Genetic Structure of Racing Pigeons (Columba livia) Kept in Poland Based on Microsatellite Markers.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Podbielska A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9318851 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BACKGROUND:This study was aimed to investigate the intestinal microbiota in racing pigeons with regard to Enterococcus species distribution, virulence factors and antibiotic susceptibility. Three methods (API, Multiplex sodA-PCR, 16S rRNA sequencing) were compared for Enterococcus species identification. Cloacal samples from 179 apparently healthy pigeons of 13 different flocks were tested. RESULTS:Multiplex sodA-PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed almost perfect agreement in Enterococcus species identification. Isolates were identified as Enterococcus columbae (34.5%), Enterococcus hirae (20.7%), Enterococcus faecalis (11.7%), Enterococcus faecium (11.7%), Enterococcus gallinarum (9%), Enterococcus mundtii (4.8%), Enterococcus casseliflavus (3.4%), Enterococcus cecorum (2.1%), Enterococcus durans (2.1%). More Enterococcus species were found after the race season than before. The study showed differences between Enterococcus species in relation to 68.8% (22/32) biochemical parameters. Six out of seven virulence genes were detected: gelE (43.5%), asa1 (42.1%), efaA (30.3%), ace (30.3%), cylA (27.6%), and esp (9%). None of the isolates harboured hyl gene. Overall 15.2% of Enterococcus isolates produced gelatinase, but 66.7% gelE genes were silent. Enterococcus faecalis showed the most often efaA, ace and gelatinase activity than other enterococcal species. Nearly all isolates (93.1%) were resistant to at least one antibiotic. The most frequent resistance was to enrofloxacin (80%), doxycycline with teicoplanin (73.1%), erythromycin (49.7%). The study revealed significant differences between some enterococcal species in the antibiotic susceptibility to different antibiotics. Enterococcus columbae and E. cecorum showed significantly more frequent resistance to chloramphenicol than other enterococci. The presence of VRE (19.3%), HLGR (2.8%) and no LRE were found. Overall 30.3% of isolates were positive for vancomycin resistance genes, where vanC1 (E. gallinarum), vanC2-C3 (E. hirae, E. casseliflavus), vanB (E. columbae) predominated. CONCLUSIONS:We conclude, that intestinal microbiota in racing pigeons is composed by 9 different Enterococcus species. Given that racing pigeons are kept in close contact with humans and backyard animals, combined with their long-distance flight abilities, they can serve as potential source of virulent and antibiotic resistant Enterococcus spp. in the environment.
| S-EPMC6947970 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Categorization is an essential cognitive process useful for transferring knowledge from previous experience to novel situations. The mechanisms by which trained categorization behavior extends to novel stimuli, especially in animals, are insufficiently understood. To understand how pigeons learn and transfer category membership, seven pigeons were trained to classify controlled, bi-dimensional stimuli in a two-alternative forced-choice task. Following either dimensional, rule-based (RB) or information integration (II) training, tests were conducted focusing on the "analogical" extension of the learned discrimination to novel regions of the stimulus space (Casale, Roeder, & Ashby, 2012). The pigeons' results mirrored those from human and non-human primates evaluated using the same analogical task structure, training and testing: the pigeons transferred their discriminative behavior to the new extended values following RB training, but not after II training. Further experiments evaluating rule-based models and association-based models suggested the pigeons use dimensions and associations to learn the task and mediate transfer to stimuli within the novel region of the parametric stimulus space.
| S-EPMC6322971 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Aim:This study aimed to analyze the genetic diversity and relationships of 10 Egyptian pigeon populations belonging to Columba livia domestica speciesusing 11 microsatellite markers and to investigate the success of these markers amplification across another eight pigeon species. Methods:Genomic DNA was isolated from feather samples of179 pigeon samples from 10 Egyptian breeds: Asfer Weraq (n=14), Austoraly (n=20), Reehani (n=21), Messawed (n=17), Nemssawy (n=27), Otatti (n=12), Morasla (n=17), Tumbler (n=22), Halaby Asfer (n=10), and Karakandy (n=19) in addition to Japanese feral pigeons (n=30). Genotyping was done using 11 specific polymorphic microsatellite makers. Moreover, 37 samples not belonging to C. livia domestica but belonging to another eight pigeon species were genotyped. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were electrophoresed on an ABI 3130xl DNA Sequencer. The basic measures of genetic diversity and phylogenetic trees were computed using bioinformatics software. Results:Across the 10 studied Egyptian populations, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 19 and the average number of alleles observed was 9.091. The lowest value of expected heterozygosity (0.373) was obtained for the Reehani breed, and the highest value (0.706) was found for Morasla breed. The overall expected heterozygosity of Egyptian pigeons was 0.548. The FST coefficient which indicates fixation coefficients of subpopulations within the total population for the 11 loci varied from 0.318 to 0.114 with a relatively high mean (0.226). In our study, the FIS showed a relatively high average(0.037). The pairwise Reynolds's genetic distance between the11 studied pigeon populations recorded lower values between Otatti and Austoraly (0.025) and between Morasla and Japanese feral pigeons (0.054). These results are supported by clustering pattern either by the neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree or by a Bayesian clustering of STRUCTURE with the admixture method. Conclusions:We confirm the applicability of the CliµD17, CliµT17, CliµD16, CliµD32, CliµT13, CliµD01, PG1, PG2, PG4, PG6, and PG7 microsatellite markers among Egyptian domestic pigeons and across other pigeon species using cross-species amplification method. The information from this study should be useful for genetic characterization and for developing conservation programs of this important species.
