Expression profile of six stress-related genes and productive performances of fast and slow growing broiler strains reared under heat stress conditions

Simona Rimoldi; Emiliano Lasagna; Francesca Maria Sarti; Stefano Paolo Marelli; Maria Cristina Cozzi; Giovanni Bernardini; Genciana Terova

doi:10.1016/j.mgene.2015.08.003

Expression profile of six stress-related genes and productive performances of fast and slow growing broiler strains reared under heat stress conditions

Meta Gene. 2015 Aug 31:6:17-25. doi: 10.1016/j.mgene.2015.08.003. eCollection 2015 Dec.

Authors

Simona Rimoldi¹, Emiliano Lasagna², Francesca Maria Sarti², Stefano Paolo Marelli³, Maria Cristina Cozzi⁴, Giovanni Bernardini⁵, Genciana Terova⁵

Affiliations

¹ University of Insubria, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Varese, Italy.
² University of Perugia, Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Perugia, Italy.
³ University of Milan, Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health, Milan, Italy.
⁴ University of Milan, | Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, Milan, Italy.
⁵ University of Insubria, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Varese, Italy ; Inter-University Centre for Research in Protein Biotechnologies "The Protein Factory" - Polytechnic University of Milan and University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.

Abstract

High temperature is one of the prominent environmental factors causing economic losses to the poultry industry as it negatively affects growth and production performance in broiler chickens. We used One Step TaqMan real time RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) technology to study the effects of chronic heat stress on the expression of genes codifying for the antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), as well as for heat shock protein (HSP) 70, HSP90, glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), and caspase 6 (CASP6) in the liver of two different broiler genetic strains: Red JA Cou Nu Hubbard (CN) and Ross 508 Aviagen (RO). CN is a naked neck slow growing broiler intended for the free range and/or organic markets, whereas RO is selected for fast growing. We also analysed the effect of chronic heat stress on productive performances, and plasma corticosterone levels as well as the association between transcriptomic response and specific SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) in each genetic strain of broiler chickens. RO and CN broilers, 4 weeks of age, were maintained for 4 weeks at either 34 °C or 22 °C. The results demonstrated that there was a genotype and a temperature main effect on the broilers' growth from the 4th to the 8th week of age, but the interaction effect between genotype and temperature resulted not statistically significant. By considering the genotype effect, fast growing broilers (RO) grew more than the slow growing ones (CN), whereas by considering the temperature effect, broilers in unheated conditions grew more than the heat stressed ones. Corticosterone levels increased significantly in the blood of heat stressed broilers, due to the activation of the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis). Carcass yield at slaughter was of similar values in the 4 cohorts (genotype/temperature combinations or treatment groups), ranging from 86.5 to 88.6%, whereas carcass weight was negatively influenced by heat stress in both broiler strains. Heat stress affected gene expression by downregulating CASP6 and upregulating CAT transcript levels. HSPs, SOD and NR3C1 mRNA levels remained unaffected by heat stress. The differences found in the mRNA copies of CASP6 gene could be partly explained by SNPs.

Keywords: Antioxidant enzymes; Broiler; CASP6, caspase 6; CAT, catalase; CN, Red JA Cou Nu Hubbard; CORT, corticosterone; Corticosterone; Ct, cycle threshold; GPX, glutathione peroxidase; Gene expression; HPA, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis; HSP, heat shock protein; Heat stress; NR3C1, glucocorticoid receptor: GR or nuclear receptor subfamily 3, group c, member 1; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; RO, Ross 508 Aviagen; RT-PCR, reverse transcription PCR; Real time PCR; SNP, single nucleotide polymorphism; SOD, superoxide dismutase; cDNA, DNA complementary to RNA; kDa, kilodalton(s); rTH, reverse transcriptase.