Gut Microbiota Is a Major Contributor to Adiposity in Pigs

Abstract

Different breeds of pigs vary greatly in their propensity for adiposity. Gut microbiota is known to play an important role in modulating host physiology including fat metabolism. However, the relative contribution of gut microbiota to lipogenic characteristics of pigs remains elusive. In this study, we transplanted fecal microbiota of adult Jinhua and Landrace pigs, two breeds of pigs with distinct lipogenic phenotypes, to antibiotic-treated mice. Our results indicated that, 4 weeks after fecal transplantation, the mice receiving Jinhua pigs’ “obese” microbiota (JM) exhibited a different intestinal bacterial community structure from those receiving Landrace pigs’ “lean” microbiota (LM). Notably, an elevated ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes and a significant diminishment of Akkermansia were observed in JM mice relative to LM mice. Importantly, mouse recipients resembled their respective porcine donors in many of the lipogenic characteristics. Similar to Jinhua pig donors, JM mice had elevated lipid and triglyceride levels and the lipoprotein lipase activity in the liver. Enhanced expression of multiple key lipogenic genes and reduced angiopoietin-like 4 (Angptl4) mRNA expression were also observed in JM mice, relative to those in LM mice. These results collectively suggested that gut microbiota of Jinhua pigs is more capable of enhancing lipogenesis than that of Landrace pigs. Transferability of the lipogenic phenotype across species further indicated that gut microbiota plays a major role in contributing to adiposity in pigs. Manipulation of intestinal microbiota will, therefore, have a profound impact on altering host metabolism and adipogenesis, with an important implication in the treatment of human overweight and obesity.

Development of Swine’s Digestive Tract Microbiota and Its Relation to Production Indices—A Review

“…It is important in animal production to maintain microbial homeostasis using various strategies, such as optimizing animal diets and ensuring appropriate zoohygienic conditions. Suitable microbiota in the pig gastrointestinal tract can ensure increased health status and thus correct or increased production indices [11,54,[90][91][92].…”

“…The microbiota of the digestive system not only play a protective role, but can also influence the production parameters of pigs. Changes in the microbiota of the digestive system affect assimilation of nutrients, and in the case of fattener pigs, also the quality and quantity of meat [4,91]. The study by Park et al [4] showed changes in the composition of microorganisms at the genus level between individuals characterized by high meat quality and those with low meat quality.…”

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

“…Particularly, bacterial taxa such as Christensenellaceae , Oscillibacter , Defluviitaleaceae incertae sedis , Cellulosilyticum , and Corynebacterium have been positively related to feed efficiency [8], which is critical for the swine industry. Recent studies have also filled some knowledge gaps of the swine gut microbiome, with respect to the biogeography of the gastrointestinal tract [5], adiposity [3], digestibility [4], and growth performance [6].…”

Life-long dynamics of the swine gut microbiome and their implications in probiotics development and food safety

“…It has been reported that the swine gut microbiome correlated with feed efficiency, fat deposition, and growth performance. [6][7][8][9][10] Despite this progress toward understanding the swine gut microbiome, many important ecological questions are yet to be answered.…”