Construction and characterization of a recombinant vaccine encoding the nucleocapsid protein gene of avian infectious bronchitis virus / Construção e caracterização de uma vacina recombinante codificando o gene da proteina do nucleocapsideo do virus da bronquite infecciosa das galinhas

A vacinação é a forma mais utilizada para prevenir a bronquite infecciosa causada pelo vírus da bronquite infecciosa das galinhas (IBV). Contudo, as vacinas convencionais são incapazes de diferenciar aves infectadas de vacinadas. No presente trabalho foi construído, caracterizado, e avaliado como candidato vacinal, um adenovírus recombinante expressando o gene N do IBV. O gene N foi clonado em um adenovírus humano tipo 5 defectivo e transfectado para as células HEK-293A para gerar rAd5_N. Após o vetor ser obtido como esperado e a confirmação da expressão da proteína N em HEK-293ª, foi realizada inoculação pela via oculo-nasal na dose de 10 7 TCID 50 /0,1mL para imunização de galinhas livres de patógenos específicos (SPF). A resposta imunológica do Ad5_N e a proteção contra o desafio ao IBV foram avaliadas e comparadas com uma vacina viva comercial. Não foram detectados anticorpos anti-IBV em aves vacinadas com o Ad5_N. A vacina comercial induziu anticorpos detectáveis a partir do 7º dia pós-vacinal. Em aves vacinadas com o Ad5_N não houve aumento na expressão de IFNγ. Neste estudo, o rAd5_N obtido não conferiu proteção contra desafio com IBV-M41. Os resultados indicam a necessidade de avaliar adenovírus recombinantes expressando outros genes do IBV.(AU)

Quantitative trait loci with sex-specific effects for internal organs weights and hematocrit value in a broiler-layer cross.

Rapid growth in broilers is associated with susceptibility to metabolic disorders such as pulmonary hypertension syndrome (ascites) and sudden death. This study describes a genome search for QTL associated with relative weight of cardio respiratory and metabolically important organs (heart, lungs, liver and gizzard), and hematocrit value in a Brazilian broiler-layer cross. QTL with similar or different effects across sexes were investigated. At 42 days of age after fasted for 6 h, the F2 chickens were weighed and slaughtered. Weights and percentages of the weight relative to BW42 of gizzard, heart, lungs, liver and hematocrit were used in the QTL search. Parental, F1 and F2 individuals were genotyped with 128 genetic markers (127 microsatellites and 1 SNP) covering 22 linkage groups. QTL mapping analyses were carried out using mixed models. A total of 11 genome-wide significant QTL and five suggestive linkages were mapped. Thus, genome-wide significant QTL with similar effects across sexes were mapped to GGA2, 4 and 14 for heart weight, and to GGA2, 8 and 12 for gizzard %. Additionally, five genome-wide significant QTL with different effects across sexes were mapped to GGA 8, 19 and 26 for heart weight; GGA26 for heart % and GGA3 for hematocrit value. Five QTL were detected in chromosomal regions where QTL for similar traits were previously mapped in other F2 chicken populations. Seven novel genome-wide significant QTL are reported here, and 21 positional candidate genes in QTL regions were identified.

Comparison of the effect of different methods of molt: production and welfare evaluation.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate alternative molting protocols assessing hen welfare and performance during and after molt. Hyline W-36 pullets were housed at 15 wk of age, and their egg production was obtained during this first cycle. When birds were 80 wk, the following molting treatments were applied: a conventional molt consisting of 10 d of fasting followed by cracked corn for 8 d and a pullet developer diet for 10 d; and 4 alternative molting programs: a soy hulls-based diet (12% CP, 1,455 kcal/kg of ME, and 1.38% Ca) offered for 14 d followed by cracked corn for 4 d and a pullet developer diet for 10 d; and the other 3 molt regimens consisted of feeding soy hulls for 4, 8, or 12 d followed by 10, 6, or 2 d, respectively, of a soy hulls-based diet and 4 d of cracked corn plus 10 d of a pullet developer diet. A nonmolted group of birds was fed a laying hen diet during the experimental period. Hen-day egg number was recorded daily for 56 wk (through 80-136 wk of age). The nonmolted hens showed lower hen-day production and fewer intact eggs and a higher number of cracked and shell-less eggs compared with those of the molted hens (P < 0.0001). A significant treatment by age effect (P < 0.0001) was observed for the variables of high-density lipoproteins and triglycerides. Control hens showed the lowest high-density lipoprotein concentration and the highest triglyceride levels at 84 wk of age when compared with all treatments. The lack of difference in heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio during molt suggests little influence of molting protocols on this variable. Regardless of the treatments, molting was deleterious to bone quality. A high mobilization of Ca through bone resorption for eggshell formation could explain the results obtained. Behavioral patterns coincided with a decline in frustration activities and an increase in alertness as molt proceeded until 83 wk of age. Alternative molting diets consisting of soybean hulls were successful in providing acceptable postmolt egg production performance.

Condições térmicas ambientais e desempenho de aves criadas em aviários com e sem o uso de forro / Environmental thermal conditions and performance of broilers raised in aviaries with and without the use of polyethylene lining

O experimento foi realizado em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 2x2, para avaliar o efeito de época de ano, o tipo de forro de polietileno sobre as condições térmicas, de umidade e o desempenho de aves de corte. Foram utilizados quatro aviários, cada um dividido internamente em quatro boxes para alojar 200 aves cada. As variáveis de desempenho avaliadas foram peso vivo, ganho de peso, consumo de ração, conversão alimentar e mortalidade das aves do nascimento ao 42º dia de idade. O desempenho das aves foi melhor com aviários com forro. As condições térmicas foram melhoradas cm a utilização de forro nos aviários

This experiment was carried out in a completely randomized experimental design, factorial arrangement 2x2, to evaluate the effect of period of year and type polyethylene liming on thermal and humidity of aviaries and performance of broiler. Four aviaries were divided in four boxes to house 200 chickens each. The recorded performance traits were body weight, weight gain feed intake, feed:weght gain ratio and mortality from hatch to 42 days of age. Better thermal conditions and higher chicken performance were observed in the polyethylene liming aviaries