U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            EMARA, M - UNIV. DEL.item
                                            KIM, H - UNIV. DEL.item
                                            ZHU, J - 1265-40-00item
                                            LAPIERRE, R - UNIV. DEL.item
                                            LAKSHMANAN, N - UNIV. DEL.item
                                            POLLOCK, D - PERDUE FARMSitem
                                            SADJADI, M - PERDUE FARMSitem
                                            Lillehoj, Hyun
  Submitted to: Poultry Science
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 6/15/2002
                                    Publication  Date: N/A
                                    Citation: N/AInterpretive Summary: Tremendous improvements in commercial broiler chicken production have been made through classical breeding approaches, e.g., body weight, growth rate, and feed efficiency.  Immunocompetencies and resistance to disease are determined by individual genes and its interaction with environment.  In this study, scientists at the University of Delaware, ARS and Perdue Farms collaborated to investigate genetic factors which control disease resistance in commercial broiler chickens.  They compared the production performance parameters of the three commercial broiler pure lines for coccidiosis, Marek's disease and other immune responses.  The results of this study clearly demonstrate genetic diversity at various genetic levels and provides valuable information that can be used in future studies for the identification of genetic loci important in economic traits.
                                Technical Abstract: Genetic diversity at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and non-MHC genes was investigated in three commercial broiler chicken pure lines.  The MHC class II and IV loci were evaluated in Souther hybridizations, and molecular genotypes based on restriction fragment length polymorphisms were interpreted from pedigreed families.  Four MHC class II and eight class IV genotypes were identified in the broiler lines, and their frequencies differed among the lines.  Line-specific MHC genotypes were also identified.  The observed heterozygosities (59 to 67%) suggest that the MHC loci are highly polymorphic in the broiler lines.  At least 9% of the genetic variation at the MHC was due to line differences; the remainder reflects individual variation.  To characterize non-MHC genes, forty-one microsatellite loci located throughout the chicken genome were evaluated in the broiler lines.  Genetic variation was also observed at the microsatellite loci for the broiler lines; the number of alleles at a single locus ranged from 1 to 8, and the average number of alleles per locus was 3.5, 2.8 and 3.1 for each of the lines, respectively.  This study contributes to our knowledge on the molecular characteristics and genetic structure of a commercial broiler chicken population.  Analysis of both MHC and non-MHC genes suggests that there is still sufficient genetic diversity in the broiler lines to continue the progress toward improved broiler chicken production.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov