Tracking the fecal mycobiome through the lifespan of production pigs and a comparison to the feral pig

Prisnee, Tausha L.; Rahman, Rajibur; Fouhse, Janelle M.; Van Kessel, Andrew G.; Brook, Ryan K.; Willing, Benjamin P.

doi:10.1128/aem.00977-23

Cited by 3 publications

References 59 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

A comparison of wild boar and domestic pig microbiota does not reveal a loss of microbial species but an increase in alpha diversity and opportunistic genera in domestic pigs

Rahman,

Fouhse,

et al. 2024

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The microbiome of wild animals is believed to be co-evolved with host species, which may play an important role in host physiology. It has been hypothesized that the rigorous hygienic practice in combination with antibiotics and diets with simplified formulas used in the modern swine industry may negatively affect the establishment and development of the gut microbiome. In this study, we evaluated the fecal microbiome of 90 domestic pigs sampled from 9 farms in Canada and 39 wild pigs sampled from three different locations on two continents (North America and Europe) using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Surprisingly, the gut microbiome in domestic pigs exhibited higher alpha-diversity indices than wild pigs (P<0.0001). The wild pig microbiome showed a lower Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio and a higher presence of bacterial phyla Elusimicrobiota, Verrucomicrobiota, Cyanobacteria, and Fibrobacterota compared to their domestic counterparts. At the genus level, wild pig microbiome had enriched genera that were known for fibre degradation and short-chained fatty acids production. Interestingly, the phylum Fusobacteriota was only observed in domestic pigs. We identified 31 ASVs that were commonly found in the pig gut microbiome regardless of host sources, which could be recognized as members of the core gut microbiome. Interestingly, we found a few ASVs missing in domestic pigs that were prevalent in wild ones, whereas domestic pigs harbored 59 ASVs that were completely absent in wild pigs. The present study sheds light on the impact of domestication on the pig gut microbiome, including the gain of new genera.ImportanceThe microbiome of pigs plays a crucial role in shaping host physiology and health. This study looked to identify if domestication and current rearing practices have resulted in a loss of co-evolved bacterial species by comparing the microbiome of wild boar and conventionally raised pigs. It represents a comparison of domestic and wild pigs with the largest sample sizes, and is the first to examine wild boars from multiple sites and continents. We were able to identify core microbiome members that were shared between wild and domestic populations, and counter to expectation, few microbes were identified to be lost from wild boar. Nevertheless, the microbiome of wild boars was distinct from domestic pigs, with notably lower abundance of important pathogenic genera. The differences in microbial composition may identify an opportunity to shift the microbial community of domestic pigs towards that of wild boar with the intent to reduce pathogen load.

show abstract

A comparison of wild boar and domestic pig microbiota does not reveal a loss of microbial species but an increase in alpha diversity and opportunistic genera in domestic pigs

Rahman,

Fouhse,

et al. 2024

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Insights into gut fungi in pigs: A comprehensive review

Wei

2024

Animal Physiology Nutrition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fungi in the gut microbiota of mammals play a crucial role in host physiological regulation, including intestinal homeostasis and host immune regulation. However, our understanding of gut fungi in mammals remains limited, especially in economically valuable animals, such as pigs. Therefore, this review first describes the classification and characterisation of fungi, provides insights into the methods used to study gut fungi, and summarises the recent progress on pig gut fungi. Additionally, it discusses the challenges in the study of pig gut fungi and highlights potential perspectives. The aim of this review is to serve as a valuable reference for advancing our knowledge of gut fungi in animals.

show abstract

A comparison of wild boar and domestic pig microbiota does not reveal a loss of microbial species but an increase in alpha diversity and opportunistic genera in domestic pigs

Rahman,

Fouhse,

et al. 2024

Microbiol Spectr

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The microbiome of wild animals is believed to be co-evolved with host species, which may play an important role in host physiology. It has been hypothesized that the rigorous hygienic practices in combination with antibiotics and diets with simplified formulas used in the modern swine industry may negatively affect the establishment and development of the gut microbiome. In this study, we evaluated the fecal microbiome of 90 domestic pigs sampled from nine farms in Canada and 39 wild pigs sampled from three different locations on two continents (North America and Europe) using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Surprisingly, the gut microbiome in domestic pigs exhibited higher alpha-diversity indices than wild pigs ( P < 0.0001). The wild pig microbiome showed a lower Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio and a higher presence of bacterial phyla Elusimicrobiota, Verrucomicrobiota, Cyanobacteria, and Fibrobacterota when compared to their domestic counterparts. At the genus level, the wild pig microbiome had enriched genera that were known for fiber degradation and short-chain fatty acid production. Interestingly, the phylum Fusobacteriota was only observed in domestic pigs. We identified 31 ASVs that were commonly found in the pig gut microbiome, regardless of host sources, which could be recognized as members of the core gut microbiome. Interestingly, we found five ASVs missing in domestic pigs that were prevalent in wild ones, whereas domestic pigs harbored 59 ASVs that were completely absent in wild pigs. The present study sheds light on the impact of domestication on the pig gut microbiome, including the gain of new genera, which might provide the basis to identify novel targets to manipulate the pig gut microbiome for improved health. IMPORTANCE The microbiome of pigs plays a crucial role in shaping host physiology and health. This study sought to identify if domestication and current rearing practices have resulted in a loss of co-evolved bacterial species by comparing the microbiome of wild boar and conventionally raised pigs. It provides a comparison of domestic and wild pigs with the largest sample sizes and is the first to examine wild boars from multiple sites and continents. We were able to identify core microbiome members that were shared between wild and domestic populations, and on the contrary to expectation, few microbes were identified to be lost from wild boar. Nevertheless, the microbiome of wild boars had a lower abundance of important pathogenic genera and was distinct from domestic pigs. The differences in the microbial composition may identify an opportunity to shift the microbial community of domestic pigs towards that of wild boar with the intent to reduce pathogen load.

show abstract

Tracking the fecal mycobiome through the lifespan of production pigs and a comparison to the feral pig

Cited by 3 publications

References 59 publications

A comparison of wild boar and domestic pig microbiota does not reveal a loss of microbial species but an increase in alpha diversity and opportunistic genera in domestic pigs

A comparison of wild boar and domestic pig microbiota does not reveal a loss of microbial species but an increase in alpha diversity and opportunistic genera in domestic pigs

Insights into gut fungi in pigs: A comprehensive review

A comparison of wild boar and domestic pig microbiota does not reveal a loss of microbial species but an increase in alpha diversity and opportunistic genera in domestic pigs

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About