-
Poultry Science May 2024Trichomonas gallinae (T. gallinae) is a globally distributed protozoan parasite and could cause serious damage to the pigeon industry. MiRNAs have important roles in...
Trichomonas gallinae (T. gallinae) is a globally distributed protozoan parasite and could cause serious damage to the pigeon industry. MiRNAs have important roles in regulating parasite infection, but its impacts on T. gallinae resistance have rarely been reported. In the present study, we identified a new miRNA (novel-miR-741) and its predicted target OTU deubiquitinase 1 (OTUD1) that might be associated with immunity to T. gallinae in pigeon. Novel-miR-741 and OTUD1 over-expression vectors and interference vectors were constructed. Results from dual luciferase activity assay demonstrated that OTUD1 was a downstream target of novel-miR-741. The Cell Counting Kit-8 and apoptosis assays showed that novel-miR-741 inhibited the proliferation and promoted apoptosis of pigeon crop fibroblasts. Meanwhile, mRNA levels of OTUD1 were significantly reduced in novel-miR-741 mimic-transfected fibroblasts, while mRNA levels of OTUD1 were significantly increased in the novel-miR-741 inhibitor-transfected fibroblasts. The regulatory roles of si-OTUD1 on fibroblasts proliferation, apoptosis, and migration were similar to novel-miR-741 mimic. Our findings demonstrated that novel-miR-741 inhibited the proliferation, and migration of crop fibroblasts, while OTUD1 promoted the proliferation and migration of crop fibroblasts. Therefore, the regulation of OTUD1 by novel-miR-741 was proposed as a potential therapeutic strategy for T. gallinae.
Topics: MicroRNAs; Animals; Apoptosis; Fibroblasts; Columbidae; Cell Proliferation; Avian Proteins
PubMed: 38479099
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103587 -
Scientific Reports Jan 2024The increasing demand for cultivated lands driven by human population growth, escalating consumption and activities, combined with the vast area of uncultivated land,...
The increasing demand for cultivated lands driven by human population growth, escalating consumption and activities, combined with the vast area of uncultivated land, highlight the pressing need to better understand the biodiversity conservation implications of land use change in Sub-Saharan Africa. Land use change alters natural wildlife habitats with fundamental consequences for biodiversity. Consequently, species richness and diversity typically decline as land use changes from natural to disturbed. We assess how richness and diversity of avian species, grouped into feeding guilds, responded to land use changes, primarily expansion of settlements and cultivation at three sites in the Lake Victoria Basin in western Kenya, following tsetse control interventions. Each site consisted of a matched pair of spatially adjacent natural/semi-natural and settled/cultivated landscapes. Significant changes occurred in bird species richness and diversity in the disturbed relative to the natural landscape. Disturbed areas had fewer guilds and all guilds in disturbed areas also occurred in natural areas. Guilds had significantly more species in natural than in disturbed areas. The insectivore/granivore and insectivore/wax feeder guilds occurred only in natural areas. Whilst species diversity was far lower, a few species of estrildid finches were more common in the disturbed landscapes and were often observed on the scrubby edges of modified habitats. In contrast, the natural and less disturbed wooded areas had relatively fewer estrildid species and were completely devoid of several other species. In aggregate, land use changes significantly reduced bird species richness and diversity on the disturbed landscapes regardless of their breeding range size or foraging style (migratory or non-migratory) and posed greater risks to non-migratory species. Accordingly, land use planning should integrate conservation principles that preserve salient habitat qualities required by different bird species, such as adequate patch size and habitat connectivity, conserve viable bird populations and restore degraded habitats to alleviate adverse impacts of land use change on avian species richness and diversity.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Kenya; Lakes; Conservation of Natural Resources; Ecosystem; Biodiversity; Birds
PubMed: 38243068
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52107-2 -
Toxics Nov 2023Microplastic pollution has become a global concern, with potential negative impacts on various ecosystems and wildlife species. Among these species, ducks () are...
