Biology subjects

Foury, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Foury, A..

7 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Daily feeding rhythms may play a role in the genetic variability of feed efficiency in growing pigs

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWImproving feed efficiency in pigs is essential for reducing production costs and environmental impacts. This study examines the influence of circadian feeding rhythms and genetic polymorphisms on feed efficiency variability using two pig lines divergently selected for Residual Feed Intake (RFI) over ten generations. Feeding behavior was monitored using automatic concentrate dispensers, recording 6,494,097 visits from 3,824 pigs to analyze meal frequency, duration, and diurnal patterns. LRFI pigs ate less frequently, with larger meals and longer durations, they exhibited two distinct feeding peaks: one around 8:00 AM and a higher one at 5:00 PM and they consumed more feed during the diurnal period and less at night. HRFI pigs showed a smoother, less rhythmic feeding behavior with increased nocturnal intake. The differences between the two RFI lines became more pronounced as the number of generations of selection increased, suggesting a genetic basis. Feeding behaviors, including intake during the two main diurnal peaks, were found to be heritable (heritability estimates: 0.30-0.40) and genetic correlations were observed between feed intake and RFI, especially for intake between the two peaks. Then, we investigated the evolution of allele frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNA sequences surrounding 10 core clock genes (ARNTL, CLOCK, CRY1, CRY2, NPAS2, NR1D1, PER1, PER2, PER3, RORA) along generations of selection. SNPs with significant frequency changes were mapped to regulatory regions and transposable elements, especially in HRFI line, suggesting potential functional impacts on circadian regulation. These results underscore the role of feeding behavior and genetic variation in feed efficiency, offering insights for breeding programs aimed at improving metabolic efficiency and sustainability in pig production.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2026

Effects of a temporary period on pasture on the transcriptomic signature of horses housed in individual boxes

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWPasture access is widely recognized for its welfare, behavioural, and health benefits in horses compared to individual stabling. Our recent studies have shown that even short-term pasture exposure enhances welfare and induces lasting changes in gut microbiota, promoting health-associated bacterial populations. This study investigated the transcriptomic signature of 22 horses following a standardized pasture protocol, with peripheral blood gene expression analysed before pasture access (T0) and three months after returning to individual stabling (T1). First, using sPLS regression, we correlated gene expression profiles with behavioural welfare indicators measured at T0 and T1. Horses with pasture access exhibited significantly altered blood transcriptome compared to controls, with aggressiveness towards humans emerging as the strongest behavioural correlate of gene expression. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that aggressiveness-associated genes were linked to inflammation, apoptosis, and cell differentiation/growth. Then, horses with pasture access were divided in resilient and non-resilient according to the improvement of their behaviour after time on pasture. Differentially expressed genes post versus pre- pasture, compared between resilient and non-resilient horses for aggressiveness showed that inflammatory signals were downregulated in both subgroups, with a more pronounced effect in resilient horses. This suggests that resilient individuals are better equipped to modulate inflammatory responses in low-stress environments like pasture. Surprisingly, for unresponsiveness to the environment--a trait linked to depressive-like states--resilient horses displayed increased inflammatory signaling (e.g., IRF and CD40 activation) post-pasture, while non-resilient horses showed activation of anti-inflammatory PPAR signaling. Notably, non-resilient horses exhibited molecular signatures associated with organismal death, morbidity, and growth failure, indicating maladaptive physiological states. In contrast, resilient horses demonstrated activation of growth-related pathways (e.g., BMP2 and BMPR1A), suggesting a shift toward anabolic and developmental processes. This study underscores the behavioural and molecular benefits of pasture access for horses, particularly in reducing aggressiveness and inflammatory signaling in resilient individuals. The findings highlight the complex interplay between behaviour, inflammation, and resilience, with pasture access promoting adaptive physiological and molecular responses. Further research is needed to elucidate the long-term implications of these transcriptomic changes and their broader relevance to equine welfare.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2026

Sleep quality and quantity and their associations with age, salivary cortisol and abnormal behaviours: a preliminary field study in racing thoroughbreds.

