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Institute of Agricultural & Environmental Research Tennessee State University |
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Seminar Series Abstract
UNDERSTANDING GENOMICS OF THE GUINEA FOWL: RESEARCH PROGRESS AND FUTURE OUTLOOK S. Nahashon, J. Johnson, G. Kelley, J. Tyus II and A. Amenyenu Tennessee State University Institute of Agricultural & Environmental Research The guinea fowl provides a unique model for elucidating biological processes that are associated with various traits of economic importance to the poultry industry such as excessive fat accretion and efficiency of feed utilization. The guinea fowl carcass contains less fat and cholesterol and the birds are resilient to diseases when compared with chickens. Genes associated with these and other traits would be an invaluable tool for comparative mapping of the avian genome with the aim of improving poultry performance. In the recent past these efforts were limited by lack of availability of genetic information of the guinea fowl. As efforts to address this deficiency are underway, reports from our laboratory have shown that genetic similarity between the guinea fowl and chickens is about 30 percent. Chicken microsatellite markers were evaluated for suitability as genetic linkage markers in guinea fowl improvement programs. Eighty three percent (30/36) of chicken primers amplified individual loci in guinea fowl and only 50 percent (15/30) of the amplified loci were found to be polymorphic. As a result, research efforts have been directed towards generating genetic resource information for the guinea fowl. Partial sequence cDNA libraries of the guinea fowl liver and adipose tissue were constructed using the Stratagene® cDNA library construction kit. DNA sequences were cloned into the pBluescript cloning vector and screened by the polymerase chain reaction. Five hundred clones were cycle-sequenced using the Dye Terminator® cycle sequencing kit and the ABI 3100 Genetic Analyzer. Similarity of DNA sequences was evaluated using the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) databases using the BLAST (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ BLAST/). About 90% of the DNA sequences retrieved were unique to the guinea fowl and they range in size from 310 to 1,059 bases. About 10 percent of these sequences had no homology with avian sequences, whereas 85 percent exhibited homology ranging from 55-96 percent with avian species and 44-75 percent with mouse and human DNA sequences. These sequences provide an invaluable tool for comparative mapping of the avian genome. Construction of an additional library of the hypothalamus and the pituitary of the guinea fowl is also underway. Several genes derived from this research will be expressed and used for comparative mapping of the avian genome.
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