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":"2026-01-28","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":"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":"2026-01-28","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":"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":"2026-01-28","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":"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":"2026-01-28","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":"Duck β-defensin 10 inhibits Salmonella enterica by disrupting bacterial membrane integrity and its association with gut microbiota dynamics.","authors":"Hongbo Zeng, Junjie Zhang, Fei Wang, Yang Wen, Jie Cai, Yingping Xiao, Bindan Chen, Hua Yang, Wentao Lyu","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106526","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106526","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Salmonella infections pose a significant threat to waterfowl. Avian β-defensin 10 (AvBD10), a key molecule of host innate immunity, exhibits broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and immune regulatory function. However, research on the tissue-specific expression and antibacterial activity against Salmonella of AvBD10 in waterfowl remains limited. In this study, we first revealed the expression characteristics of AvBD10 in the tissues of ducks at different ages using in vivo experiments. Subsequently, we elucidated the interaction between AvBD10 and intestinal microorganisms, such as Salmonella, by combining 16S rDNA sequencing analysis of the microbiota in the cecum. Finally, we verified the antibacterial effect of AvBD10 on Salmonella using in vitro experiments. The results revealed that the expression of AvBD10 displayed notable (P<0.05) tissue-specific patterns, exhibiting variations associated with the developmental stage in ducks. In particular, AvBD10 was prominently expressed in the cecum during the initial brooding phase, with consistent modulation observed throughout maturation. In addition, AvBD10 expression shows a significant negative correlation (R=-0.460; 95% confidence intervals: -0.632 to -0.248; P<0.05) with the relative abundance of Salmonella in the cecum. Furthermore, AvBD10 exhibited a minimum inhibitory concentration of 62.5 μg/mL against Salmonella enterica and exerted its antibacterial properties by electrostatically binding to the Salmonella cell membrane via positively charged amino acid residues, leading to disruption of the membrane structure. This study provides a significant theoretical foundation for the green and healthy breeding of livestock and poultry.</p>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"106526"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12882717/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146100521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Independent and interactive effects of limestone solubility, dietary calcium content and phytase dose on growth performance, mineral digestibility and utilization in broilers","authors":"A. Bello ,&nbsp;C. Kwakernaak ,&nbsp;R. Davin ,&nbsp;R.R. Santos ,&nbsp;L. Marchal ,&nbsp;Y. Dersjant-Li","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106532","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106532","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effects of limestone solubility, dietary Ca concentration and dose of a 6-phytase (PhyG) on broiler growth performance, mineral digestibility and utilization were investigated. A randomized complete block design (2 × 3 × 2 arrangement; 12 treatments) incorporated 2 limestones [high solubility (<strong>HSL</strong>), and low solubility limestone (<strong>LSL</strong>), 94 and 58 % soluble, respectively, after 5 min at pH 3; geometric mean diameter 57 and 400 μm, respectively], 3 Ca levels: Low, Medium, High (0.65, 0.80, 0.95 % during 0 to 10 d of age; 0.55, 0.70, 0.85 % during 11 to 20 d of age; 0.45, 0.60, 0.75 % during 21 to 35 d of age), and two phytase doses [500 and 1,500 phytase units (<strong>FTU</strong>)/kg]. Diets were formulated with retainable P using a phytase matrix and fed as pelleted corn-, wheat- and soybean meal-based diets <em>ad libitum</em> to Ross 308 males (2,160 birds, 6 pens/treatment, 30 birds/pen). Digesta was collected on d 20 d to determine ileal digestibility (<strong>AID</strong>) of minerals. Tibias were collected on d 10, 20 and 35 for bone ash determination. There were 2-way interactions between limestone solubility and Ca level, limestone solubility and phytase dose and Ca level and phytase dose on final BW, overall BW gain and feed intake; all were reduced (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) by increasing dietary Ca, with HSL vs. LSL, and increased with high vs. low phytase. Tibia ash was increased by high (vs. low) phytase dose across diets. The AID of P at d 20 was increased by LSL vs. HSL, reduced by increasing dietary Ca, and increased by high (vs. low) phytase dose; AID of Ca was reduced by LSL vs. HSL. The highest d 35 BW (2,571 g) was achieved with LSL, Medium Ca and 1,500 FTU/kg PhyG. Achieving optimal growth performance depended upon the combined effects of all 3 factors; in diets containing HSL and High Ca, increasing the phytase dose may maintain performance and reduce the negative effects of excess Ca.