Duration: 10/01/2003 to 09/30/2008

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Statement of Issues and Justification

Poultry meat and eggs are major protein sources in the American diet, with per capita consumptions of broiler meat and eggs at 80.3 pounds and 251.8 eggs, respectively in 2002. Turkey production also steadily increased over the last three decades and per capita consumption has remained at about 17.5 pounds for the last couple of years. The U.S. consumption of chicken meat is higher than either beef or pork, which are estimated at 67.8 and 51.6 pounds, respectively for the same year (Livestock, Dairy and Poultry, LDP-M-100, 10.17.02; USDA Economic Research Service). The U.S. also continues to be one of the leading exporters of poultry (broiler) meat, and exports are predicted to be 5,450 million pounds for 2003. To meet domestic and international demands for chicken meat, the U.S. boiler chicken industry is expected to produce 33,000 billion pounds for 2003. The U.S. egg industry reached an average number of 276 million egg-layers in 2002, and the U.S. table egg production is predicted to be 6,110 million dozen for 2003. This number is slightly down from the previous year.

The unprecedented growth of the poultry industry (three-fold increase in the U.S. in the past 25 years) is partly due to the applications of modern scientific principles in genetic selection, disease control, nutrition, and management programs. To support and sustain the poultry sector, continuous improvements in science and technology must be made, tested, and transferred to the poultry breeding industry. The poultry industry must then diligently apply these new technologies to improve the production efficiency and performance of their populations. Primary breeders are responsible for the genetic improvements in poultry, and the improved genetic products are multiplied through the hatchery system. The hatcheries, in turn, supply these more efficient birds to producers and growers in nearby states. The result is greater efficiency at all levels, with gains in production efficiency being passed to the consumer, as lower commodity prices. The U.S. consumers enjoy one of the lowest disposable income fractions (12%) spent on food in the world, partly because of the preference for consumption of poultry products that are produced economically by a highly organized, efficient and technologically advanced agricultural system.

Fewer major poultry breeders exist today compared to a few years ago, and they operate on a narrow profit margin. Any technologies that are developed in house by one company would be kept as an industrial secret to protect their competitive advantage. At the same time, they are heavily dependent upon public information from academia and other institutions that provide experimental results associated with new technologies. The important interactions of NC-681 researchers with poultry industry representatives allow communication through a public knowledgebase and help to avoid many of the potentially serious problems in the industry associated with production and disease. Our efforts in advanced genetic technologies will be most useful to the primary breeders where the technologies can be applied to the breeding stocks. Because of the concentrated structure of the poultry breeding industry, this segment of animal agriculture is one of the best suited for applications of new and profitable technologies. Complementary to the highly structured industry is the information that is readily available about the biology of the chicken. The short generation interval, large family size, well-documented biochemical and morphological mutations and embryonic stages, existence of a detailed karyotype and a continued increase in available gene sequences makes the chicken an ideal model for development and application of biotechnological applications from emerging fields of scientific investigations. The advances in molecular biology and genetics point the way to new technologies that can be coupled with established breeding programs to provide the tools needed by the US. Poultry industry to maintain its competitive edge in the future.

Animal agriculture, to date, has depended upon effecting genetic improvement by estimating genotypic value by measuring phenotypic traits. This practice has severe limitations, especially in traits that are sex-limited (egg production) or require expensive testing (measurement of carcass traits or disease resistance) or testing late in life (reproductive traits). Progress made in molecular genetics will allow evaluation of some traits at the genotypic level, opening the possibility of early classification of live birds and use of marker-assisted selection in breeding programs. In addition to the identification of genes, understanding their action when transferred to a new location will be important in application of new discoveries. This area will be enhanced by investigations of gene action in their original position and after transfer by classical or new technologies.