Microplastic pollution has become a global concern, with potential negative impacts on various ecosystems and wildlife species. Among these species, ducks () are particularly vulnerable due to their feeding habits and proximity to aquatic environments contaminated with microplastics. The current study was designed to monitor microplastic (MP) pollutants in the freshwater ecosystem of the Panjkora River, Lower Dir, Pakistan. A total of twenty (20) duck samples were brought up for four months and 13 days on the banks of the river, with no food intake outside the river. When they reached an average weight of 2.41 ± 0.53 kg, all samples were sacrificed, dissected, and transported in an ice box to the laboratory for further analysis. After sample preparation, such as digestion with 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH), density separation, filtration, and identification, the MP content was counted. A total of 2033 MP particles were recovered from 20 ducks with a mean value of 44.6 ± 15.8 MPs/crop and 57.05 ± 18.7 MPs/gizzard. MPs detected in surface water were 31.2 ± 15.5 MPs/L. The major shape types of MPs recovered were fragments in crop (67%) and gizzard (58%) samples and fibers in surface water (56%). Other types of particles recovered were fibers, sheets, and foams. The majority of these detected MP particles were in the size range of 300-500 µm (63%) in crops, and 50-150 µm (55%) in gizzards, while in water samples the most detected particles were in the range of 150-300 µm (61%). Chemical characterization by FTIR found six types of polymers. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) had the greatest polymer detection rate (39.2%), followed by polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (28.3%), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) (22.7%), polystyrene (6.6%), co-polymerized polypropylene (2.5%), and polypropylene homopolymer (0.7%). This study investigated the presence of microplastics in the crops and gizzards of ducks, as well as in river surface water. The results revealed the significant and pervasive occurrence of microplastics in both the avian digestive systems and the surrounding water environment. These findings highlight the potential threat of microplastic pollution to wildlife and ecosystems, emphasizing the need for further research and effective mitigation strategies to address this pressing environmental concern.
PubMed: 38133373
DOI: 10.3390/toxics11120972 -
One Health (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Dec 2023High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreaks continue to wreak havoc on the global poultry industry and threaten the health of wild bird populations, with...
High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreaks continue to wreak havoc on the global poultry industry and threaten the health of wild bird populations, with sporadic spillover in humans and other mammals, resulting in widespread calls to vaccinate poultry. Bangladesh has been vaccinating poultry since 2012, presenting a prime opportunity to study the effects of vaccination on HPAI H5N1circulation in both poultry and wild birds. We investigated the efficacy of vaccinating commercial poultry against HPAI H5N1 along with climatic and socio-economic factors considered potential drivers of HPAI H5N1 outbreak risk in Bangladesh. Using a multivariate modeling approach, we estimated that the rate of outbreaks was 18 times higher before compared to after vaccination, with winter months having a three times higher chance of outbreaks than summer months. Variables resulting in small but significant increases in outbreak rate were relatively low ambient temperatures for the time of year, literacy rate, chicken and duck density, crop density, and presence of highways; this may be attributable to low temperatures supporting viral survival outside the host, higher literacy driving reporting rate, density of the host reservoir, and spread of the virus through increased connectivity. Despite the substantial impact of vaccination on outbreaks, we note that HPAI H5N1 is still enzootic in Bangladesh; vaccinated poultry flocks have high rates of H5N1 prevalence, and spillover to wild birds has increased. Vaccination in Bangladesh thus bears the risk of supporting "silent spread," where the vaccine only provides protection against disease and not also infection. Our findings underscore that poultry vaccination can be part of holistic HPAI mitigation strategies when accompanied by monitoring to avoid silent spread.
PubMed: 38116452
DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100655 -
The Science of the Total Environment Feb 2024Effects on the growth and reproduction of birds are important endpoints in the environmental risk assessment (ERA) of pesticides. Toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic models...
Effects on the growth and reproduction of birds are important endpoints in the environmental risk assessment (ERA) of pesticides. Toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic models based on dynamic energy budget theory (DEB) are promising tools to predict these effects mechanistically and make extrapolations relevant to ERA. However, before DEB-TKTD models are accepted as part of ERA for birds, ecotoxicological case studies are required so that stakeholders can assess their capabilities. We present such a case-study, modelling the effects of the fluopyram metabolite benzamide on the northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). We parametrised a DEB-TKTD model for the embryo stage on the basis of an egg injection study, designed to provide data for model development. We found that information on various endpoints, such as survival, growth, and yolk utilisation were needed to clearly distinguish between the performance of model variants with different TKTD assumptions. The calibration data were best explained when it was assumed that chemical uptake occurs via the yolk and that benzamide places stress on energy assimilation and mobilisation. To be able to bridge from the in vitro tests to real-life exposure, we developed a physiologically-based toxicokinetic (PBK) model for the quail and used it to predict benzamide exposure inside the eggs based on dietary exposure in a standard reproductive toxicity study. We then combined the standard DEB model with the TKTD module calibrated to the egg injection studies and used it to predict effects on hatchling and 14-day chick weight based on the exposure predicted by the PBK model. Observed weight reductions, relative to controls, were accurately predicted. Thus, we demonstrate that DEB-TKTD models, in combination with suitable experimental data and, if necessary, with an exposure model, can be used in bird ERA to predict chemical effects on reproduction.
