Partial albumen removal early during embryonic development of layer-type chickens has negative consequences on laying performance in adult life

Willems, Els; Wang, Yufeng; Willemsen, Hilke; Lesuisse, Jens; Franssens, Lies; Guo, Xiaomin; Koppenol, Astrid; Buyse, Johan; Decuypere, Eddy; Everaert, Nadia

doi:10.3382/ps.2012-03003

Cited by 21 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Indeed, in one recent study, a lack of catch up growth was evident. Albumen removal from chicken eggs resulted in reduced body weight of the hens 55 weeks after hatching (Willems et al, 2015a), and egg laying performance of adult hens is also altered (Willems et al, 2013). Similar results occurred in a separate study by this research group, but feed intake was increased in juveniles undernourished as embryos, apparently without accompanying body mass increases up to normal levels (Willems et al, 2015b).…”

Section: Fetal Programming -Beyond Mammals To Birdssupporting

confidence: 80%

Cardio-respiratory development in bird embryos: new insights from a venerable animal model

2016

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-The avian embryo is a time-honored animal model for understanding vertebrate development. A key area of extensive study using bird embryos centers on developmental phenotypic plasticity of the cardio-respiratory system and how its normal development can be affected by abiotic factors such as temperature and oxygen availability. Through the investigation of the plasticity of development, we gain a better understanding of both the regulation of the developmental process and the embryo's capacity for self-repair. Additionally, experiments with abiotic and biotic stressors during development have helped delineate not just critical windows for avian cardio-respiratory development, but the general characteristics (e.g., timing and dose-dependence) of critical windows in all developing vertebrates. Avian embryos are useful in exploring fetal programming, in which early developmental experiences have implications (usually negative) later in life. The ability to experimentally manipulate the avian embryo without the interference of maternal behavior or physiology makes it particularly useful in future studies of fetal programming. The bird embryo is also a key participant in studies of transgenerational epigenetics, whether by egg provisioning or effects on the germline that are transmitted to the F1 generation (or beyond). Finally, the avian embryo is heavily exploited in toxicology, in which both toxicological testing of potential consumer products as well as the consequences of exposure to anthropogenic pollutants are routinely carried out in the avian embryo. The avian embryo thus proves useful on numerous experimental fronts as an animal model that is concurrently both of adequate complexity and sufficient simplicity for probing vertebrate cardio-respiratory development.

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Section: Fetal Programming -Beyond Mammals To Birdssupporting

confidence: 80%

Cardio-respiratory development in bird embryos: new insights from a venerable animal model

2016

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“…Incubation and albumen removal The set-up of this experiment has been described previously by Willems et al (2013). Briefly, Isa Brown layer-type eggs were commercially obtained from a 48-week-old breeder flock (Vepymo, Poppel, Belgium) and randomly divided between the three treatments.…”

Section: Experimental Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The different number of chicks per group was due to a difference in the number of set eggs and in hatching success per group (Willems et al 2013). Body weight of the hens was individually measured each week starting from hatching.…”

Section: Experimental Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This led to the hypothesis that embryonic protein deprivation by albumen removal could result in transgenerational effects, affecting not only the embryonic development directly but also the post-hatching performance of the offspring. Several studies on the effects of partial albumen removal have been published previously (Hill 1993, Finkler et al 1998, Willems et al 2013, 2014b, but, to our knowledge, this is the first report examining potential transgenerational effects of albumen deprivation during embryogenesis.…”

mentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Long-term effects of albumen deprivation have been studied previously (Willems et al 2013). During the rearing period, reduced body weight was observed, whereas during the laying period, catch-up growth was manifested resulting in increased body weight with reduced reproductive capacity, as reflected in the reduced number and weight of the eggs.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Effects of nutritional programing on growth and metabolism caused by albumen removal in an avian model

Willems¹,

Koppenol²,

Ketelaere³

et al. 2015

Journal of Endocrinology

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In mammalian models of prenatal undernutrition the maternal diet is manipulated, exerting both nutritional and hormonal effects on the offspring. In contrast, in the chicken, strictly nutritional effects can be applied. Prenatal protein undernutrition in chickens was induced by partial replacement of albumen with saline during early embryonic development (albumen-deprived group) and results were compared with a sham-manipulated and a non-manipulated group. Body weight of the albumen-deprived hens was reduced throughout the entire experimental period (0-55 weeks). The reproductive capacity was diminished in the albumen-deprived hens as reflected in the reduced number of eggs and lower egg weight. The plasma triiodothyronine levels were increased in the albumendeprived group compared with the non-manipulated hens, but not the sham-manipulated hens. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 10 weeks of age revealed a decreased glucose tolerance in the albumen-deprived hens. During adulthood, an age-related loss of glucose tolerance was observed in the hens, leading to disappearance of treatment differences in the OGTT. The offspring of the albumen-deprived hens (PA chicks) had reduced body weight until at least 3 weeks of age. In addition, the PA chicks had a decreased relative residual yolk weight at hatching. An insulin tolerance test revealed increased sensitivity to insulin for the PA chicks compared with the offspring of the non-manipulated (PN) and sham-manipulated hens (PS). In conclusion, prenatal protein undernutrition by albumen removal caused long-term effects on body weight, reproductive performance, and physiology.

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The more you get, the more you give: Positive cascading effects shape the evolutionary potential of prenatal maternal investment

2019

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Maternal effects are prevalent in nature and significantly contribute to variation in phenotypic trait expression. However, little attention has been paid to the factors shaping variation in the traits mediating these effects (maternal effectors). Specific maternal effectors are often not identified, and typically they are assumed to be inherited in an additive genetic and autosomal manner. Given that these effectors can cause long‐lasting effects on offspring phenotype, it is likely that they may also affect themselves in the next generation. Although the existence of such cascading maternal effects has been discussed and modeled, empirical examples of such effects are rare, let alone quantitative estimates of their strength and evolutionary consequences. Here, we demonstrate that the investment a mother makes in her eggs positively affects the egg investment of her daughters. Through reciprocally crossing artificially selected lines for divergent prenatal maternal investment in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), we demonstrate that the size of eggs daughters lay resembles the egg size of their maternal line significantly more than that of their paternal line, highlighting that egg size is in part maternally inherited. Correspondingly, we find that variation in the daughters' egg size is in part determined by maternal identity, in addition to substantial additive genetic effects. Furthermore, this maternal variance in offspring egg size is fully explained by maternal egg size, demonstrating the presence of a positive cascading effect of maternal egg size on offspring egg size. Finally, we use an evolutionary model to quantify the consequences of covariance between cascading maternal and additive genetic effects for both maternal effector and offspring body mass evolution. Our study demonstrates that by amplifying the amount of variation available for selection to act on, positive cascading maternal effects can significantly enhance the evolutionary potential of maternal effectors and the offspring traits that they affect.

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Partial albumen removal early during embryonic development of layer-type chickens has negative consequences on laying performance in adult life

Cited by 21 publications

References 40 publications

Cardio-respiratory development in bird embryos: new insights from a venerable animal model

Cardio-respiratory development in bird embryos: new insights from a venerable animal model

Effects of nutritional programing on growth and metabolism caused by albumen removal in an avian model

The more you get, the more you give: Positive cascading effects shape the evolutionary potential of prenatal maternal investment

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