The Spatial and Temporal Characterization of Gut Microbiota in Broilers

Abstract

The gut microbiota of chickens plays an important role in host physiology. However, the colonization and prevalence of gut microbiota have not been well-characterized. Here, we performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the duodenal, cecal and fecal microbiota of broilers at 1, 7, 21, and 35 days of age and characterized the dynamic succession of microbiota across the intestinal tract. Our results showed that Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum detected in each gut site at various ages, while the microbial diversity and composition varied among the duodenum, cecum, and feces at different ages. The microbial diversity and complexity of the cecal microbiota increased with age, gradually achieving stability at 21 days of age. As a specific genus in the cecum, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 accounted for 83.50% of the total abundance at 1 day of age, but its relative abundance diminished with age. Regarding the feces, the highest alpha diversity was observed at 1 day of age, significantly separated from the alpha diversity of other ages. In addition, no significant differences were observed in the alpha diversity of duodenal samples among 7, 21, and 35 days of age. The predominant bacterium, Lactobacillus, was relatively low (0.68–6.04%) in the intestinal tract of 1-day-old chicks, whereas its abundance increased substantially at 7 days of age and was higher in the duodenum and feces. Escherichia-Shigella, another predominant bacterium in the chicken intestinal tract, was also found to be highly abundant in fecal samples, and the age-associated dynamic trend coincided with that of Lactobacillus. In addition, several genera, including Blautia, Ruminiclostridium_5, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, and [Ruminococcus]_torques_group, which are related to the production of short-chain fatty acids, were identified as biomarker bacteria of the cecum after 21 days of age. These findings shed direct light on the temporal and spatial dynamics of intestinal microbiota and provide new opportunities for the improvement of poultry health and production.

Biological aspects of phage therapy versus antibiotics against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium infection of chickens

“…Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the physiology of chickens and disturbances in the composition of the gut microbiome may cause serious disorders ( Zhou et al., 2021 ), not only withing the gastrointestinal tract but also in other organs, including the central nervous system ( Cao et al., 2021 ). In fact, although previous works on the use of phage therapy in chickens focused solely on testing the presence of certain pathogenic bacteria and/or specific symptoms in birds, recent studies indicated the importance of investigating microbiomes during and after specific treatment procedures ( Clavijo et al., 2022 ; Lorenzo-Rebenaque et al., 2022 ).…”

Effects of Bacillus subtilis and coccidiosis vaccine on growth indices and intestinal microbiota of broilers

“…Otherwise, Wen et al found a relatively high abundance level of Romboutsia and significantly higher egg-laying efficiency in chickens ( Wen et al, 2021 ). Butyricicoccus , a potential active ingredient in probiotic formulations and a producer of short chain fatty acids, was associated with better growth and development in broilers when its relative abundance in the cecum was high ( Zhou et al, 2021 ). And Lactobacillus genus was able to increase the expression level of immune cytokines in the intestinal tract, which contributed to clearing the oocysts in the intestine, consistent with the statistical results of fecal oocysts.…”

Microbial composition of egg component and its association with hatchability of laying hens

“…Eggs are formed in the maternal reproductive tract, and the embryo in the egg grows and develops into a chick after 21 days of incubation. Previous research confirmed the presence of microorganisms in the maternal reproductive tract and digestive tracts of 1-day-old chicks (Pajurek et al, 2019;Zhou et al, 2021). Several studies have shown that hen gut and fecal microbes are associated with both egg formation and fertility (Elokil et al, 2020a,b).…”

“…Our study demonstrated that egg yolk and white are not free from microorganisms, in agreement with our earlier claim that eggs are not formed in a sterile environment ( Wen et al, 2021 ). Similarly, we previously characterized the gut microbiota of 1-day-old chicks ( Zhou et al, 2021 ). Therefore, one of the aims of this study was to fill the gap between studies on the microbiota in hens and chicks.…”