventing chickens from IBDV infection.
Topics: Animals; Birnaviridae Infections; Bursa of Fabricius; Chickens; Infectious bursal disease virus; Poultry Diseases; Tissue Distribution
PubMed: 34358959
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101356 -
Journal of Animal Science and Technology Mar 2020A 4×2 factorial feeding trial was designed to investigate the effect of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with cottonseed meal (CSM) in wheat/sorghum/SBM-based diets fed...
A 4×2 factorial feeding trial was designed to investigate the effect of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with cottonseed meal (CSM) in wheat/sorghum/SBM-based diets fed with or without microbial enzymes in diets on the performance, visceral organ development and digestibility of nutrients of broiler chickens. Four graded levels of CSM - none (0%), low (4%, 8%, and 12%), medium (5%, 10%, and 15%), and high (6%, 12%, and 18%) of complete diets in starter, grower and finisher, respectively were fed with or without 100 mg/kg of xylanase and β-glucanase blend. Eight isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets were formulated using least-cost method to meet the nutrient specifications of Ross 308 male broilers. Each treatment was randomly assigned to 6 replicates (10 birds per replicate). There were CSM-enzyme interactions ( < 0.05) on feed intake (FI) and weight gain (WG) in the starter phase. Enzyme supplementation improved ( < 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) in the grower and finisher phases, and increased WG in growing and finishing birds. CSM inclusion reduced ( < 0.05) the weight of gizzard and proventriculus in starter chicks, while these organs were bigger ( < 0.05) in the grower phase. The test ingredient decreased ( < 0.05) small intestinal weight in starter and grower birds. The CSM increased the absolute weight of thighs ( < 0.05) while breast meat was increased ( < 0.01) by enzyme addition. Starch digestibility was improved ( < 0.01) by enzyme inclusion and decreased ( < 0.01) by CSM. Enzyme supplementation improved ( < 0.05) the ileal digestibility of gross energy and protein. The results demonstrate that CSM can substitute up to 90% SBM in broiler chicken diets without compromising performance, and the nutritive value of CSM-containing diets can effectively be improved by enzyme supplementation.
PubMed: 32292923
DOI: 10.5187/jast.2020.62.2.159 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... May 2022Raising dual-purpose hens for meat is believed to bring more economic benefits to farmers selling products directly to consumers. The aim of the study was to determine...
Raising dual-purpose hens for meat is believed to bring more economic benefits to farmers selling products directly to consumers. The aim of the study was to determine the differences between the carcass features and the digestive system of multipurpose hens and spent broiler breeders. In the experiment, 20 carcasses of 70-week-old Rosa 1 dual-purpose hens and 20 carcasses of 62-week-old Ross 308 broiler breeders were used. Measurements of the length of various sections of the intestine and the diameter of individual intestinal segments were made. During the gutting, proventriculus, gizzard, liver, heart, and spleen were separated and then weighed. Dual-purpose hens differed significantly (p < 0.05) from broiler breeders in weight and carcass dimensions. Multipurpose hens were characterized by significantly lower (p < 0.05) percentages of breast muscles, leg muscles, skin with subcutaneous fat, wings, and carcass remainders. Broiler breeders were characterized by significantly longer (p > 0.05) total intestinal length, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and terminal intestine. Significant differences were confirmed in terms of the diameter of some segments of the intestine. Broiler breeder hens also had a greater mass of internal organs compared to the dual-purpose layer hens.
PubMed: 35625166
DOI: 10.3390/ani12101320 -
Veterinary Sciences Dec 2021An adult female osprey () was found weak and unable to fly in Auburn, Alabama in August 2019. The bird was captured and submitted to the Southeastern Raptor Center of...
An adult female osprey () was found weak and unable to fly in Auburn, Alabama in August 2019. The bird was captured and submitted to the Southeastern Raptor Center of the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine for evaluation. On presentation, the bird was thin with a body condition score of approximately 1.5 out of 5. The bird died during the examination and was submitted for necropsy. At the necropsy, there was a severe loss of muscle mass over the body, and the keel was prominent. The liver and spleen were moderately enlarged with pale tan to red foci randomly scattered throughout the parenchyma. A histopathologic observation revealed multifocal to coalescing areas of necrosis and hemorrhage with intralesional protozoans in the liver, spleen, lungs, kidney, sciatic nerve, esophagus, cerebrum, heart, and proventriculus. Immunohistochemistry using anti--specific antibodies showed a strong positive labeling of the parasite. Semi-nested PCR, specific for the B1 gene of , successfully identified . This is the first confirmed case of infection in an osprey.
