Comparison of fattening performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and leg bone traits among three goose genotypes reared under intensive conditions.

This study aimed to evaluate fattening performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and leg bone traits in geese reared under an intensive production system, depending on genotypes. In the study, a total of 210 goslings (70 goslings for each genotype such as Linda, Toulouse, and Mast) were obtained from 168-week-old breeders. The geese were fed ad libitum with the same feeds during 12 weeks. Then, 5 males and 5 females from each goose genotype (30 birds in total) were slaughtered to determine the carcass, meat, and bone properties. The fattening performance, carcass properties, relative organ weights, and proximate analyses of breast and thigh meats did not differ among the genotype groups. The relative abdominal fat percentage weight was the highest in the Mast geese among the examined genotypes. Dry matter and crude protein values in meat were affected by genotype. The liver compositions, such as dry matter, crude fat, and crude protein, was significantly different from breast and thigh meat. It was found that the meat of Toulouse and Linda genotypes had lower SFA, n6/n3, and TI values, but higher MUFA, UFA, and crude protein values, making them superior to the meat of the Mast genotype. In the thigh meat, it was determined that lower SFA, AI, and TI values, and higher MUFA and UFA values, made it superior to the breast meat. In goose liver, DFA, NF and TI values were higher than the other tissues. Interactions were observed in the chemical composition and some fatty acids (P < 0.05). The femur and metatarsus bones of the Linda genotype were more durable than those of the Mast genotype due to their lower Robusticity indexes of femur and metatarsus bones. These results show that Linda and Toulouse geese are superior to the Mast genotype in terms of valuable fatty acids under intensive fattening. Additionally, the superior bone strength of Linda geese indicates that bone-related problems will be less common when this genotype is raised under intensive conditions.

Migratory herbivorous waterfowl track multiple resource waves during spring migration.

East Asian herbivorous waterfowl intensively use farmland in spring, next to their natural habitat. Accordingly, they might have expanded their migration strategy from merely tracking the green wave of newly emerging vegetation to also incorporating the availability of post-harvest agricultural seeds (here dubbed the seed wave). However, if and how waterfowl use multiple food resources to time their seasonal migration is still unknown. We test this migration strategy using 167 spring migration tracks of five East Asian herbivorous waterfowl species and mixed-effect resource selection function models. We found that all study species arrived at their core stopover sites in the Northeast China Plain after agricultural seeds became available, extended their stay after spring vegetation emerged and arrived at their breeding sites around the emergence of vegetation. At the core stopover sites, all study species used snowmelt as a cue to track seed availability, although smaller-bodied species tended to arrive later. At the breeding sites, swans tracked the onset of vegetation emergence and geese tracked the mid- or end phases of snowmelt. Our findings suggest that waterfowl track multiple resource waves to fine-tune their migration, highlighting new opportunities for conservation.

Developmental variations of the reproductive organs of ganders from different goose breeds and the underlying mechanisms.

A deep understanding of the dynamics and mechanisms of male reproductive tract development is necessary for adoption of either genetic techniques or environmental management practices for improving fertility and hatchability in poultry. However, compared with other poultry such as chickens and ducks, less is known about the age- and breed-related changes in the reproductive tract development of domestic goose ganders exhibiting relatively poor reproductive performance as well as the regulatory mechanisms. In the present study, by taking 2 Chinese domestic goose breeds (Sichuan White goose, SW and Gang goose, GE; Anser cygnoides) and one European goose breed (Landes goose, LD; Anser anser) as the experimental objects, we comprehensive analyzed the morphological, histological, and genome-wide transcriptomic variations in their testicular and external genital development during the period from hatching to sexual maturity. Results from histomorphological analysis demonstrated that the reproductive tract of all goose breeds developed in both age- and breed-dependent manners, and the left and right testis developed asymmetrically throughout posthatch development. The tenth week posthatch was a critical developmental stage for all goose ganders, because both the testicular and external genital histomorphological parameters significantly changed before and after this period. During the first 10 wk posthatch, the weight, organ index, or size of male reproductive organs developed more rapidly in SW than in LD, and so were the testicular parenchymal-to-interstitial ratio and the external genital lymphatic lumen diameter. However, the testicular seminiferous epithelium thickness, seminiferous tubule diameter, and Leydig cell number, as well as the external genital keratinized epithelium thickness were significantly higher in LD than in SW at 10 wk of age. Through comparative transcriptomics analysis and RT-qPCR validation, several pathways related to germ and somatic cell function, organ remodeling, and energy metabolism were thought to be responsible for the developmental variations in the early testicular development between Chinese and European domestic ganders, where 10 hub genes involved in the cell cycle, RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription, and mitotic cell division pathways might play essential roles. These data shed new light on the interbreed differences in the male goose reproductive tract development and the molecular mechanisms regulating male goose testicular functions and fertility.

