Nutritional approaches for enhancing productivity and welfare in poultry: epigenetic response to maternal feeding of omega-3 fatty acids

家禽产品是加拿大消费最多的动物蛋白，对国民经济的贡献很大。为了满足这一需求，基因选择以及营养和管理方面的改进导致了肉用蛋鸡和肉鸡的生产力和盈利能力的显著提高。不利的一面是，新陈代谢和骨骼疾病在商业家禽生产中持续存在，相关的死亡率和发病率给生产者带来了巨大的经济损失。与家禽骨骼疾病有关的主要问题有两个：(A)产蛋母鸡的骨质疏松症，以及(B)肉鸡(肉鸡)骨骼快速生长引起的腿部疾病。此外，鉴于限制使用抗生素生长促进剂(AGP)，胃肠对管腔环境压力的适应和对集约化生产实践的弹性可能是肉类禽类遗传改良的限速步骤。Omega-3脂肪酸(FA)，如EPA和DHA，在包括骨骼、脑、胃肠道等重要器官发育的各种生物过程中发挥关键作用，并对发育和行为产生跨代影响。胚胎到新生儿的过渡是家禽发育的关键时期，在这一时期建立了控制新陈代谢和生长的重要遗传程序。Omega-3脂肪酸在胚胎至雏鸡早期阶段刺激骨骼、大脑和免疫细胞发育的潜力可以显著提高家禽的生产力和福利。以前在这一领域的研究主要集中在给成年鸟喂食omega-3 FA以管理代谢紊乱，但有限的研究调查了母体喂养omega-3 FA对后代表观遗传反应的影响。为了解决这一认识上的差距，将进行一系列研究，以探索饲喂肉鸡和蛋品系蛋鸡育种者omega-3 FA的表观遗传反应以及随后对后代骨骼、肠道和行为发育的影响。该研究项目将支持培养3名博士生和2名本科生，以及1名技术员。

Poultry products are the most consumed animal proteins in Canada and contribute significantly to the national economy. To meet this demand, genetic selection and improvements in nutrition and management have led to dramatic increases in productivity and profitability of table egg laying hens and meat-type birds. On the downside, metabolic and skeletal disorders persist in commercial poultry production and the associated mortality and morbidity exerts huge economic losses to producers. There are two main concerns relating to skeletal disorders in poultry: (a) osteoporosis in egg-laying hens, and (b) leg disorders caused by rapid bone growth in broiler (meat-type) chickens. Furthermore, gastrointestinal adaptation to luminal environmental stress and resiliency to intensive production practices may represent rate-limiting step in genetic improvement for meat-type birds more so in the light of restriction on the use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP). Omega-3 fatty acids (FA) such as EPA and DHA are known to play critical roles in the regulation of a variety of biological processes including development of vital organs such as skeleton, brain, gastrointestinal and engender transgenerational effects on development and behavior. The embryo to neonate transition is a critical period of development in poultry in which important genetic programs governing metabolism and growth are established. The potential of omega-3 FA in stimulating bone, brain, and immune cells development at embryonic through to early phases of chicks could significantly improve poultry productivity and welfare. Previous research in this area had focused on feeding omega-3 FA to adult birds to manage metabolic disorders, but limited research has investigated maternal feeding of omega-3 FA on epigenetic responses in the progeny. To address this gap in knowledge, series of studies will be conducted to explore epigenetic response of feeding broiler and egg strain pullet breeders omega-3 FA and subsequent effects on progeny skeletal, gut and behavioral development. The research project will support training of 3 Ph.D and 2 undergraduate students, and a technician.