title: Branched-chain amino acids modulate the expression of hepatic fatty acid metabolism-related genes in female broiler chickens.
abstract: METHODS
  The effects and roles of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in hepatic fat metabolism are still unknown.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here, we used broiler chickens, in which lipogenesis occurs essentially in the liver as in human, to investigate the effects of three levels of BCAAs (control "C," low "L" and exogenous supplemented diet "L+S") on growth, carcass traits, immunity, and hepatic fat metabolism. Despite the same productive performance, immunity, and plasma BCAA levels between all groups, low BCAA levels significantly downregulated the hepatic expression of lipogenic genes particularly acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha (ACCα) and stearoyl-coA desaturase 1 (p = 0.0036 and p = 0.0008, respectively) and upregulated the hepatic expression of mitochondrial β-oxidation- (uncoupling protein and NRF-1, p < 0.05) and dynamic-related genes (DNM1, p < 0.05). Concomitant with these changes, low BCAA levels increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)α(Thr172), ACCα(Ser79), and forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1(Ser256)) and decreased the phosphorylation of mTOR(Ser2481) and P70 S6 kinase (Thr389). The mRNA abundance of the transcription factors SREBP1/2, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha/beta, and FoxO1 were also increased in the liver of L group compared to the control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together our data indicate that low BCAA levels inhibit fatty acid synthesis and enhanced fatty acid β-oxidation in the liver of female broiler chickens and these effects were probably mediated through AMPK-mTOR-FoxO1 pathway.
authors: Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.|Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Bai
authors: Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Greene
authors: Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors: Weifen
authors: W
authors: Li
authors: Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
authors: Michael T
authors: MT
authors: Kidd
authors: Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
authors: Sami
authors: S
authors: Dridi
mesh_terms: D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050155:Lipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D047493:PPAR alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051780:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D047493:PPAR alpha; D051780:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase
keywords: AMPK; BCAAs; FoxO1; Lipogenesis; mTOR; β-Oxidation