The combination of RNA-seq transcriptomics and data-independent acquisition proteomics reveal the mechanisms and function of different gooses testicular development at different stages of laying cycle.

Egg production performance is an important economic trait in the poultry industry. In previous studies, attention has often been paid to the growth and development of the ovaries, while there has been less research on the testicular tissue of male goose. Due to various factors, there are usually significant differences in the process of testicular spermatogenesis among different goose breeds. The Jilin white goose (JL) is a high-production local goose species in China, domesticated from Anser cygnoides, which has a high egg-laying performance and the egg-laying period can last from February to July. In the production of goose within Jilin Province, the female goose of Jilin White goose is considered as an important maternal parent of synthetic lines, and ganders from Hungarian white goose (HU), Wanxi white goose (WX) and Jilin white goose are the main male parents. Each year, all 3 gander species begin to exhibit breeding capacity in February and reach the peak of reproductive capacity by April, marked by high fertilization rates. With the gradual increase in temperature, the testicular tissue of Hungarian and Wanxi goose gradually diminishes in its ability to produce sperm. the testicular tissue undergoes significant shrinkage by the end of June, resulting in a near loss of sperm production capability, thereby yielding low fertilization rates. However, the Jilin White goose demonstrates the ability to maintain a stable sperm production capacity. Individuals with low sperm motility contribute to increased seed production costs and pose constraints on the industrial development of livestock and poultry varieties. In this study, transcriptomics and proteomics data from gooses testicular of 3 different goose breeds inclouding Jilin white goose, Wanxi white gooseand Hungary white goose sampled in 2 stages, peak of laying cycle (PLC) and end of laying cycle (ELC). In a comparative analysis between PLC and ELC groups (ELC vs. PLC) of 3 breeds, we identified 401,340,6651 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 18,225,323 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), respectively. Differentially expressed genes and proteins were significantly enriched in Gene Ontology (GO) terms such as phosphotransferase activity, cytoskeletal protein binding, microtubule motor activity, channel activity and carbohydrate metabolic process. The KEGG enrichment analysis of the DEGs in testicular showed that most differentially expressed mRNAs participate in the KEGG pathways, including ECM-receptor interaction, MAPK signaling pathway, carbon metabolism, Cell cycle, VEGF signaling pathway, Lipoic acid metabolism and p53 signaling pathway. The differential expression of 4 selected DEGs (SPAG6, NEK2, HSPA4L, SERF1A) was verified by qRT-PCR, and the results were consistent with RNA-seq data. In conclusion, this study reveals the differences in gene expression regulation in testicular tissues of different goose species, and screening candidate genes and proteins related to spermatogenesis.

Effects of long-time and short-time heat stress on the meat quality of geese.

This investigation sought to reveal the effects of heat stress on the meat quality of geese. Wuzong geese were subjected to heat stress at 35°C for 25 d or 4 h to examine different heat stress time on meat quality. Short-time heat stress reduced muscle drip loss and meat color L* value while increasing pH value and meat color a* and b* values. Long-time heat stress decreased body weight and increased leg muscle pH value and meat color b* value. Amino acid profile of geese breast muscle revealed that both LHS and SHS can induce L-Cystine but reduced L-Cystathionine, which were positive correlated with cooking loss and meat color lightness, respectively. Lipidome analysis indicated that heat stress would alter the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and the difference between LHS and SHS on lipids mainly focused on Hex1Cer and TG. Non-target metabolome analysis indicated effects of heat stress on Glycerolipid metabolism, Arachidonic acid metabolism, and Pyrimidine metabolism. Proteome analysis showed that heat stress mainly affects cellular respiration metabolism and immune response. These findings highlight the diverse effects of heat stress on meat quality, amino acid composition, lipidome, metabolome, and proteome in geese.

Whole-transcriptome sequencing revealed the ceRNA regulatory network during the proliferation and differentiation of goose myoblast.