Avian genomics has made considerable progress, including mapping of almost 2000 genetic markers into 50 linkage groups, sequencing of close to 400,000 expressed sequence tags, construction of at least 4 large insert genomic BAC libraries, and development of a consensus chicken genetic map, based on three different reference mapping populations. The chicken genome is one-third the size of the human genome and it is currently on the short list of genome sequencing. In addition, comparative analysis of the chicken genome with the human genome indicates that there is a high degree of conserved syntenic groups. Because chickens continue to serve as a vertebrate model for virus-induced cancer, embryonic development, immune cell development and differentiation, nervous system development, autoimmune diseases, and others, advanced research in chicken genomics is required. Applications of biotechnology in poultry are expanding and in fact, gene transfer technologies have advanced to the point that several companies are beginning to commercialize the process of making transgenic birds, and several biomedically-important proteins are being generated through these molecular biology processes. The continued use of gene transfer will require technologies that provide efficient and commercially acceptable methods for the introduction of foreign DNA. Only then can the full impact of biotechnology on improving poultry production, as well as developing the egg as a bioprocessor be realized.

Many of the Advanced Technologies that we are proposing in this new project derive from the remarkable progress that has been made in human molecular genetics, culminating with the recent completion of the human genome sequence (International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium, 2001; Venter et al., 2001). The completion of the human genome sequence is widely understood to be a landmark event in biology that will clearly revolutionize not only medical genetics, but all of vertebrate biology, including poultry science. Indeed, some have even termed the next century to be the post genome sequence era of biology.

Related, Current and Previous Work

Participants in the current Regional Project NC-168 have been instrumental in bringing poultry genomics to its present location both in the U.S. and internationally. Long standing collaborations with the major poultry genome research centers in the UK, France, Netherlands, Sweden, and Israel has resulted in joint projects with NC-168 members and contributed to a coordinated global approach to poultry genome research. Additional support from the Poultry committees of NRSP-8 and the International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG) has been instrumental in fostering these international relationships. Cooperation with NRSP-8 provides much constructive interaction with researchers trying to solve common problems across a wide diversity of agricultural species and is of particular scientific value.

A CSREES-CRIS search was performed to identify research projects similar to the proposed project described here. Keywords used in the search were: poultry, livestock, genomics, gene expression, breeding, and quantitative trait loci. Alone and in combination these keywords resulted in several hundred apparently related CRIS projects. A review of active individual projects identified research that complement this project and for the most part build off of foundations provided by NC-168, its participants, or their collaborators. Complementary multi-state CRIS projects include the ongoing National Research Support Project -8 (NRSP-8) as well as current and past Research Projects (S-233, NE-60, NC-209, and NC-210/220) which has resulted in coordinated efforts and remarkable progress in the areas of domestic species genomics. These projects have provided the scientific community with comprehensive linkage and physical maps, genetic markers for traits involved in health, production, and product quality, as well as genome and transcript sequence information.

Particular Regional Projects with close ties to NC-168 are NE-60, "Genetic Basis for Resistance and Immunity in Avian Diseases" and S-233, "Genetic Relationships to Growth and Reproduction in Diverse Poultry Populations". The relationship between S-233 and NC-168 is that S-233 is dedicated to evaluating existing populations for genetic relationships to production traits whereas NC-168 is dedicated to developing new technologies for genetically improving poultry populations for the future. As the closest related project to NC-168, the NE-60 project has focused primarily on a single family of genes, the major histocompatability complex (MHC) and related Rfp-Y genes for evaluating resistance to disease. This chromosomal regions represented by these genes are also of interest in NC-168 in a more global sense. Many participating stations in NE-60 also participate in NC-168 and clearly joint efforts across the two projects are likely. Information exchange is critical between these two projects for technologies developed by NC-168 may be of significant importance to NE-60 efforts for identifying disease resistance genes and genes identified by NE-60 could be verified by introduction into new populations by NC-168. To facilitate this exchange of information and to coordinate research plans and eliminate redundancy a joint meeting of NC-168 and NE-60 members is planned, usually at a 5-year interval.

The current status of poultry genome research is nicely summarized in a review entitled "First Report on Chicken Genes and Chromosomes" (Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics 90:169-218). This review emphasizes the limited resources that are being dedicated to poultry genomics in the U.S. in comparison to other countries. Specific areas of concern that are addressed in part by NC-168 have been identified in genetic mapping, physical mapping, EST sequencing, microarray development, QTL detection, proteomics, and large-scale genomic sequencing.

