The environment shapes swine lung bacterial communities

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Environmental Science
• Animal Models

Background:

• Previous lung microbiome research focused on community composition and disease associations.
• Critical knowledge gaps exist regarding the origin and fate of lung microbial communities.
• Understanding environmental influences is crucial for deciphering the lung microbiome's role in health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the surrounding environment and the resident lung bacteria in a pig model.
• To determine how environmental factors shape lung microbiome membership and distribution.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a pig model to explore environmental-lung microbiome connections.
• Collected and compared environmental samples (soil, air, water, feed) with lung samples (swab, lavage, tissue).

Main Results:

• Airborne bacteria constitute the largest proportion of the lung microbiome.
• Bronchiolar bacteria were identifiable by their farm of origin, unlike alveolar bacteria.
• Alveolar samples showed indistinguishable bacterial communities regardless of the farm environment.

Conclusions:

• The environment, particularly airborne microbes, significantly shapes the bronchiolar microbiome.
• A distinct and potentially less environmentally influenced microbial community resides within the lung alveoli.
• This study provides a model for understanding lung microbial community dynamics in relation to the environment.