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Weaning Time Affects the Archaeal Community Structure and Functional Potential in Pigs
Feilong Deng1,2, Yunjuan Peng1,2, Zhihao Zhang1,2
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, College of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, China.
Frontiers in Microbiology
|April 7, 2022
Summary
Weaning significantly alters pig gut archaea, impacting their diversity and function. Specific Methanobrevibacter species shift post-weaning, influencing piglet growth and adaptation to new diets.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Animal Science
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Archaea are key gut microbes influencing host energy and health.
- Limited research exists on piglet gut archaea, especially concerning weaning effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate longitudinal changes in archaeal composition, diversity, and function in pigs post-weaning.
- To understand the impact of weaning on gut archaea and their association with piglet growth.
Main Methods:
- Re-analysis of a metagenomic dataset from 176 pig fecal samples.
- Longitudinal analysis of archaeal species and KEGG Orthology (KO) richness over time.
- Correlation analysis using Random Forest regression and Pearson correlation.
Main Results:
- Archaeal richness and diversity increased post-weaning, with significant shifts in Methanobrevibacter species.
- Weaning enriched specific KEGG pathways (e.g., starch and sucrose metabolism), indicating adaptation to new diets.
- Archaeal species richness positively correlated with pig body weight at days 70 and 140.
Conclusions:
- Weaning profoundly impacts pig gut archaeal dynamics, affecting diversity and function.
- Archaea play a crucial role in swine nutrition, metabolism, and growth, particularly during the weaning transition.
- Specific archaeal species are linked to improved body weight in growing pigs.
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