scholarly journals Association of female reproductive tract microbiota with egg production in layer chickens

GigaScience ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Su ◽  
Shilin Tian ◽  
Diyan Li ◽  
Wei Zhu ◽  
Tao Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The microbiota of the female reproductive tract is increasingly recognized as playing fundamental roles in animal reproduction. To explore the relative contribution of reproductive tract microbiomes to egg production in chickens, we investigated the microbiota in multiple reproductive and digestive tract sites from 128 female layer (egg-producing) chickens in comparable environments. Results We identified substantial differences between the diversity, composition, and predicted function of site-associated microbiota. Differences in reproductive tract microbiota were more strongly associated with egg production than those in the digestive tract. We identified 4 reproductive tract microbial species, Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides salanitronis, Bacteroides barnesiae, and Clostridium leptum, that were related to immune function and potentially contribute to enhanced egg production. Conclusions These findings provide insights into the diverse microbiota characteristics of reproductive and digestive tracts and may help in designing strategies for controlling and manipulating chicken reproductive tract microbiota to improve egg production.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diyan Li ◽  
Shilin Tian ◽  
Wei Zhu ◽  
Yuan Su ◽  
Tao Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The microbiota of the digestive and reproductive systems has a prominent role in animal health and performance, but the extent of its contribution is difficult to determine. In chickens, the effect of host genetics on the reproductive and digestive tract microbiota is unclear, and the means by which digestive/reproductive microbiomes help improve egg production in chicken are unknown.Results: To gain insight into this, we examined genomes from 128 chickens reared under identical conditions and described their digestive (crop, gizzard and small intestine) and reproductive tract (vagina, uterus and isthmus) microbiota. Although the diversity, composition and predicted function of the digestive and reproductive tract microbiota exhibited notable microbiota variation substantially between different parts, host genetics had limited effects on the reproductive and digestive tract microbial community. The digestive and reproductive tract microbiota had a significant effect on egg production (accounting for 52.31% - 98.86% of the variance), after correcting for host genetic effects; in particular, the uterus and isthmus microbiota accounted for an average of 93.59% and 98.86%, respectively, of variance in egg production. We further identified four reproductive tract microbial species which were related to immune system, Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides salanitronis, Bacteroides barnesiae and Clostridium leptum, that were significantly positively correlated with egg production. Chickens with a lower abundance of these species had produced significantly fewer eggs at 300 days of age (37.13 vs. 113.75) than those with a higher abundance of these microorganisms. These taxa indicate potential roles play in promoting reproductive performance. Especially uterus and isthmus tract microbiota were major factors in regulating the chicken egg production.Conclusions: Host genetics has limited effect on digestive/reproductive microbiome composition. The distinct site-associated chicken microbiome may be determined by the differences of their physical function. These findings may help design strategies for controlling and altering the digestive/reproductive tract microbiota in chickens to improve egg production.


1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (12) ◽  
pp. 2791-2796
Author(s):  
Barbara M. MacKinnon ◽  
D. L. Lee

Changes in neutral lipid content of developing female gametes in Heligmosomoides polygyrus at 8, 12, 20, 40, 80, and 140 days postinfection (p.i.) were investigated and correlated with egg production by the worms over the same period. Egg production increased to day 20 p.i. when the average egg output for one female reached approximately 700 eggs/day. A decline in egg production occurred from 80 days p.i. until the end of the experiment (140 days p.i.). Neutral lipid content was low in oogonia from worms of all ages. Developing oocytes contained the highest levels of neutral lipid. There was a significant loss of lipid just before fertilization of the oocytes. An increase in lipid occurred in all developmental stages of gametes from day 8 to day 40 p.i., and a significant decline occurred thereafter to day 140 p.i. Although egg production and lipid content of the female reproductive tract showed similar trends, there was not a precise correlation. It is felt that nuclear and cytoplasmic processes other than lipid anabolism or catabolism within the developing gametes play a more important role in influencing egg output.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zafar Ahmed Bhuiyan ◽  
Md Giasuddin ◽  
Zahed Uddin Mahmood Khan

