Poultry Science最新文献

{"title":"Application of culturomics to explore the cultivable microbiota and enable targeted bacterial isolation from the ceca of broiler chickens","authors":"Manhong Wang ,&nbsp;Xin Ye ,&nbsp;Chuan-Yu Hsu ,&nbsp;Hailey Fugate ,&nbsp;Xue Zhang ,&nbsp;Pratima Acharya Adhikari ,&nbsp;Peixin Fan ,&nbsp;Katie Elliott ,&nbsp;Ken Macklin ,&nbsp;Li Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106527","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106527","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Metagenomic analyses have significantly advanced our understanding of microbial composition in the poultry gut. However, many microbes identified through metagenomic studies remain uncultured, largely due to the lack of understanding of their cultivation conditions, which hinders efforts to explore their functional roles in gut health and metabolism. In this study, we performed culturomics, a culture-dependent approach that combines diverse culture conditions with high-throughput <em>16S rRNA</em> gene sequencing, to comprehensively assess the cultivability of chicken cecal microbiota and provide guidance for isolating target species of interest. Microbial profiling was performed using both culture-dependent (<strong>CD</strong>) and culture-independent (<strong>CI</strong>) approaches. For CI, genomic DNA (<strong>gDNA</strong>) was directly extracted from six broiler chicken cecal samples and subjected to full-length <em>16S rRNA</em> gene sequencing. For CD, the same samples were cultured under 28 conditions, yielding 161 colony mixtures for sequencing. Based on diversity profiles of the colony mixtures, 10 conditions were selected for single-colony isolation and analysis. Results showed that CD and CI approaches identified 350 and 502 bacterial species, respectively, with 160 species detected by both methods. The dominant species recovered by the CD approach,including <em>Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Limosilactobacillus reuteri, Enterococcus faecalis</em>, and <em>Ligilactobacillus salivarius</em>, were detected at much lower abundances in the CI analysis, highlighting the capacity of culturomics to enrich and recover minority taxa that are often poorly detected by CI apparoach. Cultivation profiling showed that MRS selectively enriched <em>Limosilactobacillus</em> and <em>Ligilactobacillus</em> as well as <em>Lactobacillus</em>, whereas CNAB and MSA enriched <em>Enterococcus</em> and <em>Bacillus</em>, respectively. Community diversity and structure were significantly influenced by culture conditions (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), with medium as the primary factor and air condition as a secondary factor. Subsequent single-colony analysis from 10 selected culture conditions identified 150 single-species isolates belonging to 14 distinct bacterial species. This study provides foundational insight into the cultivability of chicken cecal microbiota, facilitating future research to isolate specific strains and characterize their roles in poultry health and nutrition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106527"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080500","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research note: Identification of SNP-based haplotypes for the A, D, E, I, and L alloantigen systems in the chicken reference genome line UCD-001","authors":"Robert L. Taylor Jr. ,&nbsp;Amy M. McCarron ,&nbsp;Janet E. Fulton","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106545","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106545","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Allelic variation in chicken red blood cell alloantigens has multiple associations with production traits or disease resistance. Recent studies have identified the gene and chromosomal location for chicken alloantigen genes A, D, E, I, and L. Haplotypes (specific SNP combinations) within each gene were identified to distinguish the serological variants found within the different blood systems. The objective of this study was to characterize alloantigen alleles in Line UCD-001, an inbred line of Jungle fowl, which is the original reference sequence for the chicken genome. The B blood group, the chicken MHC, was the only alloantigen system having known serological and SNP types, with UCD-001 typing as serological B^Q and DNA-based BSNP-A09A. Genome sequence and DNA samples from the original UCD-001 reference bird, plus an additional 10 UCD-001 birds, were used to identify five additional alloantigen system alleles within UCD-001. The alloantigen genes and their SNP types for the A and the linked E systems are complement component 4 binding protein, membrane, C4BPM-H12, and Fc fragment of IgA and IgM receptor, FCAMR-H01, respectively. Neither of these SNP types corresponded to alleles previously characterized by serology. Alloantigen D was identified as CD99 whose SNP haplotype, CD99-H06, corresponded to the D³ serological allele. The I system, equivalent to the human RHCE blood group locus, was heterozygous in the reference population. Both RHCE-H01, the I⁸ serological allele, and RHCE-H06, previously unidentified by serology, were present in UCD-001. The ABCE1 gene, ATP-binding cassette subfamily E member 1, is