Sleep plays a key role in both physical recovery and welfare. However, sleep patterns remain poorly documented in animals, particularly in athletic horses. This study aimed to provide a detailed description of sleep quantity and quality in training Thoroughbred racehorses and to investigate their relationships with age, abnormal behaviours, and cortisol. Thirteen Thoroughbreds (2-7 years old) were continuously monitored in their home environment over three consecutive days. An ethogram was used to quantify the two main phases of sleep: Non Rapid Eye Movement sleep (NREM) and Rapid Eye Movement sleep (REM), as well as sleep interruptions (from day 1 at 12:00 a.m. to day 3 at 12:00 a.m.). Sleep Quality Indices (SQI), defined as the quantity of sleep divided by the number of sleep interruptions (SI), were calculated. Behavioural observations of four indicators of poor welfare (alertness, stereotypies, inactivity, aggressiveness towards humans) were performed using scan sampling, and salivary cortisol was measured each morning. Linear models were used to assess the links between sleep quantity and quality, age, mean cortisol, and abnormal behaviours. Sleep quantity was significantly associated with age: positively for total NREM sleep (ANOVA: {chi}{superscript 2} = 5.26, p < 0.05) and, negatively for total REM sleep (ANOVA: {chi}{superscript 2} = 4.46, p <0.05) and total recumbency duration (ANOVA: {chi}{superscript 2} = 5.68, p < 0.05), suggesting an age-related shift favouring NREM over REM. Morning cortisol concentrations and the frequency of abnormal behaviours were significantly higher in horses with lower sleep quality (cortisol: Total SQI, ANOVA: F = 5.26, p < 0.05; Combined SQI, ANOVA: F = 5.40, p < 0.05; abnormal behaviours: Total SQI, ANOVA: F = 4.07, p = 0.074), pointing to a potential link between stress or altered welfare and poorer sleep quality. These findings suggest that, whilst the type and duration of equine sleep may be mainly affected byage, sleep quality is associated with both cortisol levels and the expression of abnormal behaviours, indicating that poor sleep quality may be linked to poor welfare in this population of horses. Thus, sleep appears to be closely linked with racehorse welfare, highlighting the need for further investigation into how it is influenced by factors such as husbandry, training load, recovery, and performance.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2025

Exploring the association between stress-related hormonal changes, behaviours and facial movements after a trotting exercise in French Standardbred

Physical exercise can act as a physiological and a mental stressor. Monitoring exercise-induced stress is therefore essential to understand racehorses responses to effort and ensuring their welfare. Stress perceived by the horse during physical activity can be measured using various indicators, including stress-related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, and other neuromodulators such as serotonin, all involved in the stress response and its regulation. Another approach to assess physiological and emotional responses to stimuli such as exercise is through behaviours and facial movements. In this study, we aimed to 1) evaluate the changes in these three hormones following a trotting exercise, 2) determine the changes in behaviour and facial movements in response to the same exercise and 3) investigate a potential relationship between hormonal variations and specific behavioural patterns that could serve as indicators of exercise-induced stress in horses. Fourteen French Standardbred horses from two stables were monitored over one day. On the morning they performed a trotting exercise. Behaviours and facial movements were recorded via video for 2min30 both before and just after exercise. Saliva and blood samples were collected at four time points: before exercise, just after exercise, 1h post-exercise and 24h post-exercise to assess the concentration of salivary cortisol, serum concentration of adrenaline and serotonin. Results showed significant post-exercise increases in all three hormones with peak concentrations observed immediately after exercise (general mixed models, p<0.05), and elevated cortisol and adrenaline levels persisting one hour later (general mixed models, p<0.05). In terms of behaviours, horses exhibited higher frequencies of facial movements and especially mouth movements after exercise than before (MANOVA, F=5.85, p<0.01). Moreover, increases in serotonin and adrenaline concentrations were positively associated with agitation-related behaviours (pawing and head turning) and mouth movements (general linear models, p<0.01). This association may reflect a rebound effect of bit pressure on the mouth, which may be greater with greater perceived stress during exercise, and the increased arousal effects of adrenaline, and to a lesser extent, serotonin. Overall, our findings suggest that a behavioural profile characterised by increased agitation and mouth movements may serve as a useful non-invasive indicator of exercise-induced stress in French Standardbreds.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2025

Non-obese genetic type 2 diabetes causes brain and behavioral hallmarks of chronic stress