The current chicken genetic linkage map contains 2000+ markers, of which 661 represent genes. A consensus map was generated in 2000 that integrated the genetic maps developed around the world and consists of a framework of approximately 480 loci with an additional 1400 loci covering 50 linkage groups consisting of a total of 3,800 cM. Physical mapping of the chicken genome is progressing quickly with the construction, fingerprinting, and sequencing of multiple BAC libraries. The BAC contigs generated from these analyses will be instrumental in facilitating the comparative genomic analyses needed to identify genes of interest within specific chromosomal regions. A radiation hybrid panel has been developed by INRA (France) and map construction is underway through an international effort including MI and ADOL. RH maps have played a key role in integrating genetic linkage maps with physical maps and complete genome sequences in mammals.

EST sequencing efforts have resulted in a significant contribution of unique ESTs generated from NC-168 participants and collaborators (>50,000 ESTs) with plans for increasing this number from unique tissue sources and deeper sequencing of highly unique normalized cDNA libraries. A European consortium funded primarily by the BBSRC has also generated a large number of ESTs (>200,000). Microarray studies are currently underway and several stations making use of these ESTs. Arrays of limited size (4000 genes) are being utilized at present but plans are underway to construct more comprehensive arrays including greater than 10,000 genes. The complete genome sequence is also on the horizon due to the NHGRI (at NIH) rating the chicken genome as a "high priority" for full genome sequencing. The Washington U. Genome Center has recently been granted permission to begin work on the chicken genome sequence.

Novel transgenic technologies have also appeared on the horizon recently including sperm-mediated transgenesis as a method to evaluate the potential of genes to alter phenotypes as a basis for traditional genetic improvement. All of these valuable resources that have either been generated by participants in NC-168, or elsewhere in the world, positions poultry genomic research for a new era of progress and understanding of the molecular basis of variation in poultry populations and thus provide powerful tools for genetic improvement.

Objectives

1. Develop high resolution integrated maps to facilitate the identification of poultry genes and other DNA sequences of economic importance.
   
2. Develop methods for locating new genetic variation in poultry by gene transfer and chromosome alteration.
   
3. Develop, compare, and integrate emerging technologies with classical quantitative genetics for improvement of economic traits in poultry.
   
4. 
   

