Vol. 10, Issue 9, Part A (2025)

Author(s): Saalom King J, Seena TX, Rojan PM, Elizabeth Kurian, Sumena KB and KA Bindu

Abstract: Poultry industry plays a significant role in India’s food and nutritional security, contributing nearly half of the nation’s total meat output. Differences in energy metabolism among chicken breeds reflect their selection history with White Leghorn specialised for egg production and Australorp serving as a dual-purpose breed. To explore the molecular basis of these differences, the expression of three genes involved in hepatic metabolism were investigated. Male White Leghorn and Australorp chickens at 8 weeks of age were sampled and total RNA was extracted from liver tissues. Following cDNA synthesis, RT-qPCR was performed using gene-specific primers, with GAPDH as the reference gene. This study highlights the differences in the expression of LDHB, UPP2 and SQLE between White Leghorn and Australorp breeds. In the liver, LDHB and UPP2 were significantly upregulated in Australorp compared to White Leghorn whereas SQLE was downregulated suggesting variation in lactate utilisation, pyrimidine metabolism and cholesterol biosynthesis. These results indicated that White Leghorn metabolism favours oxidative energy pathways, supporting lean physiology and egg-laying specialisation, whereas Australorp exhibits lipid and cholesterol biosynthesis, consistent with its dual-purpose role. Based on the result of the study these genes can be served as bio marker for marker assisted selection to improve growth related traits in future breeding programmes.