Abstract
Helicobacter suis has been associated with development of gastric ulcers in the non-glandular part of the porcine stomach, possibly by affecting gastric acid secretion and altering the gastric microbiota. Fusobacterium gastrosuis is highly abundant in the gastric microbiota of H. suis-infected pigs and it was hypothesized that this micro-organism could play a role in the development of gastric ulceration. The aim of this study was to obtain further insights in the influence of a naturally acquired H. suis infection on the microbiota of the non-glandular part of the porcine stomach and in the pathogenic potential of F. gastrosuis. Infection with H. suis influenced the relative abundance of several taxa at phylum, family, genus and species level. H. suis-infected pigs showed a significantly higher colonization rate of F. gastrosuis in the non-glandular gastric region compared to non-infected pigs. In vitro, viable F. gastrosuis strains as well as their lysate induced death of both gastric and oesophageal epithelial cell lines. These gastric cell death inducing bacterial components were heat-labile. Genomic analysis revealed that genes are present in the F. gastrosuis genome with sequence similarity to genes described in other Fusobacterium spp. that encode factors involved in adhesion, invasion and induction of cell death as well as in immune evasion. We hypothesize that, in a gastric environment altered by H. suis, colonization and invasion of the non-glandular porcine stomach region and production of epithelial cell death inducing metabolites by F. gastrosuis, play a role in gastric ulceration.
Highlights
Gastric ulceration is a common disease entity of pigs worldwide, with prevalences of up to 93%
Study 1: Microbiota composition of the Pars oesophagea Sampling of porcine stomachs Ten H. suis-positive and 10 H. suis-negative stomachs of 6–8 months old pigs used in another study from our group were further analysed [8]
The average gastric bacterial community composition at the phylum, family and genus level present in the H. suis-positive and -negative groups is represented in Figure 1, while the bacterial community composition of the Pars oesophagea of each individual pig is shown in Additional file 4
Summary
Gastric ulceration is a common disease entity of pigs worldwide, with prevalences of up to 93%. It may result in decreased daily weight gain, decreased feed intake and sudden death, leading to significant economic losses and animal welfare issues. Results of recent studies indicate that H. suis infection plays a role in porcine gastric ulcer disease, probably by affecting gastric acid secretion through alteration of the number and/ or function of parietal, D- and G-cells [3, 4]. Our metagenomics study of pooled samples from the different stomach regions (i.e. Pars oesophagea, cardiac, fundic and pyloric gland zones) from H. suis-positive and -negative 6–8 months old pigs revealed that a novel Fusobacterium sp., designated F. gastrosuis, was highly abundant in the gastric microbial community of H. suis-infected animals [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