Methods

OBJECTIVE 1. DEVELOP HIGH RESOLUTION INTEGRATED MAPS TO FACILITATE THE IDENTIFICATION OF POULTRY GENES AND OTHER DNA SEQUENCES OF ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE. Sequencing of the human and mouse genomes have led to the development of comparative genome maps delineating evolutionarily conserved syntenies between these two species at the highest resolution possible. Comparative genomics across species has allowed translating information from map rich species to map poor species and has provided insight to possible functions of cloned genes. Preliminary work to identify conserved syntenies and gene function between the chicken genome and those of the human and mouse has been successful. However, enhancing the level of resolution of available chicken genome maps would facilitate further progress in this direction. Identify genes controlling quantitative trait loci (QTL) of economic importance very much depends on our ability to develop high-resolution informative maps. Our regional research efforts have allowed us to identify QTLs controlling disease resistance (e.g., Marek's Disease, major histocompatibility genes and cytokine genes) regulation of growth, reproduction, morphology and cellular function (e.g., endocrine genes, collagen and other bone and connective tissue genes and ribosomal RNA genes [rDNA]). Objective 1 is focused on A) alignment of genetic, cytogenetic and physical maps enhancing the resolution of genetic maps to better understand the structural organization of the chicken and turkey genomes, B) development of physical maps and sequence information for specific regions of the chicken and turkey genomes containing genes controlling QTLs of economic importance, and C) identification of gene expression patterns at the proteome level. Michigan (Ml) and the USDA-ARS Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory (ADOL) are responsible for the coordination of poultry genetic map development (under NRSP-8). In this regard both laboratories have initiated the development of a chicken whole genome BAC contig map. These laboratories distribute data, DNA panels and microsatellite primer sets for use by other members, along with correlating genetic, physical and cytogenetic maps. Furthermore, several member Stations maintain selected poultry lines that are of special use in genome mapping applications, including UC Davis (CA), Minnesota (MN), Iowa (IA), Wisconsin (WI), Delaware (DE), Ml and ADOL. A). Structural Organization of the Chicken and Turkey Genomes. MI will focus on aligning the physical map and genome sequence information with the genetic linkage map through the use of their BAC libraries. Research is underway to align the chicken genetic linkage map, defined primarily by segregation of DNA-based markers, with the BAC contig physical maps developed recently (Zhang et al., Texas A&M; Sekhon and McPherson, Washington U.). This aids the assembly of BAC and genome sequence contigs and is essential in elucidating the molecular basis for traits of agricultural interest (identified by linkage mapping). ADOL will also collaborate in the integration of genetic and physical maps by screening BAC DNA for markers that have been placed on the East Lansing genetic map. MI and ADOL, in collaboration with INRA, are mapping anchor loci on the RH panel, which will integrate this map into the genetic and BAC contig maps. Additional BAC clones for ESTs that are contained on the DNA microarrays will also be identified and mapped. The BAC contigs generated by MI and sequence information as it becomes available from the genome sequence effort will be used by ADOL to increase the number of genetic markers on the East Lansing genetic map to fill existing gaps. The ultimate objective is to have at least one genetic marker for every 2 cM. Similarly, CA, WI and MN will use cytogenetic (chromosome banding, fluorescent in situ hybridization and chromosome rearrangement breakpoints) genetic (linkage analysis and single gene mutations, WI and AR) and molecular (microsatellite markers, AR, CA, MN ) approaches to integrate genetic, physical and cytogenetic maps. CA, in collaboration with MI, is using high-resolution FISH of centromere and telomere probes to establish/confirm gene order and orient linkage groups on the p and q arms relative to the centromere and telomeres. Studies on the structure and characterization of repetitive sequences (telomere, centromere and small interspersed nuclear elements SINE) will be carried out in CA. Work will continue to characterize these sequences and will be expanded to examine other telomere-binding proteins and their role in regulating gene expression and telomerase activity in vivo and in vitro. MN will collaborate in determining telomere length and telomerase activity in cell cycle regulation and cell immortalization. Telomere arrays will be resolved by pulse-field separation of the DNA, Southern blotting, hybridization with telomere (and other chromosome-specific) probes, and film autoradiography. MN will continue developing genomic resources for the turkey. The long-term research strategy includes development of new microsatellite (ms) markers, development of expressed sequence tags (ESTs), and utlilization of the turkey BAC library (constructed by Dr. Pieter de Jong) for development of BAC-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for mapping and comparative analyses of production and disease resistance traits. Cross species marker utilization will allow for direct comparison of the emerging turkey map with the more developed chicken map. The latter will be carried out in collaboration with MI. B) Development of physical maps and sequence information for specific regions of the chicken genome containing genes controlling QTLs of economic importance. ADOL will build a BAC contig map of the region in GGA01 containing the retinol degeneration with globe enlargement (rge) single recessive gene disorder that causes blindness in layers. Candidate genes