The Shitou goose, the largest meat-type goose breed, is an ideal model for offering insights into enhancing meat production efficiency through understanding its genetic regulation of muscle development. Here, through whole-transcriptomic analysis of embryonic leg muscles, we identified 847 differentially expressed genes (DEG), 244 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DEL), 37 differentially expressed circRNAs (DEC), and 84 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEM). Gene ontology (GO) analysis highlighted the significant enrichment of differentially expressed RNAs in muscle structure development, actin filament-based processes, and the actin cytoskeleton pathway. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis identified pathways associated with the FoxO signaling pathway, AMPK signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway and calcium signaling pathway. Furthermore, we utilized Miranda, TargetScan, and miRDB to identify regulatory networks that involve interactions between lncRNA-mRNA, circRNA-mRNA, miRNA-mRNA, lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA, and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA, which regulated the growth and development of skeletal muscle. Notably, differentially expressed genes within the ceRNA network were most significantly enriched in the regulation of actin cytoskeletal organization. Additionally, a lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network related to muscle growth and development was constructed based on protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis and hub genes selection using Cytoscape. This further elucidated the regulatory roles of noncoding RNAs (ncRNA) in the formation of muscle fibers in Shitou goose. In summary, this study provides a valuable transcriptional regulatory network for goose muscle development laying the groundwork for further exploration of the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying the excellent meat production performance of Shitou goose.

The typical developmental trajectory and energy requirements of Shitou goose during the embryonic stage.

Low hatchability has been a persistent challenge in the goose industry. Establishing standard atlases and comprehending embryonic development patterns are essential to improving the hatching rates of goose eggs. However, comprehensive descriptions of normal atlases, embryonic development, and energy requirements in geese are lacking. In this study, a total of 120 fertile eggs from well-known large Shitou goose were incubated using 12 nesting purebred female geese. During hatching, both the temperature of the eggshells and the weight of eggs were recorded, and daily photographs of the embryos were captured to monitor their development closely. After hatching, counted the number of pores per unit area of eggshells by choosing eggs from without sperm, dead embryos, and normally hatched. Furthermore, 150 Shitou goose eggs were hatched by automatic incubator, with adjustments made based on observed normal developmental stages that incubated by female geese. The eggs were carefully opened to meticulously document embryonic morphology and create a detailed development map. Measurements were taken of the eye diameter, length of the lower beak, tarsometatarsus bone, and embryo length. Subsequently, an analysis was conducted to assess the calcium, phosphorus, crude protein, and crude fat content to study the energy requirements for embryo development. characteristics on the 7th, 15th, 23rd and 28th days of Shitou goose hatching corresponded to the 5th, 10th, 17th and 19th days of chicken egg incubation, respectively. These days were distinguished individually by "visible embryo's eye", "closure", "sealing the door", and "flashing hair". Besides, the hatch rate of the incubator reached 86.67%, and the cumulative water loss rate increased with embryo age. Notably, normally developing embryos displayed a significantly higher number of pores on the eggshell surface compared to dead embryos (P < 0.05). Additionally, embryonic body length, eyeball diameter, and lower beak length exhibited continuous growth until day 19 of incubation, while tarsometatarsus length increased steadily from days 12 to 31. Liver size measurement began on the 10th day of incubation, while both leg and chest muscles showed continuous growth from the 12th day. For energy demand, the embryo primarily relied on protein sourced from the egg yolk within the first 10 days of development. Afterward, the egg yolk provided both protein and fat for embryonic growth. In summary, this study has generated a comprehensive developmental map for Shitou goose embryos, offering valuable insights into their growth and morphological changes throughout the incubation period. This map can serve as a reference for optimizing machine incubation techniques to enhance goose egg hatching rates and provide fresh perspectives on the development of geese.

Novel insights into the mechanisms of seasonal cyclicity of testicles by proteomics and transcriptomics analyses in goose breeder lines.

