Project description:An early settlement of a complex gut microbiota can protect against gastro-intestinal dysbiosis, but the effects of neonatal microbiota colonization on the maturation of the porcine gastric mucosa are largely unknown. The transcriptome of the oxyntic mucosa of 12 caesarian-derived pigs previously associated with microbiota of different complexity was studied. Pigs received sow blood serum at birth (d0), 2 mL of starter microbiota (10^7 CFU of each Lactob. Amylovorus (LAM), Clostr. glycolicum, and Parabacteroides spp.) on d1-d3 of age and either a placebo inoculant (simple association, SA) or an inoculant consisting of diluted feces of an adult sow (complex association, CA) on d3-d4 of age. Then pigs were fed a moist diet . Gastric samples were obtained at on euthanised pigs at 2 weeks of age.
Project description:An early settlement of a complex gut microbiota can protect against gastro-intestinal dysbiosis, but the effects of neonatal microbiota colonization and early life feeding of medium chain triglycerides on the maturation of the porcine gastric mucosa are largely unknown. The transcriptome of the oxyntic mucosa of 24 caesarian-derived pigs previously associated with microbiota of different complexity and fed a diet fortified or not with medium chain fatty acids was studied. Pigs received pasteurized sow colostrum at birth (d0), 2 mL of starter microbiota (10^7 CFU of each Lactob. Amylovorus (LAM), Clostr. glycolicum, and Parabacteroides spp.) on d1-d3 of age and either a placebo inoculant (simple association, SA) or an inoculant consisting of diluted feces of an adult sow (complex association, CA) on d3-d4 of age. Then half of pigs was fed a moist diet (CON) or, for the remaining half, CTRL fortified in medium chain triglycerides with 7% coconut oil ( MCT). Gastric samples were obtained at on euthanised pigs at 3 weeks of age.
Project description:The human gut microbiota is crucial for degrading dietary fibres from the diet. However, some of these bacteria can also degrade host glycans, such as mucins, the main component of the protective gut mucus layer. Specific microbiota species and mucin degradation patterns are associated with inflammatory processes in the colon. Yet, it remains unclear how the utilization of mucin glycans affects the degradation of dietary fibres by the human microbiota. Here, we used three dietary fibres (apple pectin, β-glucan and xylan) to study in vitro the dynamics of colon mucin and dietary fibre degradation by the human faecal microbiota. The dietary fibres showed clearly distinguishing modulatory effects on faecal microbiota composition. The utilization of colon mucin in cultures led to alterations in microbiota composition and metabolites. Metaproteome analysis showed the central role of the Bacteroides in degradation of complex fibres while Akkermansia muciniphila was the main degrader of colonic mucin. This work demonstrates the intricacy of complex glycan metabolism by the gut microbiota and how the utilization of host glycans leads to alterations in the metabolism of dietary fibres. Metaproteomics analysis of this data reveals the functional activities of the bacteria in consortia, by this contributing to a better understanding of the complex metabolic pathways within the human microbiota that can be manipulated to maximise beneficial microbiota-host interactions. In this study two different mucin samples were used: commercial porcine gastric mucin and in house prepared porcine colonic mucin. This dataset analyses the proteome of: A) autoclaved porcine colonic mucin; B) not autoclaved porcine colonic mucin; C) porcine gastric mucin.
Project description:The impact of microbial colonization during early life on immune system development and host health is well-established. Therefore, we investigated whether alterations in the intestinal microbiota resulting from cesarean section (CS) would affect the colonic immune system.
