Pre-hatching and post-hatching environmental factors related to epigenetic mechanisms in poultry

Author(s):  
A Dunislawska ◽  
E Pietrzak ◽  
R Wishna Kadawarage ◽  
A Beldowska ◽  
M Siwek

Abstract Epigenetic modifications are phenotypic changes unrelated to the modification of the DNA sequence. These modifications are essential for regulating cellular differentiation and organism development. In this case, epigenetics controls how the animal's genetic potential is used. The main epigenetic mechanisms are microRNA activity, DNA methylation and histone modification. The literature has repeatedly shown that environmental modulation has a significant influence on the regulation of epigenetic mechanisms in poultry. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the current state of the knowledge in poultry epigenetics in terms of issues relevant to overall poultry production and the improvement of the health status in chickens and other poultry species. One of the main differences between birds and mammals is the stage of embryonic development. The bird's embryo develops outside its mother, so an optimal environment of egg incubation before hatching is crucial for development. It is also the moment when many factors influence the activation of epigenetic mechanisms, i.e., incubation temperature, humidity, light, as well as in ovo treatments. Epigenome of the adult birds, might be modulated by: nutrition, supplementation and treatment, as well as modification of the intestinal microbiota. In addition, the activation of epigenetic mechanisms is influenced by pathogens (i.e., pathogenic bacteria, toxins, viruses and fungi) as well as, the maintenance conditions. Farm animal epigenetics is still a big challenge for scientists. This is a research area with many open questions. Modern methods of epigenetic analysis can serve both in the analysis of biological mechanisms and in the research and applied to production system, poultry health and welfare.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grigol Abramia ◽  
Leila Gverdtsiteli ◽  
Dimitri Eristavi ◽  
Besik Kalandadze ◽  
Akaki Girgvliani ◽  
...  

Abstract The publication is addressing the problems of pollution from agricultural sources; municipal wastewater and industry in line with the bacterial pollution caused by migratory waterfowl of Paliastomi Lake that is an internationally recognized habitat, wintery and transit area of the birds and an important tourism site. It reviews: the current state of the environment of Paliastomi Lake at the moment of the chemical and microbiological research and mathematical simulation modeling of possible dissemination of polluting chemicals and bacterial pathogens; pollution by nutrient-rich water causing large blooms of algae and aquatic plants that in its turn leaves little oxygen for fish and other aquatic animals, resulting in the eutrophication followed by suffocation of aquatic life. According to the research provided, the publication recommends ongoing monitoring of not only the lake's inflowing waters, but also seasonal sources of bacterial pollution caused by migratory birds. According to monitoring, the integration of constructed wetlands, localized spraying of bacteriophage cocktails, and feeding the birds, who are potential carriers of pathogenic bacteria, with food supplemented with BCs will help limit bacterial contamination, improve the habitat for local and migratory waterfowl, and ensure the biosecurity of the area.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claus Kordes ◽  
Hans H. Bock ◽  
Doreen Reichert ◽  
Petra May ◽  
Dieter Häussinger

Abstract This review article summarizes 20 years of our research on hepatic stellate cells within the framework of two collaborative research centers CRC575 and CRC974 at the Heinrich Heine University. Over this period, stellate cells were identified for the first time as mesenchymal stem cells of the liver, and important functions of these cells in the context of liver regeneration were discovered. Furthermore, it was determined that the space of Disse – bounded by the sinusoidal endothelium and hepatocytes – functions as a stem cell niche for stellate cells. Essential elements of this niche that control the maintenance of hepatic stellate cells have been identified alongside their impairment with age. This article aims to highlight previous studies on stellate cells and critically examine and identify open questions and future research directions.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 629
Author(s):  
Walaa A. Husseiny ◽  
Abeer A. I. Hassanin ◽  
Adel A. S. El Nabtiti ◽  
Karim Khalil ◽  
Ahmed Elaswad