will be screened to see if they are contained within the contig DNA for this region. Putative candidate genes will be sequenced to examine if they have changes in their amino acid sequence. AR has identified BAC clones containing the sex-linked late-feathering locus and the MHC B locus. Fine resolution mapping and identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) will be done for the late-feathering and B locus to study genetic variation in commercial and pure breeding lines. The correlation between mitochondrial D loop DNA sequence polymorphisms and traits of interest is also being pursued. Similarly, a candidate gene search for genetic variation associated with feed efficiency in broilers is currently underway at AR. Recombinant B haplotypes are potentially a powerful means for identifying the genes within the MHC that provide the MHC-linked effects in resistance to infectious disease. The City of Hope will begin to identify additional recombinants at the MHC by selectively breeding animals heterozygous for Marek's disease resistance (B21) and susceptibility (B19) (in collaboration with R. Taylor, Jr., New Hampshire, and W.E. Briles, Illinois) to formally define by genetics, the MHC genes that have an influence in Marek's disease. Additional mapping is also underway to order the four major MHC gene clusters (Rfp-Y, NOR, B-G and B-F/B-L) on chicken chromosome 16 (in collaboration with M.E. Delany, California). Delaware (DE) will characterize the chromosome 1 region (DEL0001) by completing the sequence information for the syn3 and fbx7 genes. Syn3 is a phosphoprotein that is found in synapticle vessicles and has an important role in neurotransmitter release and neuronal function. Syn3 is mainly expressed in the brain; however, expression in other tissues such as bone has been detected. Fbx7 constitutes one of the subunits on the ubiquitin ligase complex and has been suggested to have a role in hematopoiesis. Identify expressed sequences (ESTs) for syn 3 and fbx7 and any associated genetic markers. Likewise DE will identifying and characterizing BAC clones that are closely mapped to the coccidiosis QTL on chromosome 1. Since the brain controls so many functions that are critical to the normal behavior and physiology of organisms, it is clear that increasing our understanding of avian brain function will translate into identifying genes in the central nervous system of poultry that will directly impact phenotypic traits of economic importance. AR will develop a digital atlas of the chicken brain that will contain classical names of neural cell groups, proposed new anatomical terms reflecting homologous brain regions to those of mammals, genes responsible for producing neurotransmitters, modulators and receptors, and key sources of information including links to other digital atlases of brains being developed for the pigeon, zebra finch, Japanese quail and canary. C) Identification of gene expression patterns in development and at the proteome level. ADOL will characterize chicken genes encoding proteins that interact with Marek's disease virus (MDV) proteins. This will be accomplished by systematically screening MDV genes in a bacterial two-hybrid assay for interacting chicken proteins. Several of these protein interactions have already been confirmed. However, to better characterize these interactions, we will develop functional assays for the chicken protein and then test if the addition of the viral protein enhances or inhibits the activity of the chicken protein. Virginia Tech (VA Tech) would investigate nutritional and developmental changes in the chicken intestinal proteome. VA Tech will compare the pattern of protein expression using proteomics (2D gels) and subsequently will identify by mass spec the proteins whose expression change in response to a change in diet or at different developmental stages. Similarly, VA Tech will identify genes involved in development of the avian (chicken and turkey) pituitary. The objective of this project is to use a chicken pituitary microarray to identify genes whose expression change during development. OBJECTIVE 2. DEVELOP METHODS FOR CREATING NEW GENETIC VARIATION IN POULTRY BY GENE TRANSFER AND CHROMOSOME ALTERATION. Generation of viral resistance by transgenic technologies: (Salter, Payne, Dodgson, Federspiel, Hughes, Hunt, Bacon, M. Delany) Transgenic poultry studies include the maintenance and development of test lines for use in this research including albino (Tobita-Teramoto et al., Poultry Science, 79:46-50, 2000) and feather pigmentation lines described previously, whose endogenous viral genes are being eliminated or minimized by breeding . As part of this effort, an unusual genetic defect in eye development was observed and will be characterized further, in collaboration with veterinary opthamologists at Michigan. In collaboration with M. Federspiel and S. Hughes, in vivo soluble receptor and ALV env expression interference strategies for viral resistance were examined. Chicks were prepared using viral vectors that express a soluble, extracellular truncated form of the subgroup A ALV receptor, tva, to test the hypothesis that such expression would be protective against ALV-A infection. In our initial tests, most transgenic birds were protected against subgroup A ALV challenge, while vector-alone control birds became infected. (Holmen et al., J. Virol. 