PubMed: 35051089
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9010005 -
Veterinary Sciences Oct 2022The purpose of this work was to study the effects of substitution of fishmeal by housefly larvae at different rates and different physical states in the diet of local...
The purpose of this work was to study the effects of substitution of fishmeal by housefly larvae at different rates and different physical states in the diet of local chickens. Five diets consisted of LFD, 25DL, 50DL, 25FL and 50FL, respectively, larval-free, 25%-dried-larvae, 50%-dried-larvae, 25%-fresh-larvae and 50%-fresh-larvae diet, in which 0, 25 and 50% of fishmeal was replaced by dried and fresh larvae, was formulated. A total of 165 local chickens of three weeks old, divided into 15 boxes in batches of 11 animals were raised. The experiment consists of three replications of five treatments. At 14 weeks of age, sixty chickens were slaughtered. Butchery skills and sensory characteristics were evaluated. Thus, a small variation of the ultimate pH from 5.63 to 5.55 between the different types of meat, and a carcass yield around 66%, was recorded. Any effects of substitution rate and physical state of housefly larvae on growth performance was not observed. Feet and proventriculus percentages increased in chickens fed 25% substitution. Liver and spleen percentage, and redder breast meat, increased in chicken fed dried larvae. Yellowness of the breast, thigh-and-drumstick meat and juiciness increased with 50% substitution. There is need of an investigation for liver and spleen enlargement and housefly larvae containing pigments. Thus, housefly larvae up to 50% substitution can be a suitable alternative to fishmeal in local chicken diets.
PubMed: 36288166
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9100553 -
Animal : An International Journal of... May 2022Hatching concepts such as on-farm hatching provide an opportunity to supply newly hatched chickens with optimal nutrition that support growth and development of a...
Hatching concepts such as on-farm hatching provide an opportunity to supply newly hatched chickens with optimal nutrition that support growth and development of a healthy gut. Brown algae contain bioactive compounds, especially laminarin and fucoidan that may improve intestinal health and immune responses. This study aimed to examine the effects of early access to feed and water posthatch and feed supplementation with algal extract rich in laminarin from Laminaria digitata, on growth performance, organ and microbiota development and antibody production. A total of 432 Ross 308 chicks were allotted to 36 rearing pens in a 2 × 3 factorial design with two hatching treatments and three dietary treatments. During chick placement, half of the pens were directly provided access to feed and water (Early) while half of the pens were deprived of feed and water for 38 h (Late). The chicks were fed three different starter diets until day 6; a wheat-soybean meal-based control diet, a diet with low inclusion of algal extract (0.057%) and a diet with high inclusion of algal extract (0.114%). Feed intake and BW were registered on pen basis at placement, days 1, 6, 12, 19, 26, 33 and 40. To induce antibody responses, all chicks were vaccinated against avian pneumovirus on day 10. Three chicks per pen were selected as focal animals and used for blood sampling on days 10 and 39. On days 6, 19, and 40, two birds per pen were killed and used for organ measurement and caecal digesta sampling for gut microbiota analysis using the Illumina Miseq PE 250 sequencing platform. Results showed that algal extract did not influence gut microbiota, gut development or vaccine-induced antibody responses. However, during the first 38 h, early-fed chicks consumed on average 19.6 g of feed and gained 27% in BW, while late-fed chicks lost 9.1% in BW which lowered BW and feed intake throughout the study (P < 0.05). Late chicks also had longer relative intestine, higher relative (g/kg BW) weight of gizzard and proventriculus but lower relative bursa weight on day 6 (P < 0.05). No effects of hatching treatment on microbiota or antibody response were detected. The microbiota was affected by age, where alpha diversity increased with age. In conclusion, this study showed that early access to feed but not algal extract improved the growth performance throughout the 40-day growing period, and stimulated early bursa development.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Antibody Formation; Chickens; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Plant Extracts; Vaccines; Water
PubMed: 35468509
DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2022.100522 -
Insects Mar 2023() is a highly specialized species of Nitidulidae in China that takes pollen as its main food source, and its main host plant is L. (Rosaceae). In this study, the...
() is a highly specialized species of Nitidulidae in China that takes pollen as its main food source, and its main host plant is L. (Rosaceae). In this study, the structural morphology of the alimentary canal and Malpighian tubules of adult . (.) was observed under light, fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy. The alimentary canal of adult . (.) is divided into foregut, midgut, and hindgut. The foregut is the shortest and consists of the pharynx, esophagus, proventriculus, and cardiac valve. The midgut is a straight, distended, cylindrical, thin-walled tube. Numerous blunt-fingered gastric ceca are distributed irregularly throughout the midgut. The hindgut is subdivided into the ileum, colon, and rectum. The ileum is coiled. The colon gradually enlarges posteriorly. The rectum is thickly muscled and followed by a membranous structure. The openings of proximal Malpighian tubules are evenly inserted into the junction of the midgut and hindgut, and distal Malpighian tubules are evenly attached to the colon to form a cryptonephridial system. In this study, we also compare the structure and infer the function of the alimentary canal and Malpighian tubules among beetles, as well as discuss the evolutionary and taxonomical implications.
PubMed: 36975983
DOI: 10.3390/insects14030298 -
Journal of the American Association For... Sep 2019Meloxicam is the most frequently used NSAID in birds; however, its elimination t is highly variable among species. Because zebra finches that require analgesia could...
Meloxicam is the most frequently used NSAID in birds; however, its elimination t is highly variable among species. Because zebra finches that require analgesia could benefit from receiving meloxicam, we performed a pharmacokinetic study involving a single intramuscular dose of 1 or 2 mg/kg. Data analysis showed that C, t, and elimination rate constants were not significantly different between the 2 doses. In contrast, C for 1- and 2-mg/kg doses of meloxicam approached a significant difference, and those for AUC were significantly different. Importantly, a plasma concentration of 3500 ng/mL, considered a target level for meloxicam in other avian species, was maintained for approximately 9.5 h in finches that received 2 mg/kg, which was 4 h longer than in birds given 1 mg/kg. Both doses reached low plasma concentrations by 12 h after administration. Subsequently, 8 total doses of 1 or 2 mg/kg were administered to birds at 12-h intervals; these regimens caused no significant changes in select biochemical analytes or the Hct of meloxicam-treated birds. In addition, histopathologic changes for injection sites, kidney, liver, proventriculus, and ventriculus were minimal and similar between control and experimental groups after the multiple doses. These results suggest a 12-h or more frequent dosing interval is likely needed in zebra finches and that meloxicam at 1 or 2 mg/kg IM twice daily for 4 d is safe. The higher dose might provide longer analgesia compared with the lower dose, but a pharmacodynamics evaluation of meloxicam in zebra finches is needed to confirm analgesic efficacy.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Finches; Half-Life; Laboratory Animal Science; Male; Meloxicam
PubMed: 31462348
DOI: 10.30802/AALAS-JAALAS-19-000032 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Oct 2022Newcastle disease is a devastating poultry disease that often causes significant economic losses in poultry in the developing countries of Africa, Asia, as well as South...
Newcastle disease is a devastating poultry disease that often causes significant economic losses in poultry in the developing countries of Africa, Asia, as well as South and Central America. Velogenic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) outbreaks are associated with high mortalities, which can threaten household livelihoods, especially in the rural areas, and lead to loss of high-quality proteins in the form of meat and eggs, as well as household purchasing power. In this study, we exposed unvaccinated Ghanaian and Tanzanian chickens of six local ecotypes to velogenic NDV strains, measured NDV response traits, sequenced their DNA on a genotyping-by-sequencing platform, and performed variance component analyses. The collected phenotypes included: growth rates (pre- and post-exposure); lesion scores (gross lesion severity) in the trachea, proventriculus, intestine, and cecal tonsils; natural antibody levels; anti-NDV antibody levels at 7 days post exposure (dpe); tear and cloacal viral load at 2, 4, and 6 dpe; and survival time. Heritability estimates were low to moderate, ranging from 0.11 for average lesion scores to 0.36 for pre-exposure growth rate. Heritability estimates for survival time were 0.23 and 0.27 for the Tanzanian and Ghanaian ecotypes, respectively. Similar heritability estimates were observed when data were analyzed either separately or combined for the two countries. Survival time was genetically negatively correlated with lesion scores and with viral load. Results suggested that response to mesogenic or velogenic NDV of these local chicken ecotypes could be improved by selective breeding. Chickens that are more resilient to velogenic NDV can improve household livelihoods in developing countries.
PubMed: 36290141
DOI: 10.3390/ani12202755