Effects of transiently increased or decreased temperatures during embryonic development on epigenetic modifications and the heterogeneity of cell populations in the muscle tissue of day-old chicks from broiler and layer lines
Contact: PD Dr. sc. agr. habil. Siriluck Wimmers
Duration: 2024-2027
Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG)
Abstract:
There is substantial evidence from our own and published studies indicating that modulation of incubation temperature has direct effects on in-ovo and ex-ovo development in poultry. The impact of temperature variation on molecular pathways is contingent upon the timing and extent of the change, as well as the specific breed and sex of the organism in question. Such alterations are reflected in metabolic processes and differential gene expression.
The objective of this project is to investigate the effects of elevated and reduced incubation temperatures during the treatment period (ED 10-13) on epigenetic modifications and the composition of the cell population in muscle tissue in day-old chicks derived from both laying hens and broilers. A comparative analysis of ATAC-seq data will be conducted to identify epigenetic modifications associated with treatment, line, and sex.
Single-cell ATAC-seq will be employed to construct prototypes of genome-wide chromatin accessibility maps in the heterogeneous gastrocnemius muscle of broiler and laying chicks. This study will contribute to the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying temperature-related alterations in body and muscle development, with a particular focus on epigenetic modifications in these processes of fetal programming. This aspect of the project is supported by investigations conducted by project partners, which encompass analyses of the transcriptome and metabolome, as well as structural and biochemical properties of the muscle tissue.