• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.123-131
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• 2021

In this study, we investigated the effect of separate-sex and straight-run rearing system on the productivity of Korean native chickens. A total of 1,140 GSP-Hanhyup^® Korean native chickens were divided into male, female, and straight-run rearing groups, and the survival rate, body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were investigated from birth to 12 weeks of age. The average survival rate was 97.9%, and there were no significant differences among the groups. Body weight was significantly different among the groups at all weeks of age (P<0.01). After 4 weeks of age, the male group had the highest weight, followed by the straight-run group, and finally the female group. At 10 weeks, the most uniform body weight was shown in the female group (78%), while the lowest was in straight-run group (44%). Comparing the separate-sex and straight-run groups, male chickens were found to have higher body weights in the separate rearing group than in the straight-run group; however, there was little difference in those of female chickens. Feed intake was the highest in the male group, followed by the straight-run group, and lastly, the female group, while the feed conversion ratio had an opposite trend. Although there is little difference in the production performance of chickens between separate-sex rearing and straight-run rearing system, we concluded that the separate-sex rearing system is much more advantageous than the straight-run rearing system in terms of productivity due to group uniformity.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2019

Chickens have been considered as well-defined animal bioreactor. The optimized ovalbumin promoter is essential for recombinant protein production in transgenic chicken. Here we try to compare the activity and identify the effect of estrogen on ovalbumin promoter according to each promoter length with estrogen response element (ERE) existence. We cloned two (2.8 and 5.5 kb) ovalbumin promoters that the 5.5 kb contained the ERE but the 2.8 kb did not, and these two promoters were cloned to pGL4.11 vector. Additionally, we constructed another pGL4.11 vector containing of the 4.4 kb (with ERE) ovalbumin promoter deleted with 1 kb between ERE region and the 2.8 kb promoter. For reporter assay, HeLa, MES-SA, LMH/2A, and cEF cells were transfected with all the pGL4.11 vectors. The comparative analysis showed that the mutated 4.4 kb promoter has more potent activity than the 2.8 and 5.5 kb promoters in HeLa, MES-SA, and LMH/2A cells. However, there is no significant difference in cEFs. Also, these cells transfected with the mutated 4.4 kb promoter were treated with the $17{\beta}$-estradiol (0~3,000 nM) and HeLa, MES-SA, and LMH/2A cells showed estrogen responsibilities, but cEFs did not. Besides, the mutated 4.4 kb promoter has still higher activity than the 2.8 and 5.5 kb promoter, and there is no transcriptional induction effect in 2.8 kb promoter at 500 nM estrogen that is blood concentration of laying hens. Hence our study strongly suggested that the mutated 4.4 kb promoter is considered as one of the most efficient length for generating transgenic chicken.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2019

A chicken clathrin-associated adaptor protein $3-{\delta}$ subunit 2 (AP3S2) is a subunit of AP3, which is involved in cargo protein trafficking to target membrane with clathrin-coated vesicles. AP3S2 may play a role in virus entry into host cells through clathrin-dependent endocytosis. AP3S2 is also known to participate in metabolic disease developments of progressions, such as liver fibrosis with hepatitis C virus infection and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Chicken AP3S2 (chAP3S2) gene was originally identified as one of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in chicken kidney which was fed with different calcium doses. This study aims to characterize the molecular characteristics, gene expression patterns, and transcriptional regulation of chAP3S2 in response to the stimulation of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) to understand the involvement of chAP3S2 in metabolic disease in chicken. As a result, the structure prediction of chAP3S2 gene revealed that the gene is highly conserved among AP3S2 orthologs from other species. Evolutionarily, it was suggested that chAP3S2 is relatively closely related to zebrafish, and fairly far from mammal AP3S2. The transcriptional profile revealed that chAP3S2 gene was highly expressed in chicken lung and spleen tissues, and under the stimulation of poly (I:C), the chAP3S2 expression was down-regulated in DF-1 cells (P<0.05). However, the presence of the transcriptional inhibitors, BAY 11-7085 (Bay) as an inhibitor for nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ ($NF{\kappa}B$) or Tanshinone IIA (Tan-II) as an inhibitor for activated protein 1 (AP-1), did not affect the expressional level of chAP3S2, suggesting that these transcription factors might be dispensable for TLR3 mediated repression. These results suggest that chAP3S2 gene may play a significant role against viral infection and be involved in TLR3 signaling pathway. Further study about the transcriptional regulation of chAP3S2 in TLR3 pathways and the mechanism of chAP3S2 upon virus entry shall be needed.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate basic data of development for appropriate management system in broiler. Data such as ages at marketing, livability, body weight, etc. were collected from a total of 53 broiler farms located in Chungnam, Chungbuk, Jeollanam, Jeollabuk, Gyeongbuk. 1. Average of ages at marketing were 32 days. Those of windowless house and open-type house were 31.96 and 32.03 days, respectively. The significant difference among four seasons was highly found (P<0.001). The longest ages at marketing were 32.86 days in winter. Average of livability was 96.25%. According to type of chick house, those of windowless house and open-type house were 95.93% and 96.59%, respectively. The livability according to season showed significant difference (P<0.05). The highest livability was 97.39% in autumn. However, the lowest livability was 95.36% in summer. 2. Average body weight at marketing was 1.62 kg. The significant difference was found in marketing weight by season (P<0.05). The heaviest body weight was 1.65 kg in winter, but the lowest weight was 1.60 kg in summer. Average of FCR was 1.62. the significant differences according to the season were highly found (P<0.01). Especially, the best FCR was 1.59 in autumn. Average cycles of marketing was 5.70. The significant differences according to farms size were found (P<0.05), cycles of small farms and big farms were 5.8 and 5.3, respectively. The ages at marketing were highly correlated with marketing weight (r=0.684) and feed conversion (r=0.439). The correlation between feed conversion and livability was highly negative (r=-0.614). According to the above result, livability and body weight at marketing were badly detected in summer. In conclusion, broiler farms should be controlled through properly environmental management system for improvement of performances.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.253-260
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• 2018

The hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha ($HNF4{\alpha}$) gene is related to lipid transport, including abdominal fat and growth, in chickens. Interestingly, the A543G SNP within the $HNF4{\alpha}$ gene has previously been reported to be associated with body weight in both broilers and Korean native chickens (KNCs). However, its exact position within the HNF4 is not yet reported. This study aimed to identify the position of the A543G SNP and to identify additional SNPs that can be used as genetic markers in KNCs. A total of 128 KNCs were used for the sequencing and analysis of these genetic associations. As a result, A543G SNP was located in intron 4 of the $HNF4{\alpha}$ gene; it is reported as rs731246957 in the NCBI database. Fourteen SNPs were detected in the sequenced portion of the $HNF4{\alpha}$ gene; three of these, rs731246957, rs736159604 and new SNP, intron 6 (249), were significantly related with growth in the chickens. In this study, the TT genotype of rs731246957, previously reported as A543G SNP, the GG genotype of rs736159604 and GT of new SNP have are highly associated with body weight from birth to 40 weeks of age in KNCs (P<0.01). These results suggest that rs736159604, rs731246957 and intron 6 (249) SNPs within the $HNF4{\alpha}$ gene could function as growth-related markers in the selective breeding of KNCs.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.137-154
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• 2019

This study was conducted to develop and compare Samgyetang broth from extract of pre-treated chicken feet. Chicken feet were subjected to non-heating (control), heating at $70^{\circ}C$ for 12 h in a hot air dryer, and heating at $180^{\circ}C$ for 1 h in an oven. The heat-treated chicken feet were extracted at $121^{\circ}C$ for 1 h and 2 h, respectively. The extract was placed in a pouch with whole chicken carcass ($470{\pm}10g$). The sealed Samgyetang retort was made according to the industrial method. The pH of the extract from preheated chicken feet was lower than that extracted from fresh chicken feet. The Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) value of the preheated chicken feet extract was significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of fresh chicken feet extract, but there were no significant differences among the broths. As the extraction time increased, the pH and TBARS value decreased in the extract (P<0.05) but increased in the broth (P<0.05). According to the sensory evaluation test, the extract from 1 h hot air heating and drying was significantly better in appearance, aroma, and overall preference than the other treatments (P<0.05). The GC-MS results showed that benzaldehyde and benzothiazole, which are widely known to give meat and nuts flavor, were detected in those treatments (P<0.05). The Samgyetang broths prepared from 1 h hot air heating and drying extract were significantly higher in the overall acceptability according to the sensory test (P<0.05). In summary, the quality of retort Samgyetang broth can be improved by adding chicken feet extract which is subjected to heating and drying for 1 h.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.161-171
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• 2019

Four-week-old male Korean native chicks (KNC) were assigned to 3 groups with 6 replicates (8 birds/replicate) in each group: a basal diet (CON, 100 ppm of Zn), basal diet fortified with 50 ppm of Zn with zinc oxide (ZnO), or basal diet fortified with 50 ppm of Zn with Zn-methionine (ZnM). Immediately after a 4-week-feeding trial, 6 birds per group were used to evaluate the effects of zinc supplements on antioxidant indicators and the mRNA expression of zinc transport genes. The nitrogen components, lipid peroxidation, and total antioxidant status in blood were not influenced by Zn fortified diets. However, the ZnM group showed a significant (P<0.05) increase in uric acid levels than those in the ZnO group. In the small intestine, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were unaffected by zinc supplements. The activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) was significantly (P<0.05) enhanced by Zn-methionine supplementation. In the liver, the activity of GST was significantly (P<0.05) increased by Zn-methionine supplement without affecting SOD, GPX, and MDA levels. With respect to the mRNA expression of zinc transport genes, the ZnM group displayed a strong tendency for increases in intestinal ZnT-1 (P=0.09) and ZnT-5 (P=0.06) levels, compared to those in the CON group. Moreover, the ZnM group showed a tendency (P=0.10) for up-regulation of hepatic metallothionein mRNA as compared with the CON group. In conclusion, the Zn-fortified diet with 50 ppm of Zn-methionine helped to improve GST activity and Zn transport gene expression in the small intestine or liver of KNC.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.193-204
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• 2019