| S-EPMC5960790 | biostudies-literature
Project description:High-resolution melting (HRM) is a post-PCR method that allows to discriminate genotypes based on fluorescence changes during the melting phase. HRM is used to detect mutations or polymorphisms (e.g. microsatellites, SNPs, indels). Here, the (TTTAT)3-5 microsatellite polymorphism within intron 6 of the LDHA gene in pigeons was analysed using the HRM method. Individuals (123 homing pigeons) were genotyped using conventional PCR. Birds were classified into groups based on genotype type and the results were tested by qPCR-HRM and verified using sequencing. Based on the evaluated protocol, five genotypes were identified that vary in the number of TTTAT repeat units (3/3, 4/4, 3/4, 4/5, and 5/5). Sequencing have confirmed the results obtained with qPCR-HRM and verified that HRM is a suitable method for identification of three-allele microsatellite polymorphisms. It can be concluded that the high-resolution melting (HRM) method can be effectively used for rapid (one-step) discrimination of the (TTTAT)3-5 microsatellite polymorphism in the pigeon's LDHA gene.
| S-EPMC8376019 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Pigeons are a typical host and natural reservoir of Chlamydia psittaci, the etiological agent of avian chlamydiosis, considered as a neglected zoonotic diseases. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of C. psittaci in faecal samples of feral pigeons (Columba livia forma urbana) as a potential source of infection related to the presence of synanthropic birds in urban areas. A total of 143 samples of dry and fresh faeces of feral pigeons, were collected in the city of Lublin (Poland), from April to September 2021. Molecular detection of C. psittaci was performed by nested-PCR and real-time PCR, confirmed by sequencing. Among the collected samples, 5 positive results were obtained in nested-PCR (3.5%), while in real-time PCR, the number of positive samples increased to 11 (7.7%). The positive samples showed 100% identity to the C. psittaci strain AMK (CP047319.1). C. psittaci was found in 7 out of 111 (6.3%) faecal samples collected in public places, and in 4 out of 32 (12.5%) samples from the nesting site (4.9% and 2.8% among a total of 143 samples, respectively). The infection was detected in both dry and fresh faeces (9.1% and 4.5%, respectively). The highest number of positive results was obtained in June-5 (3.5%). Feral pigeons occurring in urban areas are a natural reservoir of C. psittaci posing a potential risk of zoonotic infections. However, further studies on exposure to contaminated pigeon faeces in terms of occupational and non-occupational risk of chlamydiosis are needed.
| S-EPMC9576673 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionAlthough the presence of rotaviruses in pigeon samples has been reported since the 1980s, its importance as an aetiological agent of the "classical" young pigeon disease (YPD) was not proven until 2020, when the Henle-Koch postulates were confirmed for pigeon-type rotavirus A (RVA) genotype G18P(17).Material and methodsFrom 2011 to 2020, archived liver samples from 117 pigeons submitted by 74 individual lofts were tested for the presence of pigeon-type RVA using a VP6-specific RT-qPCR test. For four positive racing pigeons, a more detailed necropsy and histopathological analysis was performed.ResultsIndicators of an acute RVA infection were found in 24 out of 117 (20.5%) samples tested, the earliest in 2014. Necropsies of the four selected RVA-positive pigeons showed changes mainly in the liver, spleen and kidneys similar to those described by other researchers. The histopathological examination revealed mainly hyperaemia and necrosis in the liver, as well as mononuclear cell infiltrates in these organs.ConclusionPigeon-type RVA is also a cause of YPD in Poland and is a serious challenge for racing pigeon breeders and veterinarians, especially during the training and flights of young pigeons.