alloantigen L with UCD-001 containing the ABCE1-H01 haplotype consistent with the L¹ serological allele. Identifying the alloantigen genotypes of this important inbred line will facilitate studies of alloantigen effects through line crosses to produce progeny segregating for alloantigen alleles or through comparisons with other stocks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106545"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary fucoidan supplementation ameliorates heat stress-induced liver injury in broilers via modulating peroxidation, lipid metabolism, and ferroptosis","authors":"Qi-Hao Liang,&nbsp;Qian-Qian Liu,&nbsp;Shan-Zi Tian,&nbsp;Qing-Hua Yao,&nbsp;Xue-Qing Ye,&nbsp;Wen-Chao Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106489","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106489","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heat stress (<strong>HS</strong>) is a significant challenge in broilers, which has a negative impact on liver health and metabolic function, endangering broiler production. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of dietary fucoidan (<strong>FUC</strong>) in mitigating HS-induced liver injury and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. A total of 240 male Arbor Acres (<strong>AA</strong>) broilers at 21 days of age were randomly divided into five groups: thermoneutral (<strong>TN</strong>) group, HS group, and HS group supplemented with 200, 400, or 800 mg/kg FUC, respectively. Based on comprehensive assessments of liver histopathology, liver index, and serum biochemical markers-related to liver function (TP, ALB, AST, ALT), 800 mg/kg FUC was identified as the effective dose for alleviating HS-induced hepatic injury, resulting in improvements in liver architecture and function. Further investigations revealed that 800 mg/kg FUC enhanced hepatic antioxidant capacity by increasing T-AOC, T-SOD, and GSH-Px activities in broilers under HS. The non-targeted metabolomics analysis suggested that FUC improves six metabolites in the liver of broilers subjected to HS, including Glu-Asp-Gln, Asn-Pro-Tyr, Glu-Thr-Ile, N-Acetylleucylalanylserine, Octadecyl Fumarate, and Oleoyl-<span>l</span>-Carnitine. The differential metabolites were significantly enriched in several metabolic pathways, such as glycerophospholipid metabolism, fatty acid degradation, and ferroptosis. Furthermore, dietary FUC enhanced the expression of antioxidant genes (<em>GCLC, GCLM, HO-1, SOD2, GPX1, GPX3, CAT1</em>, and <em>GSTA3</em>), suppressed lipogenic genes (<em>SREBP-1, FAS</em>, and <em>ACC</em>), and upregulated the lipolytic gene <em>ATGL</em> as well as the adipogenic regulator <em>PPARγ</em> in the liver of broilers under HS. Additionally, FUC downregulated pro-ferroptotic genes (<em>ACSL4, LPCAT3</em>, and <em>PTGS2</em>) while upregulated anti-ferroptotic genes (<em>Fpn1, FTH1</em> and <em>SLC7A11</em>) in the liver of heat-stressed broilers. Western blot analysis confirmed that FUC activated the Nrf2 signaling pathway by increasing the protein expression of Nrf2, phosphorylated Nrf2 (<strong>p-Nrf2</strong>), and nuclear p-Nrf2, while upregulated the AMPK pathway by increasing AMPK and phosphorylated AMPK (<strong>p-AMPK</strong>) protein levels of the liver in broilers subjected to HS. These findings indicate that dietary supplementation with 800 mg/kg FUC ameliorates HS-induced liver injury through the activation of Nrf2-mediated antioxidant and anti-ferroptosis signaling, and the regulation of AMPK-mediated lipid metabolism balance. This study provides a dietary strategy to improve liver health in heat-stressed broilers, which is beneficial for broiler production during the hot season.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106489"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146053516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deep learning can automate chicken tibia-breaking strength quantification to improve animal welfare","authors":"Tanmay Debnath ,&nbsp;Peter Wilson ,&nbsp;Ricardo Pong-Wong ,&nbsp;Lindsey Plenderleith ,&nbsp;Björn Andersson ,&nbsp;Matthias Schmutz ,&nbsp;Ian Dunn ,&nbsp;James G.D. Prendergast","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106549","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106549","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bone damage is an important welfare issue in the poultry industry, yet large-scale phenotyping of chicken bone strength currently relies on time-consuming manual annotation of X-rays or destructive post-mortem testing. To address this, an end-to-end deep-learning pipeline was developed that automatically (i) segments the chicken tibiotarsus from lateral X-ray images (U-Net, Dice = 0.91) and (ii) predicts its breaking strength from pixel intensities alone. Using 916 curated bone images, the predictor achieved moderately high correlation with measured breaking strength (maximum Pearson’s correlation of 0.74), exceeding the performance of a previous labour-intensive manual annotation method. Image-derived predictions were moderately heritable (h² ≈ 0.16) and exhibited an exceptionally high genetic correlation with the physical trait, indicating that selection on the model-derived phenotype is a good proxy to select for bone strength. The