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is a highly contagious viral disease of the chicken. It is possibly the most economically important viral respiratory disease of chicken after Avian Influenza and Newcastle disease. The virus also affects the female reproductive tract, causing poor quality of egg and loss of egg production. The study was conducted in four types of chicken (broiler, layer, sonali and Deshi) from 7 sub-districts under 4 districts of Bangladesh. Total 833 blood samples from 103 farms were collected and subjected to indirect ELISA test by commercially available IBV ELISA kits to detect specific antibodies against IBV. In overall 59.30% seroprevalence observed, 23.82% was found in broiler, 97.87% in layer, 71.83% in sonali and 83.46% in Deshi types of chickens. Broiler samples showed lowest seroprevalence with high CV (CV%=171.38), among them 76.18% were not seroconvert because of high maternal antibody or poor vaccine response. Layers showed highest seroprevalence with CV% 58.86 that is 18.00% chickens shows titer above 14000 which indicated field infection. Deshi chickens were not commercially vaccinated even though they had high seroprevalence rates 83.46% with mean titer 5333 and CV% 79.88, indicating that IBV is circulating as endemic diseases in the selected areas. Sonali chickens now reared as commercial chicken, have lower seroprevalence rates with mean titer 3160, CV% 128.39 indicating that these birds were not properly vaccinated as they required. To prevent the flocks from IBV, live and attenuated vaccination is required according to circulating strains.Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. March 2018, 4(1): 132-136


Parasitology ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 59-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Riley

SUMMARYPentastomids are arthropod parasites which attain maturity in the respiratory tracts of vertebrates. All pentastomids exhibit an obvious sexual dimorphism in that fully mature females are invariably much bigger than males. Unusually though, copulation, which happens only once in the lifetime of females, occurs when both sexes are approximately the same size and the uterus of the female is undeveloped. This is because sperm is stored in spermathecae which, being positioned at the junction of the oviduct and uterus, become more remote from the vagina as the uterus elongates during development. The provision of spermathecae for sperm storage allows oocytes, shed continuously from the ovary, to be fertilized from time to time. What renders this process quite remarkable, and possibly unique, is the extreme length of the patent period. In one species this can extend up to an estimated 10 years and is associated with an egg production of about 106eggs/female/year. Spermathecal structure provides some clues as to how prolonged sperm storage and the continuous fertilization of oocytes is accomplished. The upper region of the access duct is a narrow, chitinized tube which tapers to as little as 3 μm diameter at the point of entry into the spermatheca. The chitinous (?) lining of the spermatheca is relatively impermeable and apparently functions to totally isolate sperm from external influences: stored sperm are arranged in bundles and whorls and remain totally quiescent and inactive during the storage period. The entire spermatheca is invested by muscle fibres, the contraction of which will express small numbers of sperms through the narrow access duct. These are then reactivated by secretions from the female reproductive tract: the extreme narrowness of the spermathecal duct provides the fine adjustment of the system. The narrowness of the duct also creates problems during the process of insemination, since sperm discharged directly into the female reproductive tract would be unlikely to find the spermatheca through such a structure. Accordingly, the male cirrus is much modified to directly penetrate the spermathecal duct during copulation. Sperms, stored in the male seminal vesicle, are apparently activated prior to sperm transfer, and swim along the cirrus to be guided directly into the spermathecal lumen. Some unusual variations on the normal pentastomid life-cycle are discussed.


Reproduction ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 160 (5) ◽  
pp. 793-801
Author(s):  
Minkyeong Lee ◽  
Changwon Yang ◽  
Gwonhwa Song ◽  
Whasun Lim

