Longitudinal investigation of the swine gut microbiome from birth to market reveals stage and growth performance associated bacteria

Abstract

Background Despite recent advances in the understanding of the swine gut microbiome at different growth stages, a comprehensive longitudinal study of the lifetime (birth to market) dynamics of the swine gut microbiome is lacking. Results To fill in this gap of knowledge, we repeatedly collected a total of 273 rectal swabs from 18 pigs during lactation (day (d) 0, 11, 20), nursery (d 27, 33, 41, 50, 61), growing (d 76, 90, 104, 116), and finishing (d 130, 146, 159, 174) stages. DNA was extracted and subjected to sequencing with an Illumina Miseq sequencer targeting the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Sequences were analyzed with the Deblur algorithm in the QIIME2 package. A total of 19 phyla were detected in the lifetime pig gut microbiome with Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes being the most abundant. Alpha diversity including community richness (e.g., number of observed features) and diversity (e.g., Shannon index) showed an overall increasing trend. Distinct shifts in microbiome structure along different growth stages were observed. LEfSe analysis revealed 91 bacterial features that are stage-specific. To validate these discoveries, we performed fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) by inoculating weanling pigs with mature fecal microbiota from a growing stage pig. Similar stage-specific patterns in microbiome diversity and structures were also observed in both the FMT pigs and their littermates. Although FMT remarkably increased growth performance, it did not change the overall swine gut microbiome. Only a few taxa including those associated with Streptococcus and Clostridiaceae were enriched in the FMT pigs. These data, together with several other lines of evidence, indicate potential roles these taxa play in promoting animal growth performance. Diet, especially crude fiber from corn, was a major factor shaping the swine gut microbiome. The priority effect, i.e., the order and timing of species arrival, was more evident in the solid feed stages. Conclusions The distinct stage-associated swine gut microbiome may be determined by the differences in diet and/or gut physiology at different growth stages. Our study provides insight into mechanisms governing gut microbiome succession and also underscores the importance of optimizing stage-specific probiotics aimed at improving animal health and production. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40168-019-0721-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Signature Microbiota Driving Rumen Function Shifts in Goat Kids Introduced Solid Diet Regimes

“…De Filippis et al detected distinct strains of Prevotella copri by metagenome studies and showed that fiber-rich diets were linked to these strains with improved potential for carbohydrate catabolism (27). Broadly, introduction of solid fiber-rich diet to goat before weaning, Prevotella proliferated, which was also observed in other large domestic animals (28). They could be used as potential microbiota to utilize solid diet, maintain rumen community balance and prevent metabolic disease caused by dysbiosis.…”

ZnO Modulates Swine Gut Microbiota and Improves Growth Performance of Nursery Pigs When Combined with Peptide Cocktail

“…Thus, the increased presence of Streptococcus in the HZ group may help alleviate stress leading to improved growth performance of weaned piglets. Interestingly, bacterial features associated with Streptococcus were also identified as growth-promoting bacteria in pigs in two recent studies [43,62]. Additionally, a low gut relative abundance of Streptococcus was tied to low body weight piglets compared to a high relative abundance found in those of normal body weight [63].…”

“…DNA concentration was measured by a NanoDrop One (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Madison, WI, USA) and diluted to 10 ng/µL. 16S rRNA gene libraries were constructed as described previously [42,43]. Briefly, the V4 region of 16S rRNA from each sample was amplified using the forward primer (5 -GTGCCAGCMGCCGCGGTAA-3 ) and reverse primer (5 -GGACTACHVGGGTWTCTAAT-3 ) with attaching Illumina sequencing primer and barcode sequence.…”

Applicability of an Unmedicated Feeding Program Aimed to Reduce the Use of Antimicrobials in Nursery Piglets: Impact on Performance and Fecal Microbiota

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