Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fayetteville, Arkansas » Poultry Production and Product Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #327137
Title: Proteomic changes in plasma of broiler chickens with femoral head necrosis

Author
item PACKIALAKSHMI, BALA - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item LIYANAGE, R - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item LAY, J - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item OKIMOTO, R - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item RATH, NARAYAN

Submitted to: Biomarker Insight
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/2016
Publication Date: 4/27/2016
Citation: Packialakshmi, B., Liyanage, R., Lay, J.O., Okimoto, R., Rath, N.C. 2016. Proteomic changes in plasma of broiler chickens with femoral head necrosis. Biomarker Insight. 11:55-62.

Interpretive Summary: Femoral head necrosis is a poultry leg problem affecting hip joint which makes them lame. Our laboratory wanted to explore whether blood based markers could identify the affected birds in live birds. Hence we compared blood proteins using a technique called mass spectrometry to first identify protein differences between normal and affected birds. We found some proteins involving tissue adhesion and protein breakdown enzymes altered in birds with the femoral head problems. In addition, the affected birds had higher body weight and altered blood cholesterol binding proteins.

Technical Abstract: Femoral head necrosis (FHN) is a skeletal problem in broiler chickens where the proximal femoral head cartilage shows susceptibility to separation from its growth plate. The FHN selected birds showed higher bodyweights and reduced plasma cholesterol. The proteomic differences in the plasma of healthy and FHN affected chickens were explored using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to prospect for protein biomarkers. We isolated two differentially expressed low molecular weight proteins and identified them by MALDI peptide mass fingerprinting as fibrinogen and fetuin derived peptides respectively. These peptides were reduced in birds susceptible to femoral head problems. Quantitation of LC-MS/MS spectra showed the levels of gallinacin-9, apolipoproteinA-1, and hemoglobin elevated and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, albumin, and SPINK7 proteins reduced in FHN. These results suggest that bodyweight, lipid profile along with above proteins can be useful as noninvasive biomarkers of FHN.