Effects of temporarily increased or decreased temperatures during embryonic development on transcriptomic and metabolic features of day-old chicks from broiler and layer lines
Contact: Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Klaus Wimmers
Duration: 2024-2027
Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG)
Abstract:
The results of our own and other published studies suggest that modulation of incubation temperature has direct effects on both in-ovo and ex-ovo development in poultry. Depending on the timing and extent of the temperature changes, as well as breed and sex, molecular metabolic and signaling pathways are affected. These changes are reflected in the metabolome and differential gene expression.
The aim of this project is to investigate the effects of elevated and reduced incubation temperatures during the treatment period (ED 10–13) on the transcriptome and metabolome of day-old chicks from layer and broiler lines. In addition to examining the effects of chicken lines, the project also analyzes the influences of sex and muscle type. Therefore, the study investigates the M. pectoralis, which primarily consists of glycolytic muscle fibers, and the M. gastrocnemius, which also contains oxidative muscle fibers.
This project contributes to the identification and deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive changes in body and muscle development caused by variations in incubation temperature. The transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses conducted as part of this project are complemented by investigations into epigenetic modifications as well as structural and biochemical properties of muscle tissue.