workflow therefore provides a potential rapid, non-invasive and genetically informative alternative to post-mortem testing, paving the way for the routine incorporation of bone-quality traits into commercial breeding programmes and improved poultry welfare at scale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106549"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146119772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soybean genotype amino acid selection and processing method effects on broiler performance","authors":"S.C. Wells ,&nbsp;K.B. Nelson ,&nbsp;M.F. Costa ,&nbsp;B.L. Angel ,&nbsp;V.G. Slick ,&nbsp;B.W. Parsons ,&nbsp;A. Acuna-Galindo ,&nbsp;M.T. Kidd","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106514","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106514","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study consisted of two experiments to assess soybean meal (<strong>SBM</strong>) with improved traits fed to Cobb 500 male broilers. In Experiment 1, 3 dietary treatments replicated 10 times (540 broilers) varying in SBM source were tested (0 to 45 d-of-age): conventional soybeans processed using solvent extraction (<strong>ConvSE</strong>), conventional soybeans processed using extrusion and expeller pressing (<strong>ConvEE</strong>), and an experimental line of soybeans selected for increased amino acid composition (i.e., less limiting amino acids) processed using extrusion and expeller pressing (<strong>ExpEE</strong>). In Experiment 2, the ConvEE and ExpEE dietary treatments were replicated 10 times and fed to chicks (240 broilers) from d 0 to 13. In Experiment 1, the treatment design allowed for all treatments being equal in the first five limiting amino acids (i. e., varying levels of SBM) and iso-caloric, and in Experiment 2 the treatment design represented direct substitution of soybean meal source. In Experiment 1, 45-d broiler performance and processed yields (i.e., BW gain, feed intake, feed:gain, intestinal tight junction integrity, and processed yields and myopathies) did not differ among dietary treatments (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). In Experiment 2, 13-d chick BW gain, feed intake, and feed:gain were not affected by dietary treatments. However, the ExpEE compared to the ConvEE contained higher (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.05) digestible amounts of Lys, Thr, Ser, Val, Ile, Leu, Arg, Trp, Phe, and Tyr. In conclusion, although ExpEE diets contained 1.30-1.80 % less SBM than the other treatments, broilers fed ExpEE treatments exhibited similar performance to broilers fed higher inclusions of SBM, which can be explained by ExpEE having soybeans selected for increased amino acid composition that were found to be more digestible in Thr, Ser, Val, Iso, Leu, Tyr, Phe, Lys, Arg, and Trp (P&lt;0.05).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106514"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146132809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"miRNA profiling reveals that gga-let-7i/COL1A2 axis induces cell cycle arrest and triggers cellular senescence to accelerate ovarian aging in laying hens by suppressing the PI3K/AKT/MDM2 pathway","authors":"Yuanhang Wei ,&nbsp;Chimei Liao ,&nbsp;Yixuan Wang ,&nbsp;Can Cui ,&nbsp;Yao Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhuanjian Li ,&nbsp;Congjiao Sun ,&nbsp;Qing Zhu ,&nbsp;Huadong Yin ,&nbsp;Shunshun Han","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106542","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106542","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reproductive senescence in laying hens, characterized by a progressive decline in egg production, represents a major challenge for the poultry industry. Although microRNAs (<strong>miRNAs</strong>) are recognized as important regulators of aging, their specific roles and mechanisms in ovarian aging of hens remain largely unclear. This study was designed to comprehensively analyze miRNA expression patterns during ovarian aging in laying hens. The objectives of this study were to identify key functional miRNAs and to elucidate their molecular regulatory mechanisms. Specifically, this study evaluated ovarian senescence in hens at 350, 500 and 700 days of age, observing a decline in egg production, increased follicular atresia, and p53 upregulation. miRNA sequencing analysis identified 44 differentially expressed miRNAs (<strong>DEMs</strong>), among which gga-let-7i exhibited the highest abundance and showed progressive upregulation during aging. Functional assays revealed that gga-let-7i induces cell cycle arrest and promotes cellular senescence in ovarian follicle granulosa cells (<strong>GCs</strong>). Mechanistically, collagen type I alpha 2 chain (<strong><em>COL1A2</em></strong>) was confirmed as a direct target of gga-let-7i, and it has been demonstrated that gga-let-7i accelerates senescence by inhibiting the COL1A2/PI3K/AKT/MDM2 pathway, resulting in p53 accumulation and the downstream cellular senescence signaling pathways activation. These results uncover a novel gga-let-7i/COL1A2 regulatory axis involved in ovarian aging and suggest potential targets for extending reproductive longevity in laying