title: Creating leptin-like biofunctions by active immunization against chicken leptin receptor in growing chickens.
abstract: In this study, immunization against chicken leptin receptor (cLEPR) extracellular domain (ECD) was applied to investigate leptin regulation and LEPR biofunction in growing chicken pullets. A recombinant protein (cLEPR ECD) based on the cLEPR complemenary DNA sequence corresponding to the 582nd to 796th amino acid residues of cLEPR mature peptide was prepared and used as antigen. Immunization against cLEPR ECD in growing chickens increased anti-cLEPR ECD antibody titers in blood, enhanced proportions of phosphorylated janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and served as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) protein in liver tissue. Chicken live weight gain and abdominal fat mass were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), but feed intake was stimulated by cLEPR ECD immunization (P < 0.05). The treatment also upregulated the gene expression levels of lepR, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetyl CoA carboxylase-2 (ACC2), and uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) in liver, abdominal fat, and breast muscle (P < 0.05) but decreased fasn expression levels (P < 0.01). Apart from that of lepR, the expression of appetite-regulating genes, such as orexigenic genes, agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY), were upregulated (P < 0.01), whereas the anorexigenic gene proopiomelanocortin (POMC) was downregulated in the hypothalamic tissue of cLEPR-immunized pullets (P < 0.01). Blood concentrations of metabolic molecules, such as glucose, triglycerides, and very-low-density lipoprotein, were significantly decreased in cLEPR-immunized pullets but those of cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein increased. These results demonstrate that antibodies to membrane proximal cLEPR ECD enhance cLEPR signal transduction, which stimulates metabolism and reduces fat deposition in chickens.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Breed Improvement and Reproduction, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
authors.forename: S Q
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Guagndong Province Poultry Technology, Guangzhou, 510520, China.
authors.forename: X B
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
authors.forename: X W
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Breed Improvement and Reproduction, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Breed Improvement and Reproduction, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Breed Improvement and Reproduction, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China. Electronic address: zdshi@jaas.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Z D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D053614:Janus Kinase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054411:Receptors, Leptin / Q000276:immunology*; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050826:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D050826:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins; D053614:Janus Kinase 2
keywords: Adipose tissue; Gene expression; Growth regulation; Leptin