73:10051-10060, 1999). Similar experiments have been successful with vectors that express a soluble subgroup B ALV receptor, tvb. In separate experiments, modifications to avian retroviral vector and challenge virus constructs have been tested. This includes RCAS(M), a version of the RCAS vector with a Moloney murine leukemia virus envelope. Initial RCAS(M) constructs proved to grow very poorly in birds. RCAS(M) has been passaged in chick embryos resulting in stocks which grow much better. These embryo-adapted viruses have been shown to acquire specific changes in the Moloney envelope protein (Barsov et al., 2001). Blastodermal, Embryonic Stem Cell, and Primordial Germ Cell Culture. Collaborative studies at ADOL and Michigan will continue on the use of chimeric chicken techniques and blastodermal cell culture to generate germline transgenic birds. Efforts to grow donor line PGCs in culture are continuing and the effects of growth factor extracts on cell growth and telomere maintenance will be performed in collaboration with UC Davis. North Carolina will continue to develop embryonic stem cell technology including optimization of transfection and generation of stable cell lines. Development of Germline Chimeras: The use of cultured cells to develop transgenic birds requires the production of germline chimeras. Cultured cells and uncultured blastodermal cells will be transferred to irradiated recipient embryos using variations of techniques pioneered by Rob Etches and Jim Petitte, among others. At Michigan, variables under study include radiation levels and mechanisms, time of injection, and donor cell source. ADOL has developed two lines of chickens for blastodermal transfer. The donor line, SJ, is a pigmented WL line with the endogenous ev15 locus in its genome. The recipient line, AA, is an autosomal albino white leghorn line with no endogenous ALV sequences. Chimeras resulting from the injection of SJ cells into AA embryos may be detected either by pigment in the down or feathers, or by PCR analysis of DNA isolated from blood or other tissues. ADOL also has developed a multiplex PCR that detects the presence of ev15 in a possible chimera, and as well discerns if the sample DNA is of suitable quality for successful PCR analysis. North Carolina has also developed a transgenic lacZ-expressing donor line which will be characterized for use in cell lineage analysis and the development of germ line chimeras. Sperm-mediated gene transfer: Tests to verify recent reports by Bio-Agri Corp. of success with sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT) in chickens are underway. These are in collaboration with ADOL and Michigan. ADOL and North Carolina have used the company's proprietary antibody preparations for SMGT and is examining potential transgenic offspring for mosacism. Early results offer some hope of success in partly confirming the company's claims. OBJECTIVE 3. DEVELOP, COMPARE, AND INTEGRATE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES WITH CLASSICAL QUANTITATIVE GENETICS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF ECONOMIC TRAITS IN POULTRY. Resource populations involving commercial lines have been established that will facilitate the search for candidate genes and markers for QTLs with significant effects on production traits. (AR, F2 broiler population to study tissue pigmentation; DE, F2 broiler population to study Marek's disease (MD) resistance; ADOL, experimental and commercial populations to study Marek's disease resistance). Traits will be correlated with molecular markers and candidate genes using DNA pooling and/or individual genotyping. ADOL will develop candidate genes and markers for MD resistance using microarray technology to identify differentially expressed genes in MD-defined chicken lines after viral infection or following MD vaccination. ADOL will also employ a bacterial two-hybrid screen to determine associations of the ~100 MD virus genes with chicken genes. Identified genes will be mapped to determine if they fall in a QTL region associated with MD resistance. DE will utilize microsatellite markers that have been associated MD resistance by ADOL and others, and DE and AR will use single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and candidate gene approaches. AR is using candidate genes and SNP identification to correlate polymorphisms with production traits, such as feed efficiency, using pedigreed commercial broiler populations. IN is examining the feasibility of developing consomic poultry lines for facilitating QTL detection and mapping. IA has developed some unique resource populations to identify candidate genes and QTL affecting antibody response kinetics in adult hens, broiler response to Salmonella enteritidis and broiler production traits. Analysis of the IA populations will continue, in efforts to identify both QTLs and new candidate genes affecting antibody response, and growth and body composition. Advanced intercross lines are being produced (will produce F7 through F12 during the new project) to help fine-map genetic control of the economic traits. IN will continue theoretical examinations of optimal methods for incorporation of molecular genetic information in breeding programs. IN also will continue simulation studies to examine optimal design and methods of detecting QTLs and incorporating molecular information in breeding programs, particularly as related to random models, and when non-additive, or competitive effects are present. IN will also use poultry genomics to improve animal wellbeing by searching for makers or QTL's associated with behavior and animal well-being. This will be followed by either markers assisted selection or studies using functional genomics to understand how genes influence behavior. AR plans to initiate use of molecular markers for selection purposes in commercial broiler lines. Animals from an experimental commercial line will be typed for SNPs associated with melanocortin 1 receptor (E locus) alleles, and alleles associated with tissue pigmentation will be selected against. Three mathematical models will be developed by IL to assess fertility, and model parameters will be estimated. Data sets of eggs from hens that were inseminated once and that could oviposit up to three weeks after insemination will be used to determine the number of spermatozoa captured in the perivitelline layer as a function of time after insemination, the minimum number of spermatozoa as a function of time after insemination that must be captured to fertilize an oocyte, and the probability of fertility as a function of time after insemination.