hens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106542"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146137684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrative genome-wide association study and transcriptomic analysis to identify candidate genes and pathways for heterophil and lymphocyte traits in white-feathered broilers","authors":"Jumei Zheng ,&nbsp;Qiao Wang ,&nbsp;John F. O’Grady ,&nbsp;Zixuan Wang ,&nbsp;Man Deng ,&nbsp;Jin Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiang Li ,&nbsp;Yuqing Zhu ,&nbsp;David E. MacHugh ,&nbsp;Guiping Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106407","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106407","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Enhancing disease resistance is one of the primary objectives of the poultry industry through breeding. The heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (H/L ratio) represents a critical indicator of stress and immune status in chickens. However, the essential genetic networks and functional genes governing the H/L ratio remain uncharacterized. In this study, by combining genomic and transcriptomic data, we aimed to identify functional variants and key genes regulating the H/L ratio in white-feathered broilers. Using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis of 218 birds, we identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with H/L ratio and H count, respectively. These SNPs were annotated to several candidate genes, including <em>MYO16, AKT3, RBM34, SMOC2</em>, and <em>TOMM20</em>. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that candidate genes were involved in <em>FoxO signalling pathway, mTOR signalling pathway</em>, and other immune-related pathways. Fine-mapping analysis identified potential causal variants at multiple sites, specifically chr1:138395826, chr3:34663003, chr3:34663053, and chr3:34663073. Additionally, through integrating transcriptomic and immune-related phenotypic data using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, key hub genes were identified in the bursa and thymus, respectively. Moreover, combined analysis of candidate and hub genes from the GWAS and transcriptomic analyses, respectively, illustrated that these genes were co-enriched in functionally important pathways, including <em>mTOR, FoxO</em>, and <em>MAPK signaling pathways</em>. In summary, our results indicated that <em>MYO16</em> and <em>AKT3</em> may represent potential causal genes associated with H/L ratio, and that multiple immune signaling pathways regulate the balance between heterophil and lymphocyte immune cells in chickens. These findings provide new insights into the genetic architecture of immune-related traits in poultry. Moreover, it is crucial to confirm the biological function of these candidate genes and variants by conducting further verification in larger populations with genetic diversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106407"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146026252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The combination of matrine and tannic acid protects chickens against intestinal infection caused by Salmonella Typhimurium","authors":"Hu-Juan Shuai ,&nbsp;Xiu-Ping Lv ,&nbsp;Wen-Li Tang ,&nbsp;Zhi-Kun Yang ,&nbsp;Xiang-Bin Song ,&nbsp;Chao Ma ,&nbsp;Ying Liu ,&nbsp;Yong-Da Zhao ,&nbsp;Li-Li Guo ,&nbsp;Shuai-Cheng Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106571","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106571","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the combination of matrine and tannic acid on intestinal infection in chickens with <em>Salmonella</em> Typhimurium. A model of chicken intestinal infection with <em>S.</em> Typhimurium was established to confirm the protective effect of the combination of matrine and tannic acid <em>in vivo</em>. This combination prolonged survival time, promoted growth, and decreased the bacterial burdens of the liver and duodenum in chickens infected with <em>S.</em> Typhimurium<em>,</em> and was superior to matrine or tannic acid monotherapy. The combination of these substances alleviated the changes in organ indices and liver and spleen congestion, decreased intestinal permeability, and alleviated duodenal lesions in chickens caused by <em>S.</em> Typhimurium. The same combination suppressed the transcription of <em>IL-1β</em> and <em>TNF-α</em> in the intestine of chickens infected with <em>S.</em> Typhimurium, possibly through the downregulation of the mRNA expression of <em>TLR-4/p50/NLRP-3/Caspase-1</em>. Moreover, the combination of matrine and tannic acid decreased the levels of intestinal nitrate and <em>iNOS</em> mRNA in the duodenum of chickens infected with <em>S.</em> Typhimurium. Caecal microbiota analysis revealed that this combination improved gut microbiota dysbiosis in chickens infected with <em>S.</em> Typhimurium, as evidenced by alterations in the abundance of microbiota composition at the phylum (<em>Firmicutes</em> and <em>Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria</em>), family (<em>Bifidobacteriaceae</em> and <em>Enterobacteriaceae</em>), and genus (<em>Lactobacillaceae, Escherichia-Shigella,</em> and <em>[Ruminococcus]_torques_group</em>) levels. In conclusion, the combination of matrine and tannic acid is a viable strategy to protect chickens against <em>S.