Project description:Within the human gut reside diverse microbes coexisting with the host in a mutually advantageous relationship. We comprehensively identified the modulatory effects of phylogenetically diverse human gut microbes on the murine intestinal transcriptome. Gene-expression profiles were generated from the whole-tissue intestinal RNA of mice colonized with various single microbial strains. The selection of microbe-specific effects, from the transcriptional response, yielded only a small number of transcripts, indicating that symbiotic microbes have only limited effects on the gut transcriptome overall. Moreover, none of these microbe-specific transcripts was uniformly induced by all microbes. Interestingly, these responsive transcripts were induced by some microbes but repressed by others, suggesting different microbes can have diametrically opposed consequences.
Project description:Improper use of antibiotics in swine could reduce commensal bacteria and possibly increase pathogen infections via the gut resistome. This study aimed to compare the metaproteomic profiles of gut resistome and related metabolism in the cecal microbiota of fattening pigs raised under antibiotic-free (ABF) conditions with those of ordinary industrial pigs (CTRL).
Project description:The gut microbiota is closely associated with digestion, metabolism, immunity, and host health. The imbalance of the microbial community in livestock directly affects their well-being and, consequently, productivity. The composition and diversity of the gut microbiota are influenced not only by host genetics but also by environmental factors such as the microbial complexity of the rearing environment, feeds, and antibiotics. Here, we focus on the comparison of gut microbial communities in miniature pigs developed for xenotransplantation in specific pathogen-free (SPF) and conventional (non-SPF) facilities. To identify the disparities in gut microbial composition and functionality between these two environments, 16S RNA metagenome sequencing was conducted using fecal samples. The results revealed that the non-SPF pigs had higher gut microbiota diversity than the SPF pigs. The genera Streptococcus and Ruminococcus were more abundant in SPF pigs than in non-SPF pigs. Blautia, Bacteroides, and Roseburia were exclusively observed in SPF pigs, whereas Prevotella was exclusively found in non-SPF pigs. Carbohydrate and nucleotide metabolism, as well as environmental information processing, were predicted to be enriched in SPF pigs. In addition, energy and lipid metabolism, along with processes related to genetic information, cellular communication, and diseases, were predicted to be enriched in non-SPF pigs. This study makes an important contribution to elucidating the impact of environments harboring a variety of microorganisms, including pathogens, on the gut microbiota of miniature pigs. Furthermore, we sought to provide foundational data on the characteristics of the gut microbiota in genetically modified pigs, which serve as source animals for xenotransplantation.
Project description:This study was designed to address key questions concerning the use of alternative protein sources for animal feeds and addresses aspects such as their nutrient composition and impact on gut function. The transcriptional response of intestinal mucosal tissue (jejunum and ileum) served as parameters for the local response. Growing pigs (BW 35 kg/approx. 10 weeks) were fed with experimental diets containing a single, common or new protein sources viz. soybean meal (SBM), black soldier fly larvae (BSF), spray dried blood plasma (SDPP), rapeseed meal (RSM), and wheat gluten meal (WGM) over a period of 4 weeks.
Project description:Oral administration of an extract of compost fermented with thermophiles to pigs reduces the incidence of stillbirth and promotes piglet growth. However, the mechanism by which compost extract modulates the physiological conditions of the animals remains largely unknown. Here, we investigate the effects of compost extract on the gene expression in the intestine of the rat as a mammalian model. Gene expression analyses of the intestine indicated that several immune-related genes were upregulated following compost exposure. Thus, thermophile-fermented compost can contain microbes and/or substances that activate the gut mucosal immune response in the rat. In Male Wistar rats aged 3 weeks, tap water was supplemented with 1.0% (v/v) compost extract for the experimental rats, whereas water only was given to the control rats. The rats received water ad libitum for 12 weeks. Fresh gut samples were collected from individual rats at the end of the feeding test and stored at -80°C. The intestine were separated from the gut and used as samples for the isolation of total RNA. otal RNA was then subjected to microarray experiments using the Whole Rat Genome (4x44k) Oligo Microarray (Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
Project description:Oral administration of an extract of compost fermented with thermophiles to pigs reduces the incidence of stillbirth and promotes piglet growth. However, the mechanism by which compost extract modulates the physiological conditions of the animals remains largely unknown. Here, we investigate the effects of compost extract on the gene expression in the intestine of the rat as a mammalian model. Gene expression analyses of the intestine indicated that several immune-related genes were upregulated following compost exposure. Thus, thermophile-fermented compost can contain microbes and/or substances that activate the gut mucosal immune response in the rat.
Project description:We report the application of bulk RNA-sequencing-based technology for high-throughput profiling to examine the individual and combinatorial effects of the liver circadian clock and gut microbes on the liver transcriptome over 24-hours. Principle Component Analysis demonstrated that functionality of the liver circadian clock is the primary driver of the hepatic transcriptome profile, and presence of microbes is the secondary driver. We identified a range of significantly oscillating transcripts within each experimental group using empirical_JTK_CYCLE, and revealed an overall increase in oscillating transcripts with both the loss of cuntional liver clock and gut microbes. Network analysis via Spearman correlation revealed that a broken liver clock results in increased connections and correlated transcripts only in the presence of gut microbes. Finally, we show by differential expression and gene set enrichment analysis that several key metabolic pathways, particularly carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, were significantly downregulated when the liver clock is broken, regardless of microbial status. This study demonstrates the complex contributions of the liver circadian clock and gut microbes in transcriptome programming, both over time and overall.