Genome‐wide association study identified genes in the response to Salmonella pullorum infection in chickens

Pullorum is a bacterial disease that threatens the modern poultry industry. Over the years, research on this topic has focused mainly on its epidemiology, whereas the hosts’ genetic basis of infection is still vague. In order to identify chickens’ genes associated with pullorum, we sequenced 300 New Pudong chicken by double digest genotyping‐by‐sequencing. We obtained 1 527 953 SNPs for a genome‐wide association analysis, which identified 43 genome‐wide significant markers. Most of the significant SNPs were in the interval of 57.7–59.0 Mb on chromosome 5. The gene set enrichment analysis suggests a potential manner for bacterial infection and remaining inside the host. This work provides basic data for the purification, prevention and treatment of pullorum disease.     

Biallelic expression of Z-linked genes in male chickens

In birds, females are heterogametic (ZW), while males are homogametic (ZZ). It has been proposed that there is no dosage compensation for the expression of Z-linked genes in birds. In order to examine if the genes are inactivated on one of the two Z chromosomes, we analyzed the allelic expression of the B4GALT1 and CHD-Z genes on Z chromosomes in male chickens. One base substitution was detected among 15 chicken breeds and lines examined for each gene, and cross mating was made between the breeds or lines with polymorphism. cDNAs were synthesized from cultured cell colonies each derived from a single cell of an F1 male embryo. The allelic expression of the B4GALT1 gene was examined by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the PCR products digested with RSAI, and that of the CHD-Z gene by the single nucleotide primer extension (SNuPE) method. Both of the genes displayed biallelic expression, suggesting that these Z-linked genes were not subject to inactivation in male chickens. Comparison between expression levels in males and females by real-time quantitative PCR suggested that expression was compensated for the CHD-Z gene but not for the B4GALT1 gene.     

Interaction of genes controlling two allotypes in chickens.

This paper presents the results of the investigations of the newly detected antigen of chicken blood serum, called K2. It was established that the K2 antigen which was identified with isoimmune serum was a beta-globulin with the molecular weight over 200 000. The results of the genetic analysis based on sire-dam-offspring combinations seemed to indicate that the antigen under examination was controlled by a gene hypostatic to the gene controlling the previously described K1 allotype.     

Interaction of genes controlling two allotypes in chickens1

This paper presents the results of the investigations of the newly detected antigen of chicken blood serum, called K2. It was established that the K2 antigen which was identified with isoimmune serum was a β-globulin with the molecular weight over 200 000. The results of the genetic analysis based on sire-dam-offspring combinations seemed to indicate that the antigen under examination was controlled by a gene hypostatic to the gene controlling the previously described Kl allotype.     

Immune response and survival

Immune responses have evolved to defend hosts efficiently against the debilitating effects of parasites on host fitness. However, there are relatively few studies of the efficiency of the immune system in terms of providing hosts with an ability to defend themselves against parasitism. A meta-analysis of the literature on survival of birds in relation to non-specific immune response to challenge with an antigen or other measures of immune function demonstrated a mean effect adjusted for sample size of 0.43 across 12 studies. This observation shows that relatively simple estimates of non-specific immune responses often reliably predict a large and significant amount of variation in survivorship.     

Immune responses to infections with coccidia in chickens: gut hypersensitivity.

Sporulated oocysts or oocyst hulls of Eimeria acervulina given via the crop, and oocyst juice or sporozoites inoculated directly into the intestinal lumen, were tested for their effects on the hypersensitivity of the intestines of immunized and susceptible birds. Only viable sporozoites consistently caused an increase in the permeability of the immunized intestine to macromolecules, shown by the leakage of intravenously injected dye. Repulsion of epithelium and disruption of the villi were seen more often in immunized than in susceptible chickens but there was no correlation with treatment or with dye leakage. The hypersensitive response of immune intestines challenged with a heterologous organism was approximately half as intense as the response to homologous challenge. The significance of these findings in relation to immunity to coccidiosis is discussed.     

