Genetic parameters of feather corticosterone and fault bars and correlations with production traits in turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo)

Emily M Leishman; Ryley J Vanderhout; Emhimad A Abdalla; Nienke van Staaveren; Anna Naim; Shai Barbut; Benjamin J Wood; Alexandra Harlander-Matauschek; Christine F Baes

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-26734-6

Genetic parameters of feather corticosterone and fault bars and correlations with production traits in turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo)

Emily M Leishman, Ryley J Vanderhout, Emhimad A Abdalla, Nienke van Staaveren, Anna Naim, Shai Barbut, Benjamin J Wood, Alexandra Harlander-Matauschek, Christine F Baes^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

University of Guelph

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Robustness can refer to an animal’s ability to overcome perturbations. Intense selection for production traits in livestock has resulted in reduced robustness which has negative implications for livability as well as production. There is increasing emphasis on improving robustness through poultry breeding, which may involve identifying novel phenotypes that could be used in selection strategies. The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and associated hormones (e.g., corticosterone) participate in many metabolic processes that are related to robustness. Corticosterone can be measured non-invasively in feathers (FCORT) and reflects the average HPA axis activity over the feather growing period, however measurement is expensive and time consuming. Fault bars are visible feather deformities that may be related to HPA axis activity and may be a more feasible indicator trait. In this study, we estimated variance components for FCORT and fault bars in a population of purebred turkeys as well as their genetic and partial phenotypic correlations with other economically relevant traits including growth and efficiency, carcass yield, and meat quality. The estimated heritability for FCORT was 0.21 ± 0.07 and for the fault bar traits (presence, incidence, severity, and index) estimates ranged from 0.09 to 0.24. The genetic correlation of FCORT with breast weight, breast meat yield, fillet weight, and ultimate pH were estimated at −0.34 ± 0.21, −0.45 ± 0.23, −0.33 ± 0.24, and 0.32 ± 0.24, respectively. The phenotypic correlations of FCORT with breast weight, breast meat yield, fillet weight, drum weight, and walking ability were −0.16, −0.23, −0.18, 0.17, and 0.21, respectively. Some fault bar traits showed similar genetic correlations with breast weight, breast meat yield, and walking ability but the magnitude was lower than those with FCORT. While the dataset is limited and results should be interpreted with caution, this study indicates that selection for traits related to HPA axis activity is possible in domestic turkeys. Further research should focus on investigating the association of these traits with other robustness-related traits and how to potentially implement these traits in turkey breeding.

Original language	English
Article number	38
Number of pages	10
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	13
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26734-6
Publication status	Published - 2023
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).

Funding

This research was done in partial fulfillment of the requirements for completion of a Doctor of Philosophy degree by Emily Leishman. The authors would like to acknowledge Sarah Adams, Cristian Mastrangelo, Jacob Maxwell, Elizah McFarland, Emma Hyland, and Michelle Yahiro for assisting with data collection. The authors extend their gratitude to the managers and personnel of Hayter’s Farm (Dashwood, Ontario) and Hybrid Turkeys pedigree farm (Kitchener, Ontario) for collaborating on this study. This project was funded by the Government of Canada through Genome Canada and the Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI-133). This study was part of the project entitled “Application of genomic selection in turkeys for health, welfare, efficiency and production traits” funded by the government of Canada through the Genome Canada Genomic Application Partnership Program and administered by Ontario Genomics (recipients: B.J. Wood (Industry) and C.F. Baes (Academic)). The authors would also like to acknowledge NSERC and Hybrid Turkeys for financial support. The funders had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.

Funders	Funder number
Genome Canada
Government of Canada
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Ontario Genomics Institute	OGI-133

Keywords

Animals
Turkeys/genetics
Feathers
Corticosterone
Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System
Pituitary-Adrenal System
Phenotype
Adrenocortical axis
Growth
Poultry
Selection
Domesticus
Stress-response
Environment
Heritability
Meat quality
Physiological-responses

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10.1038/s41598-022-26734-6Licence: CC BY

s41598-022-26734-6Final published version, 1.09 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{1c20c98b87fc41cb9bf526806ec5446f,

title = "Genetic parameters of feather corticosterone and fault bars and correlations with production traits in turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo)",

abstract = "Robustness can refer to an animal{\textquoteright}s ability to overcome perturbations. Intense selection for production traits in livestock has resulted in reduced robustness which has negative implications for livability as well as production. There is increasing emphasis on improving robustness through poultry breeding, which may involve identifying novel phenotypes that could be used in selection strategies. The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and associated hormones (e.g., corticosterone) participate in many metabolic processes that are related to robustness. Corticosterone can be measured non-invasively in feathers (FCORT) and reflects the average HPA axis activity over the feather growing period, however measurement is expensive and time consuming. Fault bars are visible feather deformities that may be related to HPA axis activity and may be a more feasible indicator trait. In this study, we estimated variance components for FCORT and fault bars in a population of purebred turkeys as well as their genetic and partial phenotypic correlations with other economically relevant traits including growth and efficiency, carcass yield, and meat quality. The estimated heritability for FCORT was 0.21 ± 0.07 and for the fault bar traits (presence, incidence, severity, and index) estimates ranged from 0.09 to 0.24. The genetic correlation of FCORT with breast weight, breast meat yield, fillet weight, and ultimate pH were estimated at −0.34 ± 0.21, −0.45 ± 0.23, −0.33 ± 0.24, and 0.32 ± 0.24, respectively. The phenotypic correlations of FCORT with breast weight, breast meat yield, fillet weight, drum weight, and walking ability were −0.16, −0.23, −0.18, 0.17, and 0.21, respectively. Some fault bar traits showed similar genetic correlations with breast weight, breast meat yield, and walking ability but the magnitude was lower than those with FCORT. While the dataset is limited and results should be interpreted with caution, this study indicates that selection for traits related to HPA axis activity is possible in domestic turkeys. Further research should focus on investigating the association of these traits with other robustness-related traits and how to potentially implement these traits in turkey breeding.",

