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Selenium Deficiency Induces Autophagy in Immune Organs of Chickens

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of selenium (Se) deficiency on autophagy-related genes and on ultrastructural changes in the spleen, bursa of Fabricius, and thymus of chickens. The Se deficiency group was fed a basal diet containing Se at 0.033 mg/kg and the control group was fed the same basal diet containing Se at 0.15 mg/kg. The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of the autophagy genes microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)-I, LC3-II, Beclin 1, dynein, autophagy associated gene 5 (ATG5), and target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) were assessed using real-time qPCR. The protein levels of LC3-II, Beclin 1, and dynein were investigated using western blot analysis. Furthermore, the ultrastructure was observed using an electron microscope. The results indicated that spleen mRNA levels of LC3-I, LC3-II, Beclin 1, dynein, ATG5, and TORC1 and the protein levels of LC3-II, Beclin 1, and dynein were increased in the Se deficiency group compared with the control group. In the bursa of Fabricius, the mRNA levels of LC3-I, LC3-II, Beclin 1, dynein, ATG5, and TORC1 and the protein levels of Beclin 1 and dynein were increased; furthermore, the protein level of LC3-II was decreased in the Se deficiency group compared to the control group. In the thymus, the mRNA levels of LC3-I, Beclin 1, and ATG5 increased; the levels of LC3-II, dynein, and TORC1 were decreased; the protein level of Beclin 1 increased; and the levels of LC3-II and dynein decreased in the Se deficiency group compared to those in the control group. Further cellular morphological changes, such as autophagy vacuoles, autolysosomes, and lysosomal degradation, were observed in the spleen, bursa of Fabricius, and thymus of the Se-deficiency group. In summary, Se deficiency caused changes in autophagy-related genes, which increased the autophagic process and also caused structural damages to the immune organs of chickens.

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Abbreviations

Se:

Selenium

LC3:

Microtubule-associated protein1 light chain 3

TOR:

Target of rapamycin

TORC1:

Target of rapamycin complex l

TORC2:

Target of rapamycin complex 2

mTOR:

Mammalian target of rapamycin

ATG:

Autophagy associated gene

AVM:

Avermectin

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to members of the Veterinary Physiology and Veterinary Internal Medicine Lab for tissue collection and processing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, People’s Republic of China

    Pervez Ahmed Khoso, Tingru Pan, Na Wan, Zijiang Yang, Ci Liu & Shu Li

Authors
  1. Pervez Ahmed Khoso
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  2. Tingru Pan
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  3. Na Wan
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  4. Zijiang Yang
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  5. Ci Liu
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  6. Shu Li
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Correspondence to Shu Li.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interests.

Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31472161).

Humane Care of Animals

All of the chicken experiments were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Northeast Agricultural University under the approved protocol number SRM-06.

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Khoso, P.A., Pan, T., Wan, N. et al. Selenium Deficiency Induces Autophagy in Immune Organs of Chickens. Biol Trace Elem Res 177, 159–168 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-016-0860-7

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