Investigating Master Regulators of Ovarian Follicular Recruitment

• Isabella Gesino, Pre-Veterinary Medicine and Animal Biosciences, University of Delaware

• Aditya Dutta, Animal and Food Science, University of Delaware

Broilers are chickens that are primarily raised for meat production. Broiler breeders are hens that lay broiler eggs that allow for hatching of broilers. Thus, egg laying productivity of broiler breeders is extremely important to sustain the huge demands for chicken meat. In order to improve sustainability and productivity of broiler breeders, it is vital to fully understand genetic factors that drive efficient reproductive systems. This can be achieved by identifying key genes, known as master regulators, that are responsible for regulating follicular selection in chickens. By analyzing the transcriptional differences between the pre-recruitment and pre-ovulatory follicles using RNA sequencing, it is possible to identify these master regulators.

Knowing what traits to select for in a genome when genetically breeding within the poultry industry, we can select for genetically superior chickens that have expression profiles supporting key master regulator genes responsible for follicular efficiency. This will allow improvement in production and sustainability within the poultry industry and aid in keeping up with the demands of the growing human population.