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author = "Leishman, {Emily M} and Vanderhout, {Ryley J} and Abdalla, {Emhimad A} and {van Staaveren}, Nienke and Anna Naim and Shai Barbut and Wood, {Benjamin J} and Alexandra Harlander-Matauschek and Baes, {Christine F}",

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doi = "10.1038/s41598-022-26734-6",

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AU - Vanderhout, Ryley J

AU - Abdalla, Emhimad A

AU - van Staaveren, Nienke

AU - Naim, Anna

AU - Barbut, Shai

AU - Wood, Benjamin J

AU - Harlander-Matauschek, Alexandra

AU - Baes, Christine F

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N2 - Robustness can refer to an animal’s ability to overcome perturbations. Intense selection for production traits in livestock has resulted in reduced robustness which has negative implications for livability as well as production. There is increasing emphasis on improving robustness through poultry breeding, which may involve identifying novel phenotypes that could be used in selection strategies. The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and associated hormones (e.g., corticosterone) participate in many metabolic processes that are related to robustness. Corticosterone can be measured non-invasively in feathers (FCORT) and reflects the average HPA axis activity over the feather growing period, however measurement is expensive and time consuming. Fault bars are visible feather deformities that may be related to HPA axis activity and may be a more feasible indicator trait. In this study, we estimated variance components for FCORT and fault bars in a population of purebred turkeys as well as their genetic and partial phenotypic correlations with other economically relevant traits including growth and efficiency, carcass yield, and meat quality. The estimated heritability for FCORT was 0.21 ± 0.07 and for the fault bar traits (presence, incidence, severity, and index) estimates ranged from 0.09 to 0.24. The genetic correlation of FCORT with breast weight, breast meat yield, fillet weight, and ultimate pH were estimated at −0.34 ± 0.21, −0.45 ± 0.23, −0.33 ± 0.24, and 0.32 ± 0.24, respectively. The phenotypic correlations of FCORT with breast weight, breast meat yield, fillet weight, drum weight, and walking ability were −0.16, −0.23, −0.18, 0.17, and 0.21, respectively. Some fault bar traits showed similar genetic correlations with breast weight, breast meat yield, and walking ability but the magnitude was lower than those with FCORT. While the dataset is limited and results should be interpreted with caution, this study indicates that selection for traits related to HPA axis activity is possible in domestic turkeys. Further research should focus on investigating the association of these traits with other robustness-related traits and how to potentially implement these traits in turkey breeding.

AB - Robustness can refer to an animal’s ability to overcome perturbations. Intense selection for production traits in livestock has resulted in reduced robustness which has negative implications for livability as well as production. There is increasing emphasis on improving robustness through poultry breeding, which may involve identifying novel phenotypes that could be used in selection strategies. The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and associated hormones (e.g., corticosterone) participate in many metabolic processes that are related to robustness. Corticosterone can be measured non-invasively in feathers (FCORT) and reflects the average HPA axis activity over the feather growing period, however measurement is expensive and time consuming. Fault bars are visible feather deformities that may be related to HPA axis activity and may be a more feasible indicator trait. In this study, we estimated variance components for FCORT and fault bars in a population of purebred turkeys as well as their genetic and partial phenotypic correlations with other economically relevant traits including growth and efficiency, carcass yield, and meat quality. The estimated heritability for FCORT was 0.21 ± 0.07 and for the fault bar traits (presence, incidence, severity, and index) estimates ranged from 0.09 to 0.24. The genetic correlation of FCORT with breast weight, breast meat yield, fillet weight, and ultimate pH were estimated at −0.34 ± 0.21, −0.45 ± 0.23, −0.33 ± 0.24, and 0.32 ± 0.24, respectively. The phenotypic correlations of FCORT with breast weight, breast meat yield, fillet weight, drum weight, and walking ability were −0.16, −0.23, −0.18, 0.17, and 0.21, respectively. Some fault bar traits showed similar genetic correlations with breast weight, breast meat yield, and walking ability but the magnitude was lower than those with FCORT. While the dataset is limited and results should be interpreted with caution, this study indicates that selection for traits related to HPA axis activity is possible in domestic turkeys. Further research should focus on investigating the association of these traits with other robustness-related traits and how to potentially implement these traits in turkey breeding.

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KW - Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System

KW - Pituitary-Adrenal System

KW - Phenotype

KW - Adrenocortical axis

KW - Growth

KW - Poultry

KW - Selection

KW - Domesticus

KW - Stress-response

KW - Environment

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KW - Physiological-responses

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Genetic parameters of feather corticosterone and fault bars and correlations with production traits in turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo)

Abstract

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Keywords

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