| S-EPMC10960255 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Avoidance of mating between related individuals is usually considered adaptive because it decreases the probability of inbreeding depression in offspring. However, mating between related partners can be adaptive if outbreeding depression is stronger than inbreeding depression or if females gain inclusive fitness benefits by mating with close kin. In the present study, we used microsatellite data to infer the parentage of juveniles born in a French colony of feral pigeons, which allowed us to deduce parent pairs. Despite detectable inbreeding depression, we found that pairwise relatedness between mates was significantly higher than between nonmates, with a mean coefficient of relatedness between mates of 0.065, approximately half the theoretical value for first cousins. This higher relatedness between mates cannot be explained by spatial genetic structure in this colonial bird; it therefore probably results from an active choice. As inbreeding but not outbreeding depression is observed in the study population, this finding accords with the idea that mating with genetically similar mates can confer a benefit in terms of inclusive fitness. Our results and published evidence suggest that preference for related individuals as mates might be relatively frequent in birds.
| S-EPMC5010204 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The eye color of birds, generally referring to the color of the iris, results from both pigmentation and structural coloration. Avian iris colors exhibit striking interspecific and intraspecific variations that correspond to unique evolutionary and ecological histories. Here, we identified the genetic basis of pearl (white) iris color in domestic pigeons (Columba livia) to explore the largely unknown genetic mechanism underlying the evolution of avian iris coloration. Using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach in 92 pigeons, we mapped the pearl iris trait to a 9 kb region containing the facilitative glucose transporter gene SLC2A11B. A nonsense mutation (W49X) leading to a premature stop codon in SLC2A11B was identified as the causal variant. Transcriptome analysis suggested that SLC2A11B loss of function may downregulate the xanthophore-differentiation gene CSF1R and the key pteridine biosynthesis gene GCH1, thus resulting in the pearl iris phenotype. Coalescence and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the mutation originated approximately 5,400 years ago, coinciding with the onset of pigeon domestication, while positive selection was likely associated with artificial breeding. Within Aves, potentially impaired SLC2A11B was found in six species from six distinct lineages, four of which associated with their signature brown or blue eyes and lack of pteridine. Analysis of vertebrate SLC2A11B orthologs revealed relaxed selection in the avian clade, consistent with the scenario that during and after avian divergence from the reptilian ancestor, the SLC2A11B-involved development of dermal chromatophores likely degenerated in the presence of feather coverage. Our findings provide new insight into the mechanism of avian iris color variations and the evolution of pigmentation in vertebrates.
| S-EPMC8432899 | biostudies-literature
Project description:While disease control in racing pigeons and the potential role of pigeons as vectors transmitting viruses to poultry are of importance, there is still a paucity of data concerning the occurrence of coronaviruses in pigeons. In this study, 215 domestic pigeons were tested for the presence of coronaviral genetic material using the nested PCR method, which revealed 57 positive samples (26.51%). The difference in coronavirus prevalence between young and adult pigeons (34.34% and 19.83%, respectively) has been found statistically significant. In contrast, no statistically significant difference has been demonstrated between the prevalence in symptomatic and asymptomatic birds, leaving the influence of coronavirus presence on pigeon health uncertain. Phylogenetic analysis of the RdRp gene fragment allowed us to assign all the obtained strains to the Gammacoronavirus genus and Igacovirus subgenus. The phylogenetic tree plotted using the ML method revealed that those sequences formed a group most similar to pigeon coronavirus strains from China, Finland, and Poland, and to a single strain from a common starling from Poland, which suggests wide geographical distribution of the virus and its possible transmission between various species.
| S-EPMC9230530 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Pathologists and radiologists spend years acquiring and refining their medically essential visual skills, so it is of considerable interest to understand how this process actually unfolds and what image features and properties are critical for accurate diagnostic performance. Key insights into human behavioral tasks can often be obtained by using appropriate animal models. We report here that pigeons (Columba livia)-which share many visual system properties with humans-can serve as promising surrogate observers of medical images, a capability not previously documented. The birds proved to have a remarkable ability to distinguish benign from malignant human breast histopathology after training with differential food reinforcement; even more importantly, the pigeons were able to generalize what they had learned when confronted with novel image sets. The birds' histological accuracy, like that of humans, was modestly affected by the presence or absence of color as well as by degrees of image compression, but these impacts could be ameliorated with further training. Turning to radiology, the birds proved to be similarly capable of detecting cancer-relevant microcalcifications on mammogram images. However, when given a different (and for humans quite difficult) task-namely, classification of suspicious mammographic densities (masses)-the pigeons proved to be capable only of image memorization and were unable to successfully generalize when shown novel examples. The birds' successes and difficulties suggest that pigeons are well-suited to help us better understand human medical image perception, and may also prove useful in performance assessment and development of medical imaging hardware, image processing, and image analysis tools.
| S-EPMC4651348 | biostudies-literature