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106532"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171034","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":"Antimicrobial resistance and genomic characteristics of avian Pasteurella multocida","authors":"Fengcheng Miao ,&nbsp;Bing Dai ,&nbsp;Zhiyu Li ,&nbsp;Kaikai Lv ,&nbsp;Junxing Li ,&nbsp;Shuangmao Li ,&nbsp;Shuaijie Song ,&nbsp;Huafeng Jian ,&nbsp;Xiaoqian Long ,&nbsp;Yao Shen ,&nbsp;Yinghui Wei ,&nbsp;Hua Yang ,&nbsp;Jiangang Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106524","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106524","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div><em>Pasteurella multocida</em>, the cause of fowl cholera, poses a significant economic threat to poultry. The escalation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in this pathogen, driven by drug misuse, is a serious concern. Crucially, a comprehensive understanding of AMR patterns, molecular epidemiology, and virulence in Chinese avian strains is still lacking<em>.</em> This study aimed to elucidate the phenotypic and genomic characteristics of <em>P. multocida</em> strains isolated from avian in Zhejiang Province, China.</div></div><div><h3>Result</h3><div>Twenty avian-origin <em>P. multocida</em> strains isolated in Zhejiang Province were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole-genome sequencing, and virulence assessment. Resistance was most frequent to florfenicol (65%) and tetracycline (50%). Multi-Locus Sequence Typing analysis revealed that ST471 and its closely related variant ST129 collectively constituted the dominant clonal group. A total of 13 resistance genes belonging to 5 major classes were identified, with <em>floR</em> (75%), <em>sul2</em> (50%), and <em>tet</em> (B) (50%) exhibiting the highest prevalence. In the <em>Galleria mellonella</em> model challenged with 1.5 × 10⁷ CFU/larva, ST471 strains exhibited a slower killing rate compared to ST129 strains, while the ST7 strain demonstrated low virulence.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study demonstrates the increasing prevalence of avian <em>P. multocida</em> in China, specifically the sustained circulation of ST129 and the recent emergence of ST471, particularly in ducks. These findings underscore the urgency of continuous monitoring of strain dissemination and the evolution of multidrug resistance, providing a scientific basis for precise and rational antimicrobials use in farms and for blocking the spread of potentially high-risk strains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106524"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146119744","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":"Follicle stimulating hormone stimulates farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase 1 expression through LSD1Ser54p in chicken ovarian granulosa cells","authors":"Yanhong Zhang ,&nbsp;Min Zhang ,&nbsp;Qingxin Liu ,&nbsp;Yunliang Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106538","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106538","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ovarian follicular development in laying hens is tightly regulated by a variety of endocrine and cellular factors, among which follicle-stimulating hormone (<strong>FSH</strong>) plays a decisive role. Our previous study demonstrated that phosphorylation of LSD1 at serine 54 (<strong>LSD1Ser54p</strong>) level increases after follicle selection, and FSH induces LSD1Ser54p in chicken hierarchical follicular granulosa cells (<strong>Post-GCs</strong>), suggesting a critical role of LSD1Ser54p in chicken follicle selection. To elucidate the underlying mechanism, we first determined the expression pattern of LSD1Ser54p in follicular tissues and confirmed its role in reducing the levels of H3K4me1/2 and H3K9me1/2 in Post-GCs. By integrating transcriptome sequencing and CUT&amp;Tag chromatin analysis, we identified genes that are targeted by FSH and directly bound by LSD1Ser54p, with farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase 1 (<strong><em>FDFT1</em></strong>) being selected for further investigations. In depth analysis of the histone modification status at the <em>FDFT1</em> promoter revealed that LSD1Ser54p specifically removes H3K9me1/2 methylation, thereby alleviating chromatin repression and activating <em>FDFT1</em> transcription, which ultimately promotes the cholesterol synthesis. Our findings reveal an epigenetic regulatory pathway—the FSH-LSD1Ser54p-H3K9me1/2-<em>FDFT1</em> axis—operating during chicken follicle selection, providing new molecular insights into avian reproductive physiology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106538"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146119800","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":"Sport improves function of roosters testicular Leydig cells by mediating FUNDC1","authors":"Yuqi Chen ,&nbsp;Xinyue Zhao ,&nbsp;Jie Zheng ,&nbsp;Yao Zhang ,&nbsp;Hao Chen ,&nbsp;Can Cui ,&nbsp;Chunlin Yu ,&nbsp;Chaowu Yang ,&nbsp;Huadong Yin ,&nbsp;Shunshun Han","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106541","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106541","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Roosters play a crucial role in breeder chicken production. A decline in reproductive performance during the late breeding stage is a major factor limiting economic returns. Testosterone, a key hormone for maintaining secondary sexual characteristics and supporting spermatogenesis, is primarily synthesized and processed within mitochondria. With advancing age, mitochondrial function deteriorates in roosters, leading to reduced testosterone synthesis and impaired reproductive capacity. