Abstract
BackgroundThe microbiota in the cecum of laying hens is crucial for host digestion, metabolism, and odor gas production. The results of recent studies have suggested that host microRNAs (miRNAs) can regulate gene expression of the gut microbiota. In the present study, the expression profiles of host-derived miRNAs in the cecal content of two laying hen breeds; Hy-line Gray and Lohmann Pink, which have dissimilar H2S production, were characterized; and their effects on H2S production by regulating the expression of gut microbiota-associated genes were demonstrated.ResultsThe differential expression of microbial serine O-acetyltransferase, methionine synthase, aspartate aminotransferase, methionine-gamma-lyase, and adenylylsulfate kinase between the two hen breeds resulted in lower H2S production in the Hy-line hens. The results also revealed the presence of miRNA exosomes in the cecal content of laying hens, and an analysis of potential miRNA-target relationships between 9 differentially expressed miRNAs and 9 differentially expressed microbial genes related to H2S production identified two methionine synthase genes, Odosp_3416 and BF9343_2953, that are targeted by gga-miR-222a. Interestingly, in vitro fermentation results showed that gga-miR-222a upregulates the expression of these genes, which increased methionine concentrations but decreased H2S production and soluble sulfide concentrations, indicating the potential of host-derived gga-miR-222a to reduce H2S emission in laying hens.ConclusionThe findings of the present study reveal both a physiological role by which miRNAs shape the cecal microbiota of laying hens and a strategy to use host miRNAs to manipulate the microbiome and actively express key microbial genes to reduce H2S emissions and breed environmentally friendly laying hens.5gVqAbJemJ5kxMrg282LDwVideo
Highlights
The microbiota in the cecum of laying hens is crucial for host digestion, metabolism, and odor gas production
Determination of miRNA profiles in the cecum of laying hens The morphology of exosomes derived from laying hen cecal contents was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
In summary, the results of the present study led to the first identification of host-derived miRNAs in the cecum of laying hens, and the expression profiles of miRNAs were shown to be different between different breeds
Summary
The microbiota in the cecum of laying hens is crucial for host digestion, metabolism, and odor gas production. The expression profiles of host-derived miRNAs in the cecal content of two laying hen breeds; Hy-line Gray and Lohmann Pink, which have dissimilar H2S production, were characterized; and their effects on H2S production by regulating the expression of gut microbiota-associated genes were demonstrated. Several recent studies have explored the effects of nutritional manipulation on H2S emission in animals. The development of breeding laying hens with a low-H2S emission “cecal microbiota structure” may represent a better and more permanent solution to promote H2S reduction and an environmentally friendly culture in the poultry industry. To breed low-H2S emission laying hens, it is first important to understand the regulatory relationship between the host and its cecal microbiota
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