Dataset Information

Transcriptional profiling and pathway analysis reveal differences in pituitary gland function, morphology, and vascularization in chickens genetically selected for high or low body weight.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Though intensive genetic selection has led to extraordinary advances in growth rate and feed efficiency in production of meat-type chickens, endocrine processes controlling these traits are still poorly understood. The anterior pituitary gland is a central component of the neuroendocrine system and plays a key role in regulating important physiological processes that directly impact broiler production efficiency, though how differences in pituitary gland function contribute to various growth and body composition phenotypes is not fully understood. RESULTS:Global anterior pituitary gene expression was evaluated on post-hatch weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7 in male broiler chickens selected for high (HG) or low (LG) growth. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed with gene ontology categorization, self-organizing maps, gene interaction network determination, and upstream regulator identification to uncover novel pituitary genes and pathways contributing to differences in growth and body composition. A total of 263 genes were differentially expressed between HG and LG anterior pituitary glands (P???0.05 for genetic line-by-age interaction or main effect of line; ?1.6-fold difference between lines), including genes encoding four anterior pituitary hormones. Genes involved in signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, and vesicle-mediated transport were differentially expressed and are predicted to influence expression and secretion of pituitary hormones. DEGs involved in immune regulation provide evidence that inflammation and response to cellular stressors may compromise pituitary function in LG birds, affecting their ability to adequately produce pituitary hormones. Many DEGs were also predicted to function in processes that regulate organ morphology and angiogenesis, suggesting pituitary gland structure differs between the divergently selected lines. CONCLUSIONS:The large number of DEGs within the anterior pituitary gland of birds selected for high or low body weight highlights the importance of this gland in regulating economically important traits such as growth and body composition in broiler chickens. Intracellular signaling, transcriptional regulation, and membrane trafficking are important cellular processes contributing to proper hormone production and secretion. The data also suggest that pituitary function is intimately tied to structure, and organization of the gland could influence hypothalamic and systemic metabolic inputs and delivery of hormones regulating growth and metabolism into peripheral circulation.

SUBMITTER: Ellestad LE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6482517 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Transcriptional profiling and pathway analysis reveal differences in pituitary gland function, morphology, and vascularization in chickens genetically selected for high or low body weight.

Ellestad Laura E LE Cogburn Larry A LA Simon Jean J Le Bihan-Duval Elisabeth E Aggrey Samuel E SE Byerly Mardi S MS Duclos Michel J MJ Porter Tom E TE

BMC genomics 20190425 1

<h4>Background</h4>Though intensive genetic selection has led to extraordinary advances in growth rate and feed efficiency in production of meat-type chickens, endocrine processes controlling these traits are still poorly understood. The anterior pituitary gland is a central component of the neuroendocrine system and plays a key role in regulating important physiological processes that directly impact broiler production efficiency, though how differences in pituitary gland function contribute to ...[more]

PMID: 31023219

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Project description:Several processes governing growth and metabolism are regulated by the neuroendocrine system, particularly the trophic hormones produced in the anterior pituitary gland. However, many of the differences that exist in pituitary gene expression and functional gene networks associated with divergent growth characteristics are still largely unknown. Using the Del-Mar 14K Chicken Integrated Systems microarray, this experiment evaluated global gene expression in the anterior pituitary gland during the first 7 weeks of post-hatch growth in two lines of chickens genetically selected for high growth (HG) or low growth (LG) at SRA-INRA, France. The HG and LG chickens differ in body weight, abdominal fat content, and plasma hormone and metabolite levels, making them a valuable model for both biomedical and agricultural traits. Amplified total RNA extracted from individual anterior pituitary glands collected from 4 birds from each line at each age (n=4) was produced. Cy-3 labeled cDNA from these samples was hybridized with an aliquot of Cy-5 labeled cDNA made from a pool of total RNA from all 32 samples. Data were analyzed as log2-(Cy3intensity (norm)/Cy5intensity (raw)) by two-way ANOVA using a linear mixed model procedure (PROC MIXED; SAS institute Inc., Cary, NC), and a total of 2,310 spots were significantly different (P<0.05) by line (1,100), age (1,058), or the line-by-age interaction (353). Of these, we identified 291 spots representing 263 genes as differentially expressed between HG and LG birds, where there was a >160% difference between the highest expression in one line and the lowest expression in the other and a significant line-by-age (110) or line (181) effect. Four anterior pituitary hormones were contained in this set of differentially expressed genes: thyroid-stimulating hormone ?-subunit, luteinizing hormone ?-subunit, and follicle-stimulating hormone ?-subunit mRNA levels were higher in the HG line; and growth hormone mRNA was elevated in the LG line. Pathway analysis revealed differences in expression between HG and LG lines associated with molecular transport, endocrine system development and function, organ and tissue morphology, and cellular compromise. Potential alteration in pituitary function between the two lines was highlighted in a network containing genes associated with hormone expression and secretion, as well as those potentially involved in pituitary gland morphology and vascularization.

Project description:Chickens divergently selected for either high abdominal fat content (fat genotype) or low abdominal fat content (lean genotype) at SRA-INRA, France were used to profile pituitary gland gene expression during juvenile development (1 to 7 weeks of age) and to identify differentially expressed genes associated with genotype and age. The fat line (FL) and lean line (LL) chickens are different in various phenotypic and metabolic measurements, including abdominal fatness, plasma glycemia, and T3. The FL and LL chickens represent unique models for characterizing biomedical and agricultural traits. The Del-Mar 14K Chicken Integrated Systems microarrays were used for a transcriptional scan in the pituitary gland during juvenile development using a reference design for the hybridization of total RNA from the pituitary gland. A reference RNA pool was made from an equal amount of high-quality total RNA extracted from all of the samples. Each of the microarrays was co-hybridized with Cy3-labeled cDNA targets from one of the pituitary samples and Cy5-labled cDNA targets from the reference pituitary RNA pool. Log2-transformed fluorescence intensities were analyzed with a mixed model. Two-way ANOVA (SAS) of log2 ratios was used to detect significant (p<0.05) differences by line, age, and the line-by-age interaction. There were 1150 significantly different genes between the two lines, and 339 of these genes exhibited greater than 0.68-fold differences in their log2 ratios (highest group mean at least 160% of the lowest group mean). One thousand four hundred twenty nine genes were significantly different by age and of these, 583 exhibited fold changes greater than 0.68 in the log2 ratio. There were 145 genes that significantly differed in their line-by-age interaction, and 62 of these exhibited greater than 0.68-fold differences. There were 386 genes with significant differences by line or for line-by-age interaction with at least a 0.68-fold change in log2 ratio and n ≥ 2 for each experimental group.

Dataset Information

Transcriptional profiling and pathway analysis reveal differences in pituitary gland function, morphology, and vascularization in chickens genetically selected for high or low body weight.

Publications

Transcriptional profiling and pathway analysis reveal differences in pituitary gland function, morphology, and vascularization in chickens genetically selected for high or low body weight.

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