VTechWorks staff will be away for the Thanksgiving holiday beginning at noon on Wednesday, November 27, through Friday, November 29. We will resume normal operations on Monday, December 2. Thank you for your patience.

Browsing by Author "Xiao, Qihai"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Effect of Monochromatic Light on Expression of Estrogen Receptor (ER) and Progesterone Receptor (PR) in Ovarian Follicles of Chicken
    Liu, Lingbin; Li, Diyan; Gilbert, Elizabeth R.; Xiao, Qihai; Zhao, Xiaoling; Wang, Yan; Yin, Huadong; Zhu, Qing (PLOS, 2015-12-01)
  • Thumbnail Image
    Polymorphisms in the Chicken Growth Differentiation Factor 9 Gene Associated with Reproductive Traits
    Liu, Lingbin; Cui, Zhifu; Xiao, Qihai; Zhang, Haihan; Zhao, Xiaoling; Wang, Yan; Yin, Huadong; Li, Diyan; Zhu, Qing (Hindawi, 2018-09-19)
    The aim of the study was to investigate GDF9 gene polymorphisms and their association with reproductive traits in chicken using DNA sequencing. A total of 279 Dongxiang blue-shelled (DX) chickens and 232 Luhua (LH) chickens were used for validation. We detected 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): nine SNPs were previously unreported in chicken, two were missense mutations, and only three exhibited significant associations with reproductive traits. G.17156387C>T was significantly associated with age at first egg (AFE) and weight of first egg (WFE) in both breeds. Birds carrying the CC genotype exhibited higher AFE and WFE values than those with the TT genotype. The SNP g.17156427A>G exhibited an association with egg weight at 300 days of age (EWTA) in DX but not in LH chickens. The SNP g.17156703A>C affected the AFE and EN (total number of eggs at 300 days of age) in DX chickens. In addition, certain diplotypes significantly affected AFE, BWTA (body weight at 300 days of age), and EN in both breeds. RT-PCR results showed that the GDF9 gene was highly expressed in stroma with cortical follicles (STR) and prehierarchal follicles. These results provided further evidence that the GDF9 gene is involved in determining reproductive traits in chicken.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Whole-transcriptome analysis of atrophic ovaries in broody chickens reveals regulatory pathways associated with proliferation and apoptosis
    Liu, Lingbin; Xiao, Qihai; Gilbert, Elizabeth R.; Cui, Zhifu; Zhao, Xiaoling; Wang, Yan; Yin, Huadong; Li, Diyan; Zhang, Haihan; Zhu, Qing (Springer Nature, 2018-05-08)
    Broodiness in laying hens results in atrophy of the ovary and consequently decreases productivity. However, the regulatory mechanisms that drive ovary development remain elusive. Thus, we collected atrophic ovaries (AO) from 380-day-old broody chickens (BC) and normal ovaries (NO) from evenaged egg-laying hens (EH) for RNA sequencing. We identified 3,480 protein-coding transcripts that were differentially expressed (DE), including 1,719 that were down-regulated and 1,761 that were up-regulated in AO. There were 959 lncRNA transcripts that were DE, including 56 that were downregulated and 903 that were up-regulated. Among the116 miRNAs that were DE, 79 were downregulated and 37 were up-regulated in AO. Numerous DE protein-coding transcripts and target genes for miRNAs/lncRNAs were significantly enriched in reproductive processes, cell proliferation, and apoptosis pathways. A miRNA-intersection gene-pathway network was constructed by considering target relationships and correlation of the expression levels between ovary development-related genes and miRNAs. We also constructed a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network by integrating competing relationships between protein-coding genes and lncRNA transcripts, and identified several lncRNA transcripts predicted to regulate the CASP6, CYP1B1, GADD45, MMP2, and SMAS2 genes. In conclusion, we discovered protein-coding genes, miRNAs, and lncRNA transcripts that are candidate regulators of ovary development in broody chickens.