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Project properties |
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| Title | The identification of genes involved in Pulmonary hypertension syndrome in chicken |
| Group | Animal Breeding and Genetics Group |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 21/24/27 |
| Supervisor(s) | Richard Crooijmans |
| Examiner(s) | Martien Groenen |
| Contact info | |
| Begin date | 2002/11/27 |
| End date | 2004/12/01 |
| Description | Pulmonary hypertension syndrome (also referred to as Ascites) is a disease that is related to rapid growth in chicken with insufficient pulmonary vascular capacity. The anatomy and physiology of the avian respiratory system are important in the susceptibility of broilers (meat-type chicken) to PHS. The lungs in birds are relatively small and they are also firm and fixed in the thoracic cavity. Increased blood flow to supply the oxygen required for metabolism in the fast growing broilers causes an increase in the blood pressure required to push the blood through the blood capillaries in the lung (pulmonary hypertension, PH). In susceptible birds, this increase in workload for the right side of the heart can result in right ventricular failure and ascites.
Several chromosomal regions have been identified that are related to the resistance/susceptibility of different chicken lines to develop this metabolic disorder. Given the complexity of the disorder, the identification of the causative genes however proves to be very difficult. The aim of this project is to identify and map potential candidate genes involved in the development of the relevant organs in chicken. Subsequently, candidate genes located within identified ascites relevant regions will be analysed for the presence of specific mutations (SNPs) and tested for a possible association with the disease. The project is strongly embedded within several projects within the Animal Breeding and Genetics group aimed at understanding such complex traits and aimed at the detailed molecular characterisation of the chicken genome (genomics). |
| Used skills | Molecular Biology lab work
Sequencing, SNP, Physical mapping using BAC clones Comparative mapping, Genomics |
| Requirements | |