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of colloidal nanoparticles of silver (Nano-Ag) on the expression of myogenesis-related genes in chicken embryos. The investigated genes included the members of the myogenic regulatory factors family (MRFs) and myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) genes. A total of 200 fertilized broiler eggs (Indian River) were randomly distributed into four groups; non-injected control, injected control with placebo, treatment I in ovo injected with 20 ppm Nano-Ag, and treatment II in ovo injected with 40 ppm Nano-Ag. The eggs were then incubated for 21 days at the optimum temperature and humidity conditions. Breast muscle tissues were collected at the 5th, 8th, and 18th days of the incubation period. The mRNA expression of myogenic determination factor 1 (MYOD1), myogenic factor 5 (MYF5), myogenic factor 6 (MYF6), myogenin (MYOG), and MEF2A was measured at the three sampling points using real-time quantitative PCR, while MYOD1 protein expression was evaluated on day 18 using western blot. Breast muscle tissues were histologically examined on day 18 to detect the changes at the cellular level. Our results indicate that myogenesis was enhanced with the low concentration (20 ppm) of Nano-Ag due to the higher expression of MYOD1, MYF5, and MYF6 at the transcriptional level and MYOD1 at the translational level. Moreover, histological analysis revealed the presence of hyperplasia (31.4% more muscle fibers) in treatment I (injected with 20 ppm). Our findings indicate that in ovo injection of 20 ppm Nano-Ag enhances the development of muscles in chicken embryos compared with the 40-ppm dosage and provide crucial information for the use of silver nanoparticles in poultry production.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Żbikowska ◽  
Monika Michalczuk ◽  
Beata Dolka

The emergence of multidrug-resistant infections and antibiotic failures have raised concerns over human and veterinary medicine worldwide. Poultry production has had to confront the problems of an alarming increase in bacterial resistance, including zoonotic pathogens. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis have been the most frequently reported human foodborne diseases linked to poultry. This situation has strongly stimulated a renewal of scientists’ interest in bacteriophages (phages) since the beginning of the 21st century. Bacteriophages are the viruses of bacteria. They are abundant in nature, and accompany bacteria in each environment they colonize, including human microbiota. In this review, we focused on the use of bacteriophages as therapeutic agents to treat infections and reduce counts of pathogenic bacteria in poultry, as biocontrol agents to eliminate foodborne pathogens on/in food, and also as disinfectants to reduce contamination on food-contact surfaces or poultry carcasses in industrial conditions. Most of the phage-based products are targeted against the main foodborne pathogens, such as Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Clostridium perfringens. Phages are currently addressed at all stages of the poultry production "from farm to fork", however, their implementation into live birds and food products still provokes discussions especially in the context of the current legal framework, limitations, as well as public health and safety.


2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 539-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie N. Jackson

The last 15 years has seen a tremendous growth in research on structural priming among second language (L2) speakers. Structural priming is the phenomenon whereby speakers are more likely to repeat a structure they have recently heard or produced. Research on L2 structural priming speaks to key issues regarding the underlying linguistic and cognitive mechanisms that support L2 acquisition and use, and the extent to which lexical and grammatical information are shared across an L2 speaker’s languages. As the number of researchers investigating L2 priming and its implications for L2 learning continues to grow, it is important to assess the current state of research in this area and establish directions for continued inquiry. The goal of the current review is to provide an overview of recent research on within-language L2 structural priming, with an eye towards the open questions that remain.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 756
Author(s):  
Maciej Walędziak ◽  
Anna Różańska-Walędziak ◽  
Paweł Bartnik ◽  
Joanna Kacperczyk-Bartnik ◽  
Andrzej Kwiatkowski ◽  
...  

