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质，对国民经济做出了重大贡献。为了满足这一需求，遗传选择以及营养和管理方面的改进使食用蛋鸡和肉禽的生产力和盈利能力显著提高。不利的一面是，商业家禽生产中持续存在代谢和骨骼疾病，相关的死亡率和发病率给生产者造成巨大的经济损失。与家禽骨骼疾病有关的主要问题有两个：(a)蛋鸡骨质疏松症，以及(b)肉鸡（肉型）骨骼快速生长引起的腿部疾病。此外，胃肠道对光环境应激的适应和对集约化生产实践的恢复能力可能是肉型鸟类遗传改良的限速步骤，尤其是考虑到抗生素生长促进剂（AGP）的使用限制。众所周知，Omega-3脂肪酸（FA），如EPA和DHA，在多种生物过程的调节中起着关键作用，包括骨骼、大脑、胃肠道等重要器官的发育，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，在此期间建立了重要的遗传程序来控制代谢和生长。omega-3脂肪酸刺激雏鸡胚胎至早期阶段的骨、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。这一领域之前的研究主要集中在给成年鸟类喂食omega-3脂肪酸以控制代谢紊乱，但很少有研究调查母体喂食omega-3脂肪酸对后代表观遗传反应的影响。为了解决这一知识缺口，将开展一系列研究，探讨饲用肉鸡和蛋系种鸡omega-3 FA的表观遗传反应及其对后代骨骼、肠道和行为发育的影响。该研究项目将支持培养3名博士、2名本科生和1名技术人员。

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.