Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
PhD Student, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Guilan, Rasht, Guilan, Iran
2
Professor, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Guilan, Rasht, Guilan, Iran
3
Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Guilan, Rasht, Guilan, Iran
4
Research Scientist, Agriculture Victoria Research Division, AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, 5 Ring Road, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Honorary Research Fellow, School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Austral
Abstract
Improving feed efficiency in turkey farming is of great economic and sustainability importance. The RHOA gene, by regulating the actin skeleton and facilitating the migration of endothelial cells; the ACTA2 gene, by stabilizing the vascular network; and the ENO1 gene, by providing energy in the angiogenesis process, play key roles. The present study aimed to investigate the expression of RHOA, ACTA2, and ENO1 genes in the jejunum of the intestine of Iranian male turkeys with high feed efficiency (HFE) and low feed efficiency (LFE). The results of Real-time PCR analysis on RNA samples extracted from jejunum tissue of 3 turkeys from each group showed that the expression of all three genes was significantly higher in the HFE group (P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis revealed strong and significant positive correlations for ACTA2 and ENO1 genes (P = 0.0028, rs = 1) and also a strong positive correlation for RHOA gene (rs = 0.8) (close to statistical significance, P = 0.058) with feed efficiency. The results of this study showed that increased expression of RHOA, ACTA2 and ENO1 genes enhances angiogenesis in the intestine, which leads to improved nutrient absorption and feed metabolism, which ultimately leads to increased feed efficiency in HFE turkeys. The findings of this study provide a basis for identifying genetic biomarkers for improving feed efficiency traits.
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