Spermatogenesis is a crucial indicator of geese reproduction performance and production. The testis is the main organ responsible for sperm production, and the egg-laying cycle in geese is a complex physiological process that demands precise orchestration of hormonal cues and cellular events within the testes, however, the seasonal changes in the transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of goose testicles remain unclear. To explore various aspects of the mechanisms of the seasonal cyclicity of testicles in different goose breeds, in this study, we used an integrative transcriptomic and proteomic approach to screen the key genes and proteins in the testes of 2 goose males, the Hungarian white goose and the Wanxi white goose, at 3 different periods of the laying cycle: beginning of laying cycle (BLC), peak of laying cycle (PLC), and end of laying cycle (ELC). The results showed that a total of 9,273 differentially expressed genes and 4,543 differentially expressed proteins were identified in the geese testicles among the comparison groups. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis suggested that the DEGs, in the comparison groups, were mainly enrichment in metabolic pathways, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, cyctokine-cyctokine receptor interaction, calcium signaling pathway, apelin signaling pathway, ether lipid metabolism, cysteine, and methionine metabolism. While the DEPs, in the 3 comparison groups, were mainly involved in the ribosome, metabolic pathways, carbon metabolism, proteasome, endocytosis, lysosome, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, oxidative phosphorylation, nucleocytoplasmic transport, and tight junction. The protein-protein interaction network analysis (PPI) indicated that selected DEPs, such as CHD1L, RAB18, FANCM, TAF5, TSC1/2, PHLDB2, DNAJA2, NCOA5, DEPTOR, TJP1, and RAPGEF2, were highly associated with male reproductive regulation. Further, the expression trends of 4 identified DEGs were validated by qRT-PCR. In conclusion, this work offers a new perspective on comprehending the molecular mechanisms and pathways involved in the seasonal cyclicity of testicles in the Hungarian white goose and the Wanxi white goose, as well as contributing to improving goose reproductive performance.

Visual lateralization in the sky: Geese manifest visual lateralization when flying with pair mates.

The brain's sensory lateralization involves the processing of information from the sensory organs primarily in one hemisphere. This can improve brain efficiency by reducing interference and duplication of neural circuits. For species that rely on successful interaction among family partners, such as geese, lateralization can be advantageous. However, at the group level, one-sided biases in sensory lateralization can make individuals predictable to competitors and predators. We investigated lateral preferences in the positioning of pair mates of Greater white-fronted geese Anser albifrons albifrons. Using GPS-GSM trackers, we monitored individual geese in flight throughout the year. Our findings indicate that geese exhibit individual lateral biases when viewing their mate in flight, but the direction of these biases varies among individuals. We suggest that these patterns of visual lateralization could be an adaptive trait for the species with long-term social monogamy, high levels of interspecies communication and competition, and high levels of predator and hunting pressure.

Transcriptome-metabolome reveals the molecular changes in meat production and quality in the hybrid populations of Sichuan white goose.

Hybrid breeding has proven to enhance meat quality and is extensively utilized in goose breeding. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of research investigating the molecular mechanisms that underlie the meat quality of hybrid geese. In this study, we employed the Sichuan White Goose as the maternal line for hybridization with the Zhedong White Goose and Tianfu Meat Goose P3 line. We assessed the growth and slaughter meat quality performance of 10-wk-old hybrid offspring in comparison to Sichuan white goose purebred offspring. The results indicate that hybrid geese have significantly improved performance in growth and slaughter meat quality. Furthermore, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the chest muscles of hybrid offspring through transcriptomics and metabolomics to unravel the effects of hybrid breeding on growth and meat quality. A total of 673 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and 93 differentially expressed metabolites were identified. The joint analysis highlighted the significant enrichment of DEGs AMPD1, AMPD3, RRM2, ENTPD3, and the metabolite UMP in the nucleotide metabolism pathway. These findings underscore the crucial role of these genetic and metabolic factors in regulating muscle growth and meat quality in hybrid populations.

FEDM: a convolutional neural network based fertilised egg detection model.

1. The production of goose eggs holds significant economic value on a global scale and the quality of fertilised eggs is crucial for the successful hatching and sustained development of the poultry industry. Developing a low-cost fertilised egg identification system that is suitable for large-scale testing is of great significance. However, existing methods are expensive and have high environmental detection requirements, which limit their promotion.2. To address this issue, an improved object detection model called FEDM based on YOLOv5 is proposed, which has been shown to be outstanding among nine models. The main network of YOLOv5 is enhanced with the SENet attention mechanism to improve the feature selection capability. The C3_DCNv3 is introduced to enhance the detection ability of blood vessels in the fertilised eggs. The application of Dyhead significantly improved the representation capacity of the object detection head without any computational overhead. The loss function is replaced with MPDIoU to simplify the calculation process.3. Experimental results from the augmented dataset showed that the average precision of the FEDM reached 96.7%, which is a 5.5% improvement compared to the YOLOv5s model. FEDM exhibited better detection performance on eggs from different shooting angles than the YOLOv5 algorithm and achieves high detection speed.4. The FEDM secured significant advancement on the detection rate of the fourth day fertilised egg compared to the YOLOv5 algorithm. Based on this result, savings and space utilisation can be made, which has practical application value.