</em> Typhimurium infection, possibly through the suppression of the inflammatory response and the modulation of the intestinal microecology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106571"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146157930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of monoclonal antibodies for GoAstV-2 VP27 protein and precise mapping of linear antigenic epitopes","authors":"Kaiyue Qin ,&nbsp;Lingdan Yin ,&nbsp;Huanrong Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106535","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106535","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Since 2016, a novel astrovirus identified as goose astrovirus (GoAstV), is classified into genotypes 1 and 2 (GoAstV-1 and GoAstV-2). GoAstV-2 has caused a severe outbreak of visceral gout in goslings characterized by extensive visceral urate deposition and kidney swelling, resulting in substantial financial losses to the goose farming industry in China. The GoAstV-2 VP27 protein encoded by ORF2 contains neutralizing antigenic epitopes, thus representing a key candidate for the development of diagnostic reagents and epitope vaccines. This study aimed to prepare the monoclonal antibody (mAb) against GoAstV-2 VP27 and identify its epitope. The GoAstV-2 VP27 protein was expressed and purified using a prokaryotic expression system, followed by immunization of BALB/c mice. We employed hybridoma technology to generate a stable monoclonal antibody-secreting cell line targeting GoAstV-2 VP27, which was named 11-39B and characterized as IgG2b with kappa light chain. Furthermore, the mAb 11-39B specifically bound to GoAstV-2 as confirmed by Western blotting (WB), immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC), and potently neutralized GoAstV-2 infection <em>in vivo</em> in a dose-dependent manner. For epitope mapping, sequential truncations of the GoAstV-2 VP27 protein were constructed by eukaryotic expression and tested by WB. The results indicated that peptide ⁶⁶¹SLKTS⁶⁶⁵ was the minimal epitope recognized by mAb 11-39B. Homology and structural analyses demonstrated that the epitope was situated on the surface of the VP27 protein and exhibited high conservation among GoAstV-2 strains but exhibited significant differences in the GoAstV-1 serotype. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the GoAstV-2 VP27 antigenic region and provides a basis for establishing epitope-based GoAstV-2 diagnostic methods and vaccine development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106535"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Direct and correlated responses to long-term residual feed consumption–based selection in Brown Tsaiya ducks","authors":"Yi-Ying Chang ,&nbsp;Chih-Feng Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106433","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106433","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Improving feed efficiency (<strong>FE</strong>) in poultry, particularly in laying ducks, has become increasingly essential for reducing production costs and environmental impact. This study investigated the long-term effects of residual feed consumption (<strong>RFC</strong>)-based selection on FE and production traits in Brown Tsaiya ducks over nine generations. Two lines were maintained: a selected line (S line), which comprised ducks bred for low RFC over nine generations (G0–G9) of selection, and an unselected control line (C line), which comprised ducks bred randomly under identical management conditions. Selection for low RFC led to substantial reductions in RFC, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio in the S line, confirming consistent genetic progress in FE compared with that in the C line. Phenotypic differences between the two lines emerged from the fourth generation and became more pronounced in subsequent generations. Although RFC exhibited moderate heritability and strong positive genetic correlations with feed consumption and feed conversion ratio, its relationships with reproductive traits were generally weak. However, the long-term selection response revealed an unfavorable correlated decline in egg mass and egg weight, reflecting a genetic antagonism, confirmed by a highly positive genetic correlation (r<em>_g</em> = 0.566) between RFC and egg mass found in the selected line. Furthermore, the S line exhibited reduced additive genetic variance and increased inbreeding over generations, suggesting the accumulation of selection pressure and narrowing of genetic diversity. Despite these challenges, the S line continued to improve in FE without reaching a genetic plateau, highlighting the potential for further genetic gain. These results establish RFC as a valuable selection criterion for enhancing FE in laying ducks but underscore the need for balanced breeding approaches. Incorporating multitrait or restricted selection indices may help sustain both FE gains and egg production performance, ensuring the long-term genetic and economic sustainability of Taiwan’s Brown Tsaiya duck population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106433"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146026238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}