Location: Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases Research
Project Number: 6040-31320-010-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Aug 2, 2017
End Date: Aug 1, 2022
Objective:
1. Enhance the chicken genomic resources to support genetic selection and other strategies to reduce Marek’s disease.
1.1. Enhance the chicken genetic map and its integration with the genome assembly.
1.2. Improve the annotation of the chicken genome.
2. Identify and characterize chicken genes and pathways that confer resistance to Marek’s disease or improve vaccinal efficacy.
2.1. Identify driver mutations associated with genetic resistance to Marek’s disease.
2.2. Characterize long-range enhancer-promoter interactions, especially for those involved in genetic resistance to Marek’s disease.
2.3. Validate genes and polymorphisms that confer Marek’s disease vaccine protective efficacy.
2.4. Identify non-coding RNA genes that confer genetic resistance to Marek’s disease and vaccinal protective efficacy.
3. Characterizing and defining innate defense mechanisims that contribute to Marek's Disease resistence.
3.1 Role of the innate defense mechanisms that drive Marek’s disease resistance, including defining and characterizing innate defense mechanisms that contribute to Marek’s disease resistance.
Approach:
Poultry is the primary meat consumed in the U.S. To achieve economic efficiency, birds are raised at very high density. Since these conditions promote the spread of infectious diseases, the industries rely heavily on biosecurity and vaccines for disease prevention and control. Control of Marek’s disease (MD), a T-cell lymphoma induced by the Marek’s disease virus (MDV), routinely ranks as a major disease concern to the industries. Since the 1960s, field strains of MDV have evolved to higher virulence. Consequently, there is a need to develop alternative and sustainable strategies to augment current MD control methods. We define two objectives to help achieve this goal. First, we continue to enhance and curate the East Lansing (EL) chicken genetic map, which provides the foundation for the chicken genome assembly and many of our molecular genetic studies. In addition, we will aid in the annotation of the chicken genome to allow more efficient understanding and the subsequent use of genomic variation. Second, we use and integrate various genomic approaches to (1) identify genetic and epigenetic variation associated with genetic resistance to MD or MD vaccinal efficiency, and (2) mutations associated with MD tumors.
If successful, this project will provide a number of products including (1) a more complete genetic map that will aid in improving the chicken genome assembly, and (2) candidate genes and pathways conferring MD resistance or vaccinal response for evaluation in commercial breeding lines. Ultimately, the poultry industries and U.S. consumers will benefit by the production of safe and economical products.