Molecular and transcriptomic analysis of the ovary during laying and brooding stages in Zhedong white geese (Anser cygnoides domesticus).

1. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms affecting brooding in Zhedong white geese by examining differences in reproductive endocrine levels, ovarian histology and transcriptomics.2. Twenty 18-month-old Zhedong white geese were selected to examine their ovaries using histological, biochemical, molecular biological, and high-throughput sequencing techniques during the laying and brooding periods.3. The results showed that the number of atretic follicles and apoptotic cells in the ovaries increased significantly (p < 0.05), the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone, gonadotropin-releasing hormone and oestradiol decreased significantly (p < 0.05), and the level of prolactin increased significantly (p < 0.01) during the brooding stage.4. In broody geese, the expression of CASP3, CASP9, P53, BAX, and Cyt-c were considerably higher (p < 0.05), but BCL2 expression was significantly lower (p < 0.05).5. In ovarian tissues, 260 differentially expressed lncRNAs, 13 differentially expressed miRNA and 60 differentially expressed mRNA were all discovered using transcriptome sequencing analysis. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the differentially expressed mRNA and non-coding RNA target genes were primarily involved in ECM-receptor interaction, cell adhesion, cardiac muscle contraction, mTOR signalling, and the calcium signalling pathway.6. In conclusion, follicular atrophy and apoptosis occurred in the ovaries and serum reproductive hormone levels were significantly changed during the brooding period of Zhedong white geese. COL3A1, COL1A2, GRIA1, RNF152, miR-192, and miR-194 may be important candidates for the regulation of brooding behaviour, with the mTOR signalling pathway playing a key role.

Potential regulator of meat quality in geese: C1QTNF1 implications on cell proliferation and muscle growth.

Goose creates important economic value depending on their enrich nutrients of meat. Our previous study investigates potential candidate genes associated with variations in meat quality between Xianghai Flying (XHF) Goose and Zi Goose through genomic and transcriptome integrated analysis. Screening of 5 differential expression candidate genes related to muscle development identified by the FST, XP-EHH and RNA-seq in breast muscle from various geese. Among them, C1QTNF1 (C1q and TNF related protein 1), a gene of unknown function in goose, which observed mutations in coding sequence regions in sequencing data. Its function was explored after overexpression and knockdown which designed depending on the genetic sequence of the goose, respectively. Results showed that over-expression of C1QTNF1 significantly enhances cell proliferation and viability. In addition, the expression levels of the fusion marker gene Myomaker and the differentiation marker gene MyoD are significantly upregulated in cells. Knock-down C1QTNF1 leads to down regulated Myomaker and MyoD which involved muscle formation. But, the expression level of muscle atrophy marker MuRF is not significantly changed among different transfection groups. Since protein structures and interactions are closely related to their functions, we further analyzed the C1QTNF1 for physicochemical properties, structural predictions, protein interactions and homology. It can be reasonably inferred that C1QTNF1 has a similar effect to collagen, which may affect muscle development. In summary, we first speculate that C1QTNF1 may play an important regulatory role in muscle growth and development and thereby contributes to the further understanding of the genetic mechanisms that underlie meat quality traits of goose.

Goose IFIT5 positively regulates goose astrovirus replication in GEF cells.

Interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats (IFITs), a family of proteins strongly induced by type I interferon (IFN-I), are deeply involved in many cellular and viral processes. IFIT5, the sole protein in this family found in birds, also plays a crucial role in regulating virus infection. In this study, goose IFIT5 (gIFIT5) was first cloned from peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) and phylogenetic analysis showed that it was highly homologous with duck IFIT5 (dIFIT5), sharing 94.6% identity in amino acid sequence. Subsequently, the expression kinetics of gIFIT5 during goose astrovirus (GAstV) infection and the regulatory effect of gIFIT5 on GAstV proliferation were evaluated. Results showed that the mRNA and protein expression level of gIFIT5 was greatly induced by GAstV infection, especially at 12 hpi. Importantly, gIFIT5 could conversely promote GAstV replication in GEF cells. Virus titers in gIFIT5 overexpression group were significantly higher than those in control group at 12 and 24 hpi. Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) further demonstrated that the production of viral cap protein was significantly facilitated in gIFIT5-transfected group. Collectively, GAstV facilitates self-replication via promoting gIFIT5 expression.