This study aimed to investigate the changes in production performance of five strains of Korean native chickens (KNCs), which have been collected and established at the National Institute of Animal Science, Korea, since 1992. A total of 38,026 KNCs were tested and survival rate, body weight, age at first egg-laying, hen-housed egg production, and egg weight was analyzed. The mean survival rates of KNCs were $87.9{\pm}0.8%$, but no significant difference in survival rate between strains and in the annual survival rates of KNCs was observed. The average body weight of KNCs was $1,609.7{\pm}21.3g$ at 150 d. The average body weight of KNC-Black was the highest, whereas KNC-White had the lowest weight. A gradual increase in the annual weight change has been observed in almost all strains after 2004. The average age at first egg-laying was $146.9{\pm}1.1d$ in KNCs where KNC-White was the earliest and KNC-Black was the latest. The age at first egg-laying has increased after 2003, but has gradually decreased after 2008. The average hen-housed egg production at 270 d was $77.3{\pm}1.7$ in KNCs, wherein KNC-Yellowish brown was the highest and KNC-Black was the lowest. The average egg weight at 270 d was $51.2{\pm}0.3g$ in KNCs, indicating that KNC-Black was the heaviest, whereas KNC-White was the lightest. A significant increase in annual egg weight has been observed since 2008. To conclude, the appearance and feather colors of KNCs have improved uniformly, and the body weight has also improved slightly since 2002.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 2019

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of zinc (Zn) sources (zinc oxide and Zn-methionine) on performance, organ weights, blood biochemical profiles, and digestive enzymes of the pancreas and small intestine in Korean native chicks (KNC). A total of 144 KNC (n=6) were fed a basal diet (CON, 100 ppm of Zn), a basal diet supplemented with 50 ppm of Zn with ZnO (ZNO), or a basal diet supplemented with 50 ppm of Zn with Zn-methionine (ZMT) for 28 days. There was no significant difference in body weight, gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio among the three groups. The relative weights of the liver, spleen, and intestinal mucosa were unaffected by the dietary source of Zn, whereas pancreas weight in the ZNO group decreased (P<0.05) compared with that in the CON and ZMT groups. Blood biochemical components including aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase were unaffected by dietary Zn supplementation. Pancreatic trypsin activity in the ZNO and ZMT groups was significantly (P<0.05) enhanced compared with that in the CON group. However, the activities of ${\alpha}$-amylase and carboxypeptidase A were not altered by dietary Zn supplementation. The activities of maltase and sucrase were unchanged, whereas the activity of leucine aminopeptidase tended (P=0.08) to be increased by dietary Zn supplementation. In conclusion, the supplementation with 50 ppm of ZnO or Zn-methionine resulted in an activation of protein digestive enzymes in the pancreas and small intestine without affecting animal performance in KNC.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.105-115
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• 2019

In this study, viability, growth performance and egg production performance were investigated to determine the productive characteristics of 12 Korean domestic chicken varieties which have been collected and conserved for over 25 years in National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Korea. The 1,134 hens were tested and their production traits including survival rate, body weight, age at first egg laying, hen-day and hen-housed egg production, egg weight, and egg quality were measured. Survival rate was the highest in Korean Rhode-D and Korean Native Chicken (KNC) White and the lowest in Korean Cornish Brown (92.2% and 54.3%, respectively). Body weights from 4 to 50 wks were consistently high in the order of Korean Cornish, Korean Rhode, KNC, Korean Ogye, and Korean Leghorn breeds. There was no significant difference in weight between varieties within a breed. Age at first egg laying was the shortest in Korean Leghorn, while it was the longest in Korean Cornish. The hen-day egg production from $1^{st}$ egg to 57 wks was the highest in Korean Leghorn-K, and the lowest in Korean Cornish Brown. Egg weight was the heaviest in Korean Leghorn-F and the lightest in KNC White. The Haugh unit was the highest in Korean Rhode-C and the lowest in Korean Ogye. Taken together, these results suggest that it is desirable that the Korean Cornish variety is improved as the Korean meat breed because of its excellent growth ability, the Korean Leghorn variety is improved as the Korean layer breed because of its good laying performance, and the Korean Rhode and KNC varieties are improved as strong viable breeds because of their good survival rate.