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms through which rest and sport affect the reproductive performance of aging roosters. A total of 36 Tianfu Pink roosters aged 110 weeks were allocated into three groups with three replicates per group. After a 4-week intervention involving rest and sport regimens, natural mating was conducted to collect reproductive performance data. The results showed that rest and sport exerted anti-inflammatory effects, significantly improved semen quality and hatching performance, increased serum levels of testosterone and gonadotropins, enhanced systemic antioxidant capacity, and markedly upregulated <em>FUNDC1</em> expression in the testes. In primary chicken testicular interstitial cells, overexpression or knockdown of <em>FUNDC1</em> significantly enhanced or suppressed mitochondrial function, as well as the expression of genes and proteins related to antioxidant defense and testosterone synthesis. Moreover, <em>FUNDC1</em> overexpression alleviated rotenone-induced mitochondrial damage and restored testosterone synthesis in testicular interstitial cells. These findings suggest that sport may enhance testosterone synthesis in testicular interstitial cells by modulating <em>FUNDC1</em> expression, thereby improving mitochondrial function and antioxidant defense. This study provides theoretical and technical insights for improving the reproductive performance of breeding roosters during the late production phase.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106541"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146137634","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":"Cecal microbiota and Clostridium perfringens in broilers fed barley-based diets: Effects of enzyme supplementation and degree of grinding","authors":"Eva Lena Estensmo ,&nbsp;Camilla Sekse ,&nbsp;Franciska S. Steinhoff ,&nbsp;Kari Ljøkjel ,&nbsp;Khaled Itani ,&nbsp;Muhammad Ahmad ,&nbsp;Cathrine Arnason Bøe ,&nbsp;Siri Kulberg Sjurseth ,&nbsp;Silje Granstad","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106543","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2026.106543","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Barley has been proposed as a promising and more sustainable alternative to common cereals in poultry diets. However, the use of barley in poultry diets has historically been limited, mainly due to observed negative impact on gastrointestinal health and performance. In this study, we explored the potential of incorporating barley into broiler diets, focusing on effects on <em>Clostridium perfringens</em>, the causative agent of necrotic enteritis in poultry, and the cecal microbiota. The study included four diets containing 54% barley, with or without the addition of non-starch polysaccharide-degrading enzyme (NSPase), and one control diet without barley. The main ingredients were ground to either a fine or coarse particle size. Low <em>C. perfringens</em> levels were maintained in the intestines of broilers fed barley-based diets, suggesting that barley did not predispose to necrotic enteritis in this study. Broilers fed the coarse barley-based diet with NSPase exhibited the lowest abundance of <em>Lactobacillus</em> and the highest abundance of <em>Faecalibacterium</em>, and their cecal microbiota resembled that of the group fed the control diet. In contrast, broilers fed the coarse barley-based diet without NSPase exhibited the highest abundance of <em>Lactobacillus</em> among all groups in this study, along with a lower abundance of <em>Faecalibacterium</em>. Among the groups that received diets with finely ground barley, regardless of NSPase supplementation, there was no clear shift in the abundance of the two bacterial genera. These observations suggest that feed particle size and NSPase supplementation influence the composition of the cecal microbiota in broilers fed barley-based diets, and that these factors could be utilized as tools to mitigate undesirable health effects associated with the inclusion of barley in poultry diets. The findings of this study highlight the potential of including increased levels of barley in broiler diets without compromising health or performance. Further studies are warranted to explore the effects of similar inclusion levels of different barley varieties on gastrointestinal health and microbiota under varied environmental conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"105 4","pages":"Article 106543"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146126400","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}