The DNA methylation status of the vitamin A signaling associated with testicular degeneration induced by long-day photoperiods in Magang geese.

Magang geese are typical short-day breeders whose reproductive behaviors are significantly influenced by photoperiod. Exposure to a long-day photoperiod results in testicular regression and spermatogenesis arrest in Magang geese. To investigate the epigenetic influence of DNA methylation on the seasonal testicular regression in Magang geese, we conducted whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and transcriptome sequencing of testes across 3 reproductive phases during a long-day photoperiod. A total of 250,326 differentially methylated regions (DMR) were identified among the 3 comparison groups, with a significant number showing hypermethylation, especially in intronic regions of the genome. Integrating bisulfite sequencing with transcriptome sequencing data revealed that DMR-associated genes tend to be differentially expressed in the testes, highlighting a potential regulatory role for DNA methylation in gene expression. Furthermore, there was a significant negative correlation between changes in the methylation of CG DMRs and changes in the expression of their associated genes in the testes. A total of 3,359 DMR-associated differentially expressed genes (DEG) were identified; functional enrichment analyses revealed that motor proteins, MAPK signaling pathway, ECM-receptor interaction, phagosome, TGF-beta signaling pathway, and calcium signaling might contribute to the testicular regression process. GSEA revealed that the significantly enriched activated hallmark gene set was associated with apoptosis and estrogen response during testicular regression, while the repressed hallmark gene set was involved in spermatogenesis. Our study also revealed that methylation changes significantly impacted the expression level of vitamin A metabolism-related genes during testicular degeneration, with hypermethylation of STRA6 and increased calmodulin levels indicating vitamin A efflux during the testicular regression. These findings were corroborated by pyrosequencing and real-time qPCR, which revealed that the vitamin A metabolic pathway plays a pivotal role in testicular degeneration under long-day conditions. Additionally, metabolomics analysis revealed an insufficiency of vitamin A and an abnormally high level of oxysterols accumulated in the testes during testicular regression. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that testicular degeneration in Magang geese induced by a long-day photoperiod is linked to vitamin A homeostasis disruption, which manifests as the hypermethylation status of STRA6, vitamin A efflux, and a high level of oxysterol accumulation. These findings offer new insights into the effects of DNA methylation on the seasonal testicular regression that occurs during long-day photoperiods in Magang geese.

Comprehensive analysis of the differential expression of mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs in Zi goose testis with high and low sperm mobility.

Sperm mobility (SM) is an objective index for measuring sperm motility; however, the mechanisms underlying its regulation in geese remain unclear. The present study sought to elucidate the genetic mechanism underlying SM traits in Zi geese (Anser cygnoides L.). To this end, three successive experiments were performed. In Experiment I, SM was determined in 40 ganders; the 3 ganders with the highest mobility and three with the lowest mobility were assigned to the high and low sperm mobility rank (SMR) groups, respectively. In Experiment II, the differences in fertility between the two SMR groups were assessed within two breeding flocks comprising the selected six ganders from Experiment I and 30 females (each flock had 3 ganders and 15 females). In Experiment III, the testes of the 6 ganders were harvested for histological observation and whole-transcriptome sequencing. Results revealed better fertility, well-developed seminiferous tubules, and abundant mature sperm in the high-SMR-flock compared to those of the low-SMR-flock (89 vs. 81%) (P < 0.05). Differential expression (DE) analysis identified 76 mRNAs, 344 lncRNAs, and 17 miRNAs between the SMR groups, with LOC106049708, XPNPEP3, GNB3, ADCY8, PRKAG3, oha-miR-182-5p, and ocu-miR-10b-5p identified as key mRNAs and miRNAs contributing to SM. Enrichment analysis implicated these DE RNAs in pathways related to ATP binding, cell metabolism, apelin signaling, Wnt signaling, and Adherens junctions. Additionally, competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks comprising 9 DE mRNAs, 17 DE miRNAs, and 169 DE lncRNAs were constructed. Two ceRNA network pathways (LOC106049708-oha-miR-182-5p-MSTRG.2479.6 and PRKAG3-ocu-miR-10b-5p-MSTRG.9047.14) were identified as key regulators of SM in geese. These findings offer crucial insights into the identification of key genes and ceRNA pathways influencing sperm mobility in geese.

Follicular fluid-derived exosomal HMOX1 promotes granulosa cell ferroptosis involved in follicular atresia in geese (Anser cygnoides).

The proliferation and death of granulosa cells (GCs) in poultry play a decisive role in follicular fate and egg production. The follicular fluid (FF) contains a variety of nutrients and genetic substances to ensure the communication between follicular cells. Exosomes, as a new intercellular communication, could carry and transport the proteins, RNA, and lipids to react on GCs, which had been found in FF of various domestic animals. Whether exosomes of FF in poultry play a similar role is unclear. In this study, geese, a poultry with low egg production, were chosen, and the effect of FF exosomes on the proliferation and death of GCs was investigated. Firstly, there were not only a large number of healthy small yellow follicles (HSYFs) but also some atresia small yellow follicles (ASYFs) in the egg-laying stage. Also, the GC layers of ASYFs became loose interconnections, inward detachment, and diminished survival rate than that of HSYFs. Besides, compared to HSYFs, the contents of E2, P4, and the mRNA expression levels of ferroptosis-related genes GPX4, FPN1, and FTH1 were significantly decreased, while COX2, NCOA4, VDAC3 mRNA were significantly increased, and the structure of mitochondrial cristae disappeared and the outer membrane broke in the GC layers of ASYFs. Moreover, the ROS, MDA, and oxidation levels in the GC layers of ASYFs were significantly higher than those of HSYFs. All these hinted that ferroptosis might result in a large number of GCs death and involvement in follicle atresia. Secondly, FF exosomes were isolated from HSYFs and ASYFs, respectively, and identified by TEM, NTA, and detection of exosome marker proteins. Also, we found the exosomes were phagocytic by GCs by tracking CM-Dil. Moreover, the addition of ASYF-FF exosomes significantly elevated the MDA content, Fe2+ levels, and the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in GCs, thus significantly inhibiting the proliferation of GCs, which was restored by the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1. Thirdly, the proteomic sequencing was performed between FF-derived exosomes of HSYFs and ASYFs. We obtained 1615 differentially expressed proteins, which were mainly enriched in the protein transport and ferroptosis pathways. Among them, HMOX1 was enriched in the ferroptosis pathway based on differential protein-protein interaction network analysis. Finally, the role of HMOX1 in regulating ferroptosis in GCs was further explored. The highly expressed HMOX1 was observed in the exosomes of ASYF-FF than that in HSYF-FF. Overexpression of HMOX1 increased ATG5, LC3II, and NCOA4 expression and reduced the expression of FTH1, GPX4, PCBP2, FPN1 in the ferroptosis pathway, also promoted intracellular Fe2+ accumulation and MDA surge, which drove ferroptosis in GCs. The effects of HMOX1 on ferroptosis could be blocked by its inhibitor Znpp. Taken together, the important protein HMOX1 was identified in FF, which could be delivered to GCs via exosomes, triggering ferroptosis and thus determining the fate of follicles.

Effects of feed conditioning temperature on pellet quality, growth performance, intestinal development and blood parameters of geese from 1 to 28 d of age.

A 28-d experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of feed-conditioning temperature on the pellet quality, growth performance, intestinal development, and blood parameters of geese. A total of 180 one-day-old White Yuzhou goslings were randomly allotted to 5 treatment groups, with 6 replicates containing 6 birds each. Five diets were conditioned at 65, 70, 75, 80, and 85°C. Body weight and feed intake per pen basis were recorded from the arrival to the end of the trial. Blood and small intestine samples were collected on d 28 for analysis. The results showed that the pellet durability index (PDI), pellet hardness, and gelatinisation degree of starch (GDS) increased with increasing conditioning temperature (P < 0.05). The final body weight (FBW), average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of goslings significantly increased when conditioning temperature increased from 65 or 70°C to 80 or 85°C (P < 0.05), accompanied by unaffected feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P > 0.05). The villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH/CD) in the duodenum and ileum improved with increasing conditioning temperature (P < 0.05). Additionally, trypsin and amylase activity were enhanced when the conditioning temperature increased from 65 to 85°C (P < 0.05). No significant differences in the carcass traits and blood parameters of goslings were observed among the groups (P > 0.05). Overall, under the present experimental conditions, increasing the steam-conditioning temperature of pelleted feed improved pellet quality, growth performance, intestinal morphology, and digestive enzyme activity in goslings. Based on broken-line regression analysis, the lower critical conditioning temperature for ADG in geese from 1 to 28 d of age was 80.95°C.