The comorbidity of obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and psychiatric disorders-- particularly anxiety and depression--is well documented. However, it remains unclear whether T2D, independently of obesity, contributes to the development of emotional dysfunctions. Furthermore, alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress axis are commonly associated with both T2D and depression, but the role of stress in emotional disorders linked to T2D has been poorly explored. This study aimed to investigate the impact of T2D, independent of obesity, on the neuroendocrine stress axis, as well as molecular, cellular, and behavioral indicators of emotional dysfunction. Using the non-obese Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat model of T2D, we assessed the effects of diabetes on hormonal and neuronal stress responses, molecular and structural markers of stress in the brain, and anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors. We also evaluated the impact of adrenalectomy in GK rats to determine the contribution of glucocorticoids to their behavioral impairments. Our findings reveal that non-obese diabetes leads to heightened endocrine and brain responses to stress, along with upregulation of stress-related molecular markers and structural features indicative of chronic stress, particularly in the medial prefrontal cortex. Additionally, GK rats exhibited pronounced anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors. Importantly, lowering glucocorticoid levels in GK rats helped alleviate some of the metabolic and emotional disturbances. This study suggests that T2D, independent of obesity, induces stress-related brain and behavioral changes, partly mediated by glucocorticoids. HighlightsO_LIT2D disrupts endocrine and neural responses to stress. C_LIO_LIT2D alters stress-related gene expression in the medial prefrontal cortex. C_LIO_LIT2D induces structural changes in the medial prefrontal cortex. C_LIO_LIT2D contributes to anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors. C_LIO_LIReducing corticosterone levels mitigates anxiety-like behavior in diabetic rats. C_LI

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Strain-specific changes in nucleus accumbens transcriptome and motivation for food reward in mice exposed to maternal separation

Adversity in childhood exerts enduring effects on brain and increases the vulnerability to psychiatric diseases. It also leads to a higher risk for eating disorders and obesity. We hypothesised that neonatal stress in mice affects motivation to obtain palatable food in adulthood and changes gene expression in reward system. Male and female pups from C57Bl/6J and C3H/HeN mice strains were subjected to a daily maternal separation (MS) protocol from PND2 to PND14. In adulthood, their motivation for palatable food reward was assessed in operant cages. Compared to control mice, male and female C3H/Hen mice exposed to MS significantly did more lever presses to obtain palatable food especially when the effort required to obtain the reward is high. Transcriptional analysis reveals 375 genes differentially expressed in the nucleus accumbens of male MS C3H/HeN mice compared to the control group, some of these being associated with the regulation of the reward system (e.g. Gnas, Pnoc). Interestingly, C57Bl/6J mice exposed to MS did not show any alteration in their motivation to obtain a palatable reward nor significant changes in gene expression in the nucleus accumbens. In conclusion, neonatal stress produces lasting changes in motivation for palatable food in C3H/HeN offspring but has no impact in C57Bl/6J offspring. These behavioural alterations are accompanied by drastic changes in gene expression specifically within the nucleus accumbens, a key structure in the regulation of motivational processes.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Microbiota and stress: a loop that impacts memory

Chronic stress and the gut microbiota appear to comprise a feed-forward loop, which contributes to the development of depressive disorders. Evidence suggests that memory can also be impaired by either chronic stress or microbiota imbalance. However, it remains to be established whether these could be a part of an integrated loop model and be responsible for memory impairments. To shed light on this, we used a two-pronged approach in Japanese quail: first stress-induced alterations in gut microbiota were characterized, then we tested whether this altered microbiota could affect brain and memory function when transferred to a germ-free host. The cecal microbiota of chronically stressed quails was found to be significantly different from that of unstressed individuals with lower and {beta} diversities and increased Bacteroidetes abundance largely represented by the Alistipes genus, a well-known stress target in rodents and humans. The transfer of this altered microbiota into germ-free quails decreased their spatial and cue-based memory abilities as previously demonstrated in the stressed donors. The recipients also displayed increased anxiety-like behavior, reduced basal plasma corticosterone levels and differential gene expression in the brain. Furthermore, cecal microbiota transfer from a chronically stressed individual was sufficient to mimic the adverse impact of chronic stress on memory in recipient hosts and this action may be related to the Alistipes genus. Our results provide evidence of a feed-forward loop system linking the microbiota-gut-brain axis to stress and memory function and suggest that maintaining a healthy microbiota could help alleviate memory impairments linked to chronic stress.

animal behavior and cognition↗