The reproductive tract in avian females is sensitive to hormonal regulation. Exogenous estrogen induces immature oviduct development to improve egg production after molting. In this process, regressed female reproductive tract is regenerated in response to the secretion of estrogen. However, there is limited knowledge on the physiological mechanisms underlying the regulation of the avian female reproductive system. In our previous study, results from microarray analysis revealed that the expression of genes encoding egg white proteins is affected during molting. Herein, we artificially induced the molting period in chickens through a zinc-containing diet. Subsequently, changes in the expression of genes encoding egg white proteins were confirmed in the oviduct tissue. The levels of MUC5B, ORM1, RTBDN, and TENP mRNA were significantly high in the oviduct, and the genes were repressed in the regression phase, whereas these were expressed in the recrudescence phase, particularly in the luminal epithelium and glandular epithelium of the oviduct, during molting. Moreover, we observed that gene expression was induced in the magnum, the site for the secretion of egg white components. Next, differences in expression levels of the four genes in normal and cancerous ovaries were compared. Collectively, results suggest that the four selected genes are expressed in the female chicken reproductive tract in response to hormonal regulation, and egg white protein-encoding genes may serve as modulators of the reproductive system in hens.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diyan Li ◽  
Shilin Tian ◽  
Wei Zhu ◽  
Yuan Su ◽  
Tao Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The microbiota of the digestive and reproductive systems has a prominent role in animal health and performance, but the extent of its contribution is difficult to determine. In chickens, the effect of host genetics on the reproductive and digestive tract microbiota is unclear, and the means by which digestive/reproductive microbiomes help improve egg production in chicken are unknown. Results: To gain insight into this, we examined genomes from 128 chickens reared under identical conditions and described their digestive (crop, gizzard and small intestine) and reproductive tract (vagina, uterus and isthmus) microbiota. Although the diversity, composition and predicted function of the digestive and reproductive tract microbiota exhibited notable microbiota variation substantially between different parts, host genetics had limited effects on the reproductive and digestive tract microbial community. The digestive and reproductive tract microbiota had a significant effect on egg production (accounting for 52.31% - 98.86% of the variance), after correcting for host genetic effects; in particular, the uterus and isthmus microbiota accounted for an average of 93.59% and 98.86%, respectively, of variance in egg production. We further identified four reproductive tract microbial species which were related to immune system, Bacteroides fragilis , Bacteroides salanitronis , Bacteroides barnesiae and Clostridium leptum , that were significantly positively correlated with egg production. Chickens with a lower abundance of these species had produced significantly fewer eggs at 300 days of age (37.13 vs. 113.75) than those with a higher abundance of these microorganisms. We speculated that these microorganisms regulate chicken reproductive activity by mediating its immune system. Conclusions: Host genetics has limited effect on digestive/reproductive microbiome composition. The distinct site-associated chicken microbiome may be determined by the differences of their physical function. These findings may help design strategies for controlling and altering the digestive/reproductive tract microbiota in chickens to improve egg production.


2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (27) ◽  
pp. 8475-8480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra L. Mattei ◽  
Mark L. Riccio ◽  
Frank W. Avila ◽  
Mariana F. Wolfner

Physiological changes in females during and after mating are triggered by seminal fluid components in conjunction with female-derived molecules. In insects, these changes include increased egg production, storage of sperm, and changes in muscle contraction within the reproductive tract (RT). Such postmating changes have been studied in dissected RT tissues, but understanding their coordination in vivo requires a holistic view of the tissues and their interrelationships. Here, we used high-resolution, multiscale micro-computed tomography (CT) scans to visualize and measure postmating changes in situ in the Drosophila female RT before, during, and after mating. These studies reveal previously unidentified dynamic changes in the conformation of the female RT that occur after mating. Our results also reveal how the reproductive organs temporally shift in concert within the confines of the abdomen. For example, we observed chiral loops in the uterus and in the upper common oviduct that relax and constrict throughout sperm storage and egg movement. We found that specific seminal fluid proteins or female secretions mediate some of the postmating changes in morphology. The morphological movements, in turn, can cause further changes due to the connections among organs. In addition, we observed apparent copulatory damage to the female intima, suggesting a mechanism for entry of seminal proteins, or other exogenous components, into the female’s circulatory system. The 3D reconstructions provided by high-resolution micro-CT scans reveal how male and female molecules and anatomy interface to carry out and coordinate mating-dependent changes in the female’s reproductive physiology.


Author(s):  
Mai M. Said ◽  
Ramesh K. Nayak ◽  
Randall E. McCoy

Burgos and Wislocki described changes in the mucosa of the guinea pig uterus, cervix and vagina during the estrous cycle investigated by transmission electron microscopy. More recently, Moghissi and Reame reported the effects of progestational agents on the human female reproductive tract. They found drooping and shortening of cilia in norgestrel and norethindrone- treated endometria. To the best of our knowledge, no studies concerning the effects of mestranol and norethindrone given concurrently on the three-dimensional surface features on the uterine mucosa of the guinea pig have been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of mestranol and norethindrone on surface ultrastructure of guinea pig uterus by SEM.Seventy eight animals were used in this study. They were allocated into two groups. Group 1 (20 animals) was injected intramuscularly 0.1 ml vegetable oil and served as controls.


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