Shell temperature: How shall we tell if a still gosling is under the eggshell?

The present investigation was aimed at predicting a still (i.e., dead) vs. live embryo within a hatching goose egg by measuring the eggshell cooling rate. For this, we daily measured the temperature (T) values on the shell surface of goose eggs after they were removed from the incubator and during further natural cooling. T was recorded every 0.5 h for further 1.5 h of cooling. It was possible to recognize eggs with dead embryos using the combination of T, egg weight (W), and surface area (S). The resultant indicator (TS/W) was called specific temperature index (STI). The mathematical relationship using STI measurements between Days 8-13 facilitated 80 % correct identification of the eggs with dead embryos. Additionally, we derived mathematical dependencies for shell weight (Ws) and thickness (t) by utilizing the values of W, egg volume (V), S, the average T of all measurements taken, as well as the drop in T during 1.5 h of natural cooling. The key advantage of these parameters was their measurement and/or calculation by applying non-destructive methods. The integrated application of these parameters resulted in achieving high calculation accuracy as judged by correlation coefficients of 0.908 for Ws and 0.593 for t. These novel mathematical models have the potential to decrease hatching waste by predicting embryo viability. Our research will add to a toolkit for non-invasive egg assessment that is useful in the poultry industry, research on eggs, and engineering.

The effect of LINC9137 targeting miR-140-3p-NKAIN3 signal axis on the development of goose testis sertoli cells.

Sertoli cells (SC) are a type of important cells in the testes, which can provide transport proteins, regulatory proteins, growth factors, and other cytokines for the spermatogenic process. They participate in the regulation of the maturation and differentiation of spermatogenic cells and play an important supporting role in the migration, proliferation, and differentiation of germ cells at all levels in the testes. Previous studies found differential expression of LINC9137, miR-140-3p, and Sodium/Potassium Transporting ATPase Interacting 3 (NKAIN3) genesin high and low sperm motility goose testicular tissues. This study investigated the effects of the LINC9137-miR-140-3p-NKAIN3 signal axis on the proliferation and apoptosis of goose testicular sertoli cells at the cellular level, respectively. The results showed that through acridine orange staining, oil red O staining, Alkaline phosphatase (AKP) staining, and RT qPCR assay, it was comprehensively identified that the cultured testicular sertoli cells were purified in vitro. Through the dual luciferase activity detection test, it was found that LINC9137 has a targeted binding site with miR-140-3p and NKAIN3. In addition, this study found that overexpression of miR-140-3p significantly inhibited the expression of LINC9137 and NKAIN3 in sertoli cells, and their expression was significantly increased when miR-140-3p was interfered with. By measuring cell proliferation activity and apoptosis related gene expression, it was found that overexpression of LINC9137 decreased cell proliferation activity (P > 0.05), while the expression level of apoptosis factor Bcl2 Associated X Protein (Bax)/B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl2) increased (P > 0.05). On the contrary, when interfering with LINC9137, the cell proliferation activity of sertoli cells was significantly increased (P < 0.01), and the expression level of apoptosis factor Bax/Bcl2 was significantly reduced (P < 0.05); The effect of miR-140-3p on the proliferation and apoptosis of sertoli cells is opposite to that of LINC9137. Meanwhile, this study co transfected overexpressed LINC9137 and miR-140-3p plasmids into sertoli cells, and found that the effect of LINC9137 overexpression on supporting cell proliferation was weakened by miR-140-3p. This study elucidates the role and function of the LINC9137 miR-140-3p-NKAIN3 signaling axis in the development of goose testes and spermatogenesis, establishes a regulatory network related to spermatogenesis, and provides a theoretical basis for studying the genetic regulation of goose spermatogenesis.