APS调控种公鸡Th细胞因子表达的父系传代表观遗传机制

肉鸡在高强度的生长过程中会接触大量应激原，使得机体免疫系统功能异常，导致各种条件性疾病频发。营养表观遗传学的研究为关键营养素传代性调控机体免疫功能提供了全新的研究视角。本项目利用特异性免疫效应分子基因芯片探寻黄芪多糖（APS）调控肉种公鸡Th细胞因子表达特性，经分析种公鸡及其商品代肉鸡细胞因子表达特点研究APS的免疫调控作用的可传代性；利用FISH和DnaseI/qPCR技术分析APS调控种公鸡及其后代Th细胞因子基因位点染色质三维空间结构特性；采用DNA甲基化技术研究APS调控种公鸡及其后代Th细胞因子表达顺式调控元件变化规律；经ChIP/qPCR技术研究APS调控种公鸡及其后代Th细胞因子结合组蛋白修饰特性。旨在阐明APS调控肉种公鸡Th细胞因子传代表达的营养表观遗传机制，为肉鸡具有可传代性免疫调控功效多糖的目的性筛选、营养表观遗传关键营养素的开发研究提供理论支撑。

Broiler chickens exposured to a large number of stressors during the growth process of high-intensity, which would impair immune system function and led to various conditional diseases. It is becoming increasingly clear that Key nutrients can modulate not only the organisms directly exposed but also their offspring, even though such factors do not cause DNA mutations. So, nutriepigenetics will provide fresh insights into the mechanisms underlying the induction and propagation of transgeneration properties in immune function modulated by nutrients. Four tightly integrated trials will be conducted to investigate the paternally induced transgeneration epigenetics modulation of APS on cytokines gene expression of Th lymphocytes in chickens. Firstly, the Th cytokine expression characteristics will be measured by the specific gene chip for immune effector molecule in male breeders and their offspring in order to get the specifc cytokines possessing paternally induced transgeneration epigenetics modulation of APS. Secondly, effects of APS exposure of male breeders on the chromatin structure and the position of Th cytokine genes in the nucleus of the Th cytokine loci in male breeders and their offspring will be analyzed by DnaseI / qPCR and FISH, which will provide some informations about pericentromeric localization of Th cytokine loci. Thirdly, DNA methylation at the Th cytokine promoter/enhancer/silencer in male breeders and their offspring will be analyzed by Epityper methylation assay. The last not the least, histone modifications (H3K4, of H3K9 and H3K27) and transcription factor binding at the Th cytokine promoter/enhancer/silencer in male breeders and their offspring will be anzlyzed by ChIP/qPCR assays. The above epigenetic parameters in male breeders and their offspring will enable us to perform the first in-depth study of the induction, inheritance and repair of a poultry transgeneration epigenetics, with general implications and theoretical support for transgeneration immune modulation by nutriepigenetics by key nutrients, such as functional polysaccharides.