Topics: Animals; Reproduction; Quail; Colinus; Energy Metabolism; Benzamides
PubMed: 38092208
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169096 -
Life (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2023At the end of the 20th century, the common vole () colonized the practical totality of agricultural ecosystems in the northern sub-plateau of the Iberian Peninsula. To...
At the end of the 20th century, the common vole () colonized the practical totality of agricultural ecosystems in the northern sub-plateau of the Iberian Peninsula. To prevent crop damage, chemical control campaigns using anticoagulant rodenticides have been employed. This approach has a high environmental impact, and it has been banned in most countries in the European Union, including Spain. It is therefore essential to analyze alternative methods with lower environmental impacts. Here we explored the efficacy of biological control by avian predators to reduce vole abundance by providing nest-boxes in croplands. We used an indirect index based on the presence/absence of vole activity signs to measure the effect of nest-boxes on common vole abundance. We found that vole abundance was significantly lower near occupied nest-boxes at distances less than 180 m, where vole abundance increases progressively with increasing distance to the nearest nest-box. We also observed that the predatory pressure negatively affects the vole abundance at the end of the breeding period, considering the total number of fledglings. However, the effect of nest-boxes was highly variable depending on the study area and more limited in alfalfa fields, the optimal habitat for voles in agrarian ecosystems. Thus, nest-box supplementation would be a feasible measure for the biological control of the common vole in Mediterranean ecosystems, but it needs improvements for vole control in alfalfa fields within an integrated pest control program. We provide several recommendations to improve the performance of biological control in alfalfa fields.
PubMed: 37895345
DOI: 10.3390/life13101963 -
Poultry Science Dec 2023The ovarian circadian clock plays a regulatory role in the avian ovulation-oviposition cycle. However, little is known regarding the ovarian circadian clock of geese. In...
The ovarian circadian clock plays a regulatory role in the avian ovulation-oviposition cycle. However, little is known regarding the ovarian circadian clock of geese. In this study, we investigated rhythmic changes in clock genes over a 48-h period and identified potential clock-controlled genes involved in progesterone synthesis in goose ovarian preovulatory granulosa cells. The results showed that BMAL1, CRY1, and CRY2, as well as 4 genes (LHR, STAR, CYP11A1, and HSD3B) involved in progesterone synthesis exhibited rhythmic expression patterns in goose ovarian preovulatory granulosa cells over a 48-h period. Knockdown of BMAL1 decreased the progesterone concentration and downregulated STAR mRNA and protein levels in goose ovarian preovulatory granulosa cells. Overexpression of BMAL1 increased the progesterone concentration and upregulated the STAR mRNA level in goose ovarian preovulatory granulosa cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that the BMAL1/CLOCK complex activated the transcription of goose STAR gene by binding to an E-box motif. These results suggest that the circadian clock is involved in the regulation of progesterone synthesis in goose ovarian preovulatory granulosa cells by orchestrating the transcription of steroidogenesis-related genes.
Topics: Female; Animals; Geese; Progesterone; ARNTL Transcription Factors; Gene Expression Regulation; Circadian Clocks; Chickens; Granulosa Cells; CLOCK Proteins; RNA, Messenger; Circadian Rhythm
PubMed: 37871489
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.103159 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2023The protozoan parasite is the most common cellular sexually transmitted disease in humans, and the closely related species is an avian parasite of ecological and...
INTRODUCTION
The protozoan parasite is the most common cellular sexually transmitted disease in humans, and the closely related species is an avian parasite of ecological and economic importance. Phylogenetic evidence suggests arose during bird to human transmission of a -like ancestor. shares a strong clinical association with the independent sexually transmitted pathogen (formerly ) , and the uncultured bacterium " Malacoplasma (formerly ) girerdii," with the latter association being an order of magnitude stronger. Both bacterial species have been shown to profoundly influence growth, energy production and virulence-associated mechanisms.