Background: the COVID-19 pandemic and the implemented restrictions have changed the functioning of healthcare systems worldwide. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of the present epidemiological situation on patients’ decisions about undergoing weight loss surgery. Methods: data were collected from 906 bariatric patients by the means of a national online survey, the majority of whom were women (87.9%). The survey started on 9 April 2020 and was open until 28 April 2020. The questionnaire included multiple choice and open questions, divided into three chapters: general information about the patient, life during the COVID-19 pandemic, and bariatric care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: despite the pandemic and the associated risk of COVID-19 infection, 443 responders (48.9%) would have decided to undergo bariatric surgery. Awareness of the negative impact of obesity on the course of COVID-19 illness had only marginable impact on patients’ decision-making (76.6% vs. 75.3%; p < 0.80). Contact with COVID-19 prior to the survey had a negative impact on the willingness to undergo bariatric surgery (3.0% vs. 4.4%; p < 0.55). There was a positive correlation between the BMI and preference for bariatric surgery in the time of the pandemic (37.4 ± 9.0 vs. 34.9 ± 8.7; p < 0.001). Conclusions: the level of awareness about the advantages of operative treatment of obesity is high among bariatric patients. The majority of patients awaiting bariatric surgery at the moment of the survey were positive about undergoing bariatric surgery despite the increased risk of a serious course of COVID-19 infection. Therefore, a large proportion of patients was determined to have bariatric treatment even during the pandemic, being aware of the increased risk of worse pace of COVID-19 disease in case of obesity and related diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 121-141
Author(s):  
Justyna Olędzka

The purpose of this article is to discuss the trajectory of Belarusian-Lithuanian relations with a particular focus on the period after the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, which resulted in a change in international relations in the region. This was the moment that redefined the Lithuanian-Belarusian relations, which until 2020 were satisfactory for both sides (especially in the economic aspect). However, Lithuania began to pursue a reactive policy of promoting the democratisation of Belarus and provided multi-level support to Belarusian opposition forces. The current problems in bilateral relations (e.g., the future of Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant located in Astravyets) have been put on the agenda for discussion at the EU level, while the instruments of a hybrid conflict in the form of an influx of immigrants into Lithuania, controlled by the Belarusian regime, have become a key issue for the future prospects of relations between Belarus and Lithuania.


Author(s):  
Y.V. Kyurdzhiev

The article presents the result of the analysis of the problems of maintenance of on-board pneumatic systems and units in terms of the requirements for completeness and efficiency of the requested information. It is shown that the current state of the workflow modeling tools of these systems do not fully meet the maintenance requirements at all stages of the product life cycle. An approach to modeling pneumohydraulic systems and units is proposed, as well as ways to reduce the time from the moment of setting a problem requiring the development of a new mathematical model to obtaining adequate simulation results. The efficiency of the proposed approach is demonstrated by the example of a pressure regulator operating in a dynamic mode. The possibilities and ways of implementing modeling tools based on the proposed approach are shown.


2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (3B) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tien Cuong Nguyen ◽  
Thi Anh Phuong Chu ◽  
Hai Van Nguyen

ABSTRACT-QMFS2019Poultry production provides source of protein and contributes an important income for Vietnamese farmers. Among the poultry in Vietnam, ducks account for 27.3% of head of poultry and even 55.7% in Mekong Delta region. Along with the development of rearing ducks, bacterial, viral and fungal diseases occurring in the two last decades induced bad effect for poultry producer. Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Streptococcal or Pasteurella act as major pathogenic bacteria in duck. The aims of this study were to investigate the antibacterial activity of garlic Allium sativum against E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Typhimurium and to evaluate the effect of garlic on growth performance of duck from 1-28 old-days. The results indicated that fresh garlic and dried garlic powder showed inhibitory effect against pathogenic tested strains from 2% and 4% w/v, respectively. The inhibition zones and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of garlic extract ranged from 11.3-28.3 mm and 0.02-0.2 g/ml, respectively. After 28 days of diet with garlic supplemented, D3 (2% of fresh garlic in water) showed significantly different in weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), average daily weight (ADW); whereas, D2 (2% of garlic powder in basal diet) only possessed a difference significant in feed consumption (FC) compared to the D1 (control without garlic supplementation). The obtained results demonstrated the potential of garlic application in poultry production.


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