Poultry or Avian Science Commons^™

Development Of A Crispr System To Mutate Lpar4 In Chick Retinal Ganglion Cells, Garrett Driscoll

Graduate Theses

Growth cones direct axon pathfinding during neural development by detecting environmental stimuli, known as axon guidance molecules. In vitro studies have shown inhibitory axon guidance molecules to cause growth cones to change morphology to what is called a collapsed growth cone. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) has been demonstrated to collapse growth cones in culture, and thus it may act as an inhibitory molecule. However, identification of what LPA receptor is responsible for this physiological response is unknown. To investigate which receptor elicits collapse, we focused on LPA receptor-4 (LPA4) by designing a CRISPR construct to mutate Lpar4 in chick retinal ganglion …

Mechanistic Understanding Of Leaky Gut Syndrome In Heat Stressed Broiler Chickens, Jennifer Hoover

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Broilers, meat-type chickens, are bred for high growth rate and meat yield. These chickens have specific challenges due to heat stress. The adverse effects that impact these chickens have lead us to study the mechanisms involved. The objective of this study is to evaluate the expression of genes involved in intestinal permeability of heat- stressed broiler chickens. All analyses are on previously collected tissues. A total of 600 one day old Cobb 500 male chicks were weighed and randomly assigned to 12 environmental chambers. Ambient temperature in the chambers was gradually decreased from 32˚C on d 1 to 24˚C …

Effects Of A Noni-Supplemented Diet On Intestinal Tight Junction Proteins And Stress Biomarkers In Heat-Stressed Broiler Chickens, Guillermo Tellez

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Heat stress hampers gut health by impeding its ability to absorb nutrients which leads to a lower feed efficiency and sicker birds. Therefore, there is a critical need to identify mechanism-based strategies to alleviate these effects. Polynesian poultry farmers have been supplementing broiler feed with Morinda Citrifolia (Noni), a medicinal plant high in anti-oxidants, to address this problem. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Morinda Citrifolia (Noni)-supplementation on the expression of tight junction proteins. Male Broilers (Cobb 500, 3 wks, n=480) were subjected to 2 environmental conditions (TN, 24°C vs. HS, 35°C, 1 …