Induction of tissue- and stressor-specific kinomic responses in chickens exposed to hot and cold stresses

Authors: NAPPER, SCOTT - University Of Saskatchewan; DADGAR, SAMIRA - University Of Saskatchewan; Arsenault, Ryan; TROST, BRETT - University Of Saskatchewan; SCRUTEN, ERIN - University Of Saskatchewan; KUSALIK, ANTHONY - University Of Saskatchewan; SHAND, PHYLLIS - University Of Saskatchewan

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/2014
Publication Date: 4/1/2015
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61427
Citation: Napper, S., Dadgar, S., Arsenault, R.J., Trost, B., Scruten, E., Kusalik, A., Shand, P. 2015. Induction of tissue- and stressor-specific kinomic responses in chickens exposed to hot and cold stresses. Poultry Science. 94:1333-1345.

Interpretive Summary: Transport can expose chickens to temperature stresses, both heat stress in warm climates and cold stress in cold climates. This stress has effects on the quality of the meat ultimately collected from the chickens. By understanding the intercellular changes that occur at the protein level, one can try to understand what is happening within the animal due to these temperature changes and why meat quality is reduced. In breast muscle in both hot and cold conditions, changes in the proteins related to ErbB and AMPK were observed. In thigh muscle, cold stress caused results indicating damage to the muscle, while heat caused changes in the processing of fat and protein. Other experimental results including the measurements of pH, the potential to breakdown glucose, and readouts of meat quality confirmed our intercellular results. These results provide insights into how muscle quality is reduced due to temperature stresses on the chicken and may lead to ways of avoiding this reduced meat quality by altering chicken physiology for reduced transport stress.

Technical Abstract: Defining cellular responses at the level of global cellular kinase (kinome) activity is a powerful approach for deciphering complex biology and identifying biomarkers. Here, we report the development of a chicken-specific peptide array and its application to characterize kinome responses within the breast (pectoralis major) and thigh (iliotibialis) muscles of poultry subject to temperature stress to mimic conditions experienced by birds during commercial transport. Breast and thigh muscles exhibited unique kinome profiles, highlighting the distinct nature of these tissues. Against these distinct backgrounds, tissue- and temperature-specific kinome responses were observed. In breast muscle, both cold and hot stresses activated calcium-dependent metabolic adaptations. Also within breast muscle, but specific to cold stress, was activation of ErbB signaling, as well as dynamic patterns of phosphorylation of AMPK, a key regulatory enzyme of metabolism. In thigh muscle, cold stress induced responses suggestive of the occurrence of tissue damage, including activation of innate immune signaling pathways and tissue repair pathways (TGF-ß). In contrast, heat stress in thigh muscle activated pathways associated with protein and fat metabolism through adipocytokine and mTOR signaling. Defining the responses of these tissues to these stresses through conventional markers of pH, glycolytic potential, and meat quality offered a similar conclusion regarding the tissue- and stressor-specific responses, validating the kinome results. Collectively, the results of this study highlight the unique cellular responses of breast and thigh tissues to heat and cold stresses and may offer insight into the unique susceptibilities, as well as functional consequences, of these tissues to thermal stress.