METHODS
Evidence for a novel sp. was discovered by Illumina metatranscriptomics sequencing of the -infected pigeon mouth. We leveraged published 16S rDNA profiling data from digestive tract of 12 healthy and 24 -infected pigeons to investigate association between the novel sp. and . We utilised Illumina metagenomics sequencing targeted to pigeon oral and crop samples infected with the novel sp. to generate its full-length genome sequence. Sequence similarity network analysis was used to compare annotated proteins from the novel sp. with a range of other related species.
RESULTS
Here we present evidence for a novel species, related to " M. girerdii," that is strongly associated with in the upper digestive tract of domestic pigeons. Analysis of the genome sequence revealed gene features apparently specific to a -symbiotic lineage.
DISCUSSION
These data support a model of long-term association between and spp. that has been conserved across diversification of the lineage and the host species barrier from birds to human.
PubMed: 37808290
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1242275 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2023Implementation of organic/pasture farming practices has been increasing in the USA regardless of official certification. These practices have created an increasingly...
Implementation of organic/pasture farming practices has been increasing in the USA regardless of official certification. These practices have created an increasingly growing demand for marketing safe products which are produced through these systems. Products from these farming systems have been reported to be at greater risk of transmitting foodborne pathogens because of current trends in their practices. (SE) is a ubiquitous foodborne pathogen that remains a public health issue given its prevalence in various food products, but also in the environment and as part of the microbial flora of many domestic animals. Monitoring antibiotic resistance and identifying potential sources contamination are increasingly important given the growing trend of organic/pasture markets. This study aimed to quantify prevalence of SE at the pre- and post-harvest levels of various integrated farms and sites in Maryland-Washington D.C. area, as well as identify the most prevalent serovars and antibiotic resistance patterns. Samples from various elements within the farm environment were collected and screened for SE through culture and molecular techniques, which served to identify and serotype SE, using species and serovar-specific primers, while antibiotic resistance was evaluated using an antibiogram assay. Results showed a prevalence of 7.80% of SE pre-harvest and 1.91% post-harvest. These results also showed the main sources of contamination to be soil (2.17%), grass (1.28%), feces (1.42%) and unprocessed produce (1.48%). The most commonly identified serovar was Typhimurium (11.32%) at the pre-harvest level, while the only identified serovar from post-harvest samples was Montevideo (4.35%). With respect to antibiotic resistance, out of the 13 clinically relevant antibiotics tested, gentamycin and kanamycin were the most effective, demonstrating 78.93 and 76.40% of isolates, respectively, to be susceptible. However, ampicillin, amoxicillin and cephradine had the lowest number of susceptible isolates with them being 10.95, 12.36, and 9.83%, respectively. These results help inform farms striving to implement organic practices on how to produce safer products by recognizing areas that pose greater risks as potential sources of contamination, in addition to identifying serotypes of interest, while also showcasing the current state of antibiotic efficacy and how this can influence antibiotic resistance trends in the future.
PubMed: 37637118
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1240458 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Jun 2023This study investigated the effect of three commercial water acidifiers on the performance, gut health, and colonization in experimentally challenged broiler chicks. A...
This study investigated the effect of three commercial water acidifiers on the performance, gut health, and colonization in experimentally challenged broiler chicks. A total of 192 one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated into 6 treatment groups with 4 replicates according to the following experimental design: group A, birds were not challenged and received tap water; group B, birds were challenged and received tap water; groups C, D, E, and F, birds were challenged and received tap water treated with 0.1% / SPECTRON, with 0.1-0.2% / ProPhorce™ SA Exclusive, with 0.1-0.2% / Premium acid, and with 0.1-0.2% / Salgard Liquid, respectively. The continuous water acidification evoked undesirable effects on broilers' performance and to an increased number of birds with ulcers and erosions in the oral cavity and the upper esophageal area. ProPhorce™ SA Exclusive and Premium acid significantly reduced the counts in the crop, whereas Salgard Liquid significantly reduced the counts in the ceca of birds. At slaughter age, only Premium acid significantly reduced counts in the ceca of birds. All the tested products ameliorated the changes induced by infection in the pH in the ceca of birds. It can be concluded that besides the effectiveness of the tested products in controlling in broilers, their continuous application evoked undesirable effects on broilers' performance, leading to the need to modify the dosage scheme in future investigations.
PubMed: 37370547
DOI: 10.3390/ani13122037