So far in this course we have dealt entirely with the evolution of characters that are controlled by simple Mendelian inheritance at a single locus. There are notes on the course website about gametic disequilibrium and how allele frequencies change at two loci simultaneously, but we didn’t discuss them. In every example we’ve considered we’ve imagined that we could understand something about evolution by examining the evolution of a single gene. That’s the domain of classical population genetics. For the next few weeks we’re going to be exploring a field that’s actually older than classical population genetics, although the approach we’ll be taking to it involves the use of population genetic machinery. If you know a little about the history of evolutionary biology, you may know that after the rediscovery of Mendel’s work in 1900 there was a heated debate between the “biometricians” (e.g., Galton and Pearson) and the “Mendelians” (e.g., de Vries, Correns, Bateson, and Morgan). Biometricians asserted that the really important variation in evolution didn’t follow Mendelian rules. Height, weight, skin color, and similar traits seemed to

Human biochemical genetics

We present here a draft genome sequence of the red jungle fowl, Gallus gallus. Because the chicken is a modern descendant of the dinosaurs and the first non-mammalian amniote to have its genome sequenced, the draft sequence of its genome--composed of approximately one billion base pairs of sequence and an estimated 20,000-23,000 genes--provides a new perspective on vertebrate genome evolution, while also improving the annotation of mammalian genomes. For example, the evolutionary distance between chicken and human provides high specificity in detecting functional elements, both non-coding and coding. Notably, many conserved non-coding sequences are far from genes and cannot be assigned to defined functional classes. In coding regions the evolutionary dynamics of protein domains and orthologous groups illustrate processes that distinguish the lineages leading to birds and mammals. The distinctive properties of avian microchromosomes, together with the inferred patterns of conserved synteny, provide additional insights into vertebrate chromosome architecture.

/pdf/sequence-and-comparative-analysis-of-the-chicken-genome-2i191jp6ie.pdf

Sequence and comparative analysis of the chicken genome provide unique perspectives on vertebrate evolution

https://agrilinks.org/sites/default/files/resource/files/Williams_Aflatoxicosis_AJCN_2004.pdf

Human aflatoxicosis in developing countries: a review of toxicology, exposure, potential health consequences, and interventions

Toxicity, metabolism, and impact of mycotoxins on humans and animals.

A deficiency of dietary protein or amino acids has long been known to impair immune function and increase the susceptibility of animals and humans to infectious disease. However, only in the past 15 years have the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms begun to unfold. Protein malnutrition reduces concentrations of most amino acids in plasma. Findings from recent studies indicate an important role for amino acids in immune responses by regulating: (1) the activation of T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, natural killer cells and macrophages; (2) cellular redox state, gene expression and lymphocyte proliferation; and (3) the production of antibodies, cytokines and other cytotoxic substances. Increasing evidence shows that dietary supplementation of specific amino acids to animals and humans with malnutrition and infectious disease enhances the immune status, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality. Arginine, glutamine and cysteine precursors are the best prototypes. Because of a negative impact of imbalance and antagonism among amino acids on nutrient intake and utilisation, care should be exercised in developing effective strategies of enteral or parenteral provision for maximum health benefits. Such measures should be based on knowledge about the biochemistry and physiology of amino acids, their roles in immune responses, nutritional and pathological states of individuals and expected treatment outcomes. New knowledge about the metabolism of amino acids in leucocytes is critical for the development of effective means to prevent and treat immunodeficient diseases. These nutrients hold great promise in improving health and preventing infectious diseases in animals and humans.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/B1A9C1587A8602613F6447BA8404D8E1/S000711450769936Xa.pdf/div-class-title-amino-acids-and-immune-function-div.pdf

Amino acids and immune function

Growth, livability, and feed conversion of 1957 versus 2001 broilers when fed representative 1957 and 2001 broiler diets.

http://hamid2005hf.persiangig.com/eye/rt.pdf

Carcass composition and yield of 1957 versus 2001 broilers when fed representative 1957 and 2001 broiler diets

A comparison of the immune response of a 2001 commercial broiler with a 1957 randombred broiler strain when fed representative 1957 and 2001 broiler diets

A Comparison of the Immune Performance of a 1991 Commercial Broiler with a 1957 Randombred Strain When Fed “Typical” 1957 And 1991 Broiler Diets

Cornell K-strain White Leghorns and broiler chicks were raised to 7 wks and 3 wks of age respectively with diets containing various levels (0 10 100 1,000 and 10,000 ppm) of Spirulina platensis fro...

Muquarrab A. Qureshi

Papers

Growth, livability, and feed conversion of 1957 versus 2001 broilers when fed representative 1957 and 2001 broiler diets.

Carcass composition and yield of 1957 versus 2001 broilers when fed representative 1957 and 2001 broiler diets

A comparison of the immune response of a 2001 commercial broiler with a 1957 randombred broiler strain when fed representative 1957 and 2001 broiler diets

A Comparison of the Immune Performance of a 1991 Commercial Broiler with a 1957 Randombred Strain When Fed “Typical” 1957 And 1991 Broiler Diets

Dietary Spirulina Platensis Enhances Humoral and Cell-Mediated Immune Functions in Chickens