Project description:Diminished colonic health is associated with various age-related pathologies. In this study, we applied an integrative approach to reveal potential interactions between determinants of colonic health in aging C57BL/6J mice. Analysis of gut microbiota composition revealed an enrichment of various potential pathobionts, including Desulfovibrio spp., and a decline of the health-promoting Akkermansia spp. and Lactobacillus spp. during aging. Intraluminal concentrations of various metabolites varied between ages and we found evidence for an increased gut permeability at higher age. Colonic gene expression analysis suggested that during the early phase of aging (between 6 and 12 months), expression of genes involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and (re)organization of the extracellular matrix were increased. Differential expression of these genes was strongly correlated with Bifidobacterium spp. During the later phase of aging (between 12 and 28 months), gene expression profiles pointed towards a diminished antimicrobial defense and were correlated with an uncultured Gastranaerophilales spp. This study demonstrates that aging is associated with pronounced changes in gut microbiota composition and colonic gene expression. Furthermore, the strong correlations between specific bacterial genera and host gene expression may imply that orchestrated interactions take place in the vicinity of the colonic wall and potentially mediate colonic health during aging.
Project description:To investigate the impact of gut microbiota deleting and colonizing on hypothalamic health and function, the tissue samples from the germ-free (GF) pigs and the GF pigs colonized gut microbiota (CG) are used to perform whole RNA-seq for gene expression analysis We then performed long RNAs and small RNAs expression profiling analysis using data obtained from the RNA-seq of 3 different hypothalamus samples from the two groups of pigs
Project description:Gastrointestinal microbes modulate peristalsis and stimulate the enteric nervous system (ENS), whose development, as in the central nervous system (CNS), continues into the murine postweaning period. Given that adult CNS function depends on stimuli received during critical periods of postnatal development, we hypothesized that adult ENS function, namely motility, depends on microbial stimuli during similar critical periods. We gave fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to germ-free mice at weaning or as adults and found that only the mice given FMT at weaning recovered normal transit, while those given FMT as adults showed limited improvements. RNAseq of colonic muscularis propria revealed enrichments in neuron developmental pathways in mice exposed to gut microbes earlier in life, while mice exposed later – or not at all – showed exaggerated expression of inflammatory pathways. These findings highlight a microbiota-dependent sensitive period in ENS development, pointing to potential roles of the early life microbiome in later life dysmotility.
Project description:The aim of this study was to investigate whether long term intake of pea fiber would improve colonic barrier, bacterial profile and alter colonic gene expression using DNA microarray. Fifty weaned pigs were randomly allocated into 2 groups receiving control and fibrous diet with inclusion of pea fiber from weaning age until d 160. The two diets had similar nutrient levels. Pigs fed pea fiber diet (PF diet) had markedly decreased overall average daily feed intake (ADFI) and Feed:Gain in growing and finishing period (P<0.05). In addition, long term intake of PF diet induced deeper crypt (+50 %, P<0.05), increased protein expression of colonic mucin and sIgA (+13~16 %, P<0.05). Resulting from the increased lactobacillus content (P<0.05), moreover, pigs fed PF diet had significantly higher concentration of colonic total short chain fatty acid (SCFA) and acetic acid. DNA microarray results indicated that feeding PF diet induced alterations in the expression of colonic cancer, immune response and lipid metabolism-related genes, as well as genes involved in signal pathway such as intestinal immune network for IgA production, PPAR signaling pathway and nutrient metabolism-related pathways. Collectively, our results suggested that long term intake of PF diet would improve colonic health via altering colonic bacteria profile, colonic barriers, immune and metabolism related protein or gene expressions. A total of 50 weaned pigs (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire, initial body weight: 7.2±0.5 kg) were randomly allocated to 2 groups with 5 pens each group and 5 pig each pen. Pigs were fed control (Control) and fibrous diets (10~20 % inclusion of pea fiber, PF) from weaning at 28 day to 160 day-old-age, which is subjected to phase feeding by weaning diet (weaning to d 30 post-weaning), growing diet (d 30~90 postweaning) and finishing diet (d 90~160 postweaning) according to their physiological stage. At d 160 postweaning, four pigs each group were selected to be slaughtered for collection of colonic tissues and DNA microarray was applied to the colonic tissues for analysis of gene expression.
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.