Selection for High Body Weight and Its
Association with the Expression Profiles of Somatotropic Axis and
Mitochondrial Genes in Japanese Quail
Eman A. Manaa1, Mahmoud M. El-Attrouny2,
Samar H. Baloza3 and Sherif I. Ramadan1*
1Animal
and Poultry Production, Department of Animal Wealth Development,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Moshtohor, Toukh
13736, Qalyubia, Egypt; 2Department of Animal
Productions, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Moshtohor,
Toukh 13736, Qalyubia, Egypt; 3Genetics and Genetic
Engineering, Department of Animal Wealth Development, Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Moshtohor, Toukh 13736,
Qalyubia, Egypt
*Corresponding author:
Sherif.ramadan@fvtm.bu.edu.eg
Abstract
Selection is the basic tool to exploit and
improve the productive potential of livestock. The objectives of the present
study were to evaluate the effect of selecting Japanese quail at 4-week for high
body weight for four successive generations on the growth traits including body
weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) and on the expression level of
insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), growth hormone receptor (GHR), adenine
nucleotide translocase (ANT), uncoupling protein (UCP) and Cytochrome C Oxidase
subunit III (COX III) genes. Growth traits were evaluated for the base, 1st, 2nd, 3rd,
and 4th generations.
Total RNA was extracted from the liver then cDNA was
synthesized. Real-time polymerase chain reactions were performed using the SYBR
Green PCR Master Mix. The 4th generation of this study
recorded the highest and significant values for body weight at zero (hatching),
2nd, 4th and 6th week of age (BW0 = 9.75, BW2 =
75.16, BW4 = 163.46 and BW6 = 253.13 gm, respectively), and for average daily
gain (ADG0-2 = 4.67, ADG2-4 = 6.36 and ADG0-6 = 5.79 gm, respectively).
Moreover, the 4th generation recorded the highest and significant
mRNA expression of GHR and IGF-1 genes in the liver (1.80 and 1.66 fold change,
respectively). In contrast, the base generation showed the highest and
significant levels of hepatic mRNA expression of ANT,
UCP, COX
III genes (1.08, 1.24 and 1.05 fold change,
respectively). We
may conclude that these genes are promising candidate biomarkers for improving
growth traits, leading to increased quail marketable meat.
To Cite This Article:
Manaa EA, El-Attrouny MM, Baloza SH and Ramadan
SI, 2022. Selection for high body weight and its association with the expression
profiles of somatotropic axis and mitochondrial genes in Japanese quail. Pak Vet
J, 42(2): 261-265.
http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2022.003