Immune suppression genes control the anti-F antigen response in F1 hybrids and recombinant inbred sets of mice

The immune response to the liver protein F antigen which, in the mouse, occurs in two allelic forms, is under sharp immunogenetic control in that only mice that possess the A^k molecule can respond to allo-F antigen. This response has been studied in a number of F₁ hybrids between inbred strains and with recombinant inbred lines all of which express A^k, and which thus enable immune suppression effects to be detected. In the AKXL and AKXD sets, the hybrids with CBA are responders if H-2 ^k/H-2^k, and usually nonresponders if H-2 ^k/H-2^b or H-2 ^k/H-2^d. Although this may be due to gene dosage effects, this cannot be the explanation for the low responsiveness of the H-2 ^k/H-2^b relative to the H-2 ^k/H-2^d mice found in CBA × BXD hybrids. For this, and other reasons, it seems likely that low responsiveness in any mouse possessing a responder A ^k allele is due to suppression, and that this is mediated by the immune suppression effects of the non-H-2 ^k haplotype. These H-2-mediated effects can be modified, both positively and negatively, by background genes. Thus, of the ten H-2^k/H-2^d members of the CBA × AKXD cross, seven are low responders and three are high responders. No other typed marker has the same strain distribution pattern at present. Major unresolved questions, therefore, concern the location and mechanism of action of the background genes and the mechanism of action of the H-2 immune suppression genes.     

Immune response to heavy exertion

Nieman, David C. Immune response to heavyexertion. J. Appl. Physiol. 82(5):1385-1394, 1997.Epidemiological data suggest that enduranceathletes are at increased risk for upper respiratory tract infectionduring periods of heavy training and the 1- to 2-wk period followingrace events. There is growing evidence that, for several hourssubsequent to heavy exertion, several components of both the innate(e.g., natural killer cell activity and neutrophil oxidative burstactivity) and adaptive (e.g., T and B cell function) immune systemexhibit suppressed function. At the same time, plasma pro- andanti-inflammatory cytokines are elevated, in particular interleukin-6-and interleukin-1-receptor antagonist. Various mechanisms explainingthe altered immunity have been explored, including hormone-inducedtrafficking of immune cells and the direct influence of stresshormones, prostaglandin-E₂, cytokines, and other factors. The immune response to heavy exertion istransient, and further research on the mechanisms underlying the immuneresponse to prolonged and intensive endurance exercise is necessarybefore meaningful clinical applications can be drawn. Some attemptshave been made through chemical or nutritional means (e.g.,indomethacin, glutamine, vitamin C, and carbohydrate supplementation) to attenuate immune changes following intensive exercise.

     

Immune response increases predation risk

Why do individuals have an imperfect immune system? Most studies suggest trade‐offs associated with immunity and metabolism, and neglect ecological factors, such as predation. We provide one of the first experimental studies demonstrating a context‐dependent survival cost to immune activation. In the presence of a predator, immune‐challenged male field crickets showed significantly lower survival than controls, whilst there was no difference in a predator‐free environment. Immune‐challenged males spent more time outside their burrows and reacted slower to a simulated predator attack. We conclude that some costs of immunity are expressed via increased susceptibility to predation, indicating the importance of integrating the ecological context when investigating optimal investment in immunity.     

Immune response inhibits associative learning in insects

In vertebrates, it is well established that there are many intricate interactions between the immune system and the nervous system, and vice versa. Regarding insects, until now little has been known about the link between these two systems. Here, we present behavioural evidence indicating a link between the immune system and the nervous system in insects. We show that otherwise non-infected honeybees whose immune systems are challenged by a non-pathogenic immunogenic elicitor lipopolysaccharide (LPS) have reduced abilities to associate an odour with sugar reward in a classical conditioning paradigm. The cost of an immune response therefore not only affects survival of the host, as previously shown, but also everyday behaviour and memory formation.