Measurement of Progress and Results

Outputs

• Generation of comprehensive genetic maps for the chicken and turkey.
• Generation of comprehensive physical maps for the chicken.
• Development of novel techniques for gene transfer and transgenesis in chickens.
• A preliminary understanding of how DNA sequence variation leads to phenotypic variation in chickens and turkeys.
• Identification of QTL, genes, and/or pathways that are associated with production traits and disease resistance in chickens and turkeys.

Outcomes or Projected Impacts

• Increased scientific knowledge of the chicken and turkey genomes and their organization.
• Enhanced understanding of gene function and expression, and identification of candidate genes affecting economically important traits in poultry.
• Coordination of genome reagents and tools, databases, cell lines, and experimental poultry populations.
• Coordination of poultry research, education and extension programs.
• Enhanced collaborations and communications to the poultry breeders and associated industries.
• Improved genetic selection programs at the primary poultry breeding companies by utilization of modern, cost-efficient breeding practices based on marker-assisted selection.
• Technology transfer to the poultry breeders and associated industries.

Milestones

(2004): To genetically engineer poultry by 2006, an economical and efficient transformation method needs to be reduced to practice by 2004.

(2004): To readily identify proteins using mass spectrometry by 2006, a virtual protein database derived from the chicken genome sequence needs to be generated by 2004.

(0):0

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Outreach Plan

New information and techniques are promptly transferred to relevant users by public-access databases, popular press articles, presentations at scientific conferences and industry meetings, scientific journal publications and by inviting industry personnel to attend the annual Technical Committee meeting.

Interesting Web Sites and Databases: http://poultry.mph.msu.edu/; http://chicksnps.afs.udel.edu/

The last NC-168 project period resulted in 127 peer-reviewed manuscripts; 38 book chapters/proceedings manuscripts; 130 abstracts; 19 patents; 20 popular press; 1 licensing agreement; and the education of 15 MS and 15 Ph.D graduate students (see attachment).

Organization/Governance

The planning and supervision of this new NC Regional Research Project shall be the responsibility of the Regional Technical Committee which shall consist of an Administrative Advisor, a Technical Representative of each participating agency or experiment station and a Representative of the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES). Industry representatives, USDA-ARS researchers, and investigators from non-land grant institutions are welcomed as full technical members and they will be subject to the same governance as the experiment station committee members (described below). Voting membership of the committee shall consist of the Technical Representatives. Only one member representing each participating agency or experiment station shall be eligible to vote.

The Technical Committee will meet yearly. The Chair and Secretary for the technical committee, elected by the committee members, will serve two years. An Executive Committee will conduct all business of the committee between annual meetings and will consist of the current Chair, the Secretary and the immediate past Chair. The Chair will appoint a Technical Committee member to act as a Coordinator for each objective for the purpose of maintaining and organizing an approach to each objective, communicating progress to the Executive Committee and preparing necessary reports on their respective objective. Other subcommittees may be named by the Chairperson as needed to perform specific assignments. They may include subcommittees to develop procedures, manuals, and phases of the regional project, to review work assignments, to develop research methods, to prepare publications, and to write proposals.

The Technical Committee shall be responsible for review and acceptance of contributing projects, preparation of reviews, modification of the regional project proposal, and preparation of an annual report for transmittal by the Administrative Advisor upon approval to CSREES. Annual written reports will be prepared by each Technical Committee member and distributed at the annual meeting. Annual reports are to be submitted in sufficient copies to be distributed to all Technical Committee members. In the circumstance that a member is unable to attend the meeting the reports shall be mailed in advance to the local host member for distribution to meeting participants.

Minimum expectations for Technical Committee members are attendance at an annual meeting at least three years out of five and submission of a written annual report at or before the meeting. Collaborators may include emeritus members with an interest in attending annual meetings, scientists who wish to contribute and participate by virtue of having a special skill or interest, and those who participate in research with a special focus or interaction with an individual Technical Committee member.

Scientists from industry who are not technical committee members may attend the annual meeting at the invitation of the Administrative Advisor, who will circulate to members, in advance of the meeting, a list of invitees. The non-member industry scientists are welcome to attend the scientific reports, but are asked to excuse themselves from attendance at the Business Meeting or at anytime that a Technical Committee Member calls for an Executive Session of Technical Committee members only.

Literature Cited

References are cited in the text.

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

AR, AZ, CA, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, NC, VA, WI, WV

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, USDA-ARS-Avian Disease & Oncology Laboratory