Abstract
BackgroundRelationships between microbial composition and steatosis are being extensively studied in mammals, and causal relations have been evidenced. In migratory birds the liver can transiently store lipids during pre-migratory and migratory phases, but little is known about the implications of the digestive microbiota in those mechanisms. The Landaise greylag goose (Anser anser) is a good model to study steatosis in migratory birds as it is domesticated, but is still, from a genetic point of view, close to its wild migratory ancestor. It also has a great ingestion capacity and a good predisposition for hepatic steatosis, whether spontaneous or induced by conventional overfeeding. The conventional (overfeeding) and alternative (spontaneous steatosis induction) systems differ considerably in duration and feed intake level and previous studies have shown that aptitudes to spontaneous steatosis are very variable. The present study thus aimed to address two issues: (i) evaluate whether microbial composition differs with steatosis-inducing mode; (ii) elucidate whether a digestive microbial signature could be associated with variable aptitudes to spontaneous liver steatosis.ResultsPerformances, biochemical composition of the livers and microbiota differed considerably in response to steatosis stimulation. We namely identified the genus Romboutsia to be overrepresented in birds developing a spontaneous steatosis in comparison to those submitted to conventional overfeeding while the genera Ralstonia, Variovorax and Sphingomonas were underrepresented only in birds that did not develop a spontaneous steatosis compared to conventionally overfed ones, birds developing a spontaneous steatosis having intermediate values. Secondly, no overall differences in microbial composition were evidenced in association with variable aptitudes to spontaneous steatosis, although one OTU, belonging to the Lactobacillus genus, was overrepresented in birds having developed a spontaneous steatosis compared to those that had not.ConclusionsOur study is the first to evaluate the intestinal microbial composition in association with steatosis, whether spontaneous or induced by overfeeding, in geese. Steatosis induction modes were associated with distinct digestive microbial compositions. However, unlike what can be observed in mammals, no clear microbial signature associated with spontaneous steatosis level was identified.
Highlights
Relationships between microbial composition and steatosis are being extensively studied in mammals, and causal relations have been evidenced
In mammals growing evidence suggests that alterations in the digestive microbiota can contribute to the onset and progression of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), diet plays the main role in the etiology of this disease
In the alternative system no refusals were observed during the Controlled Feeding (CF) period, and average pellet intakes were of 280 g/bird/day until 133 days of age and 180 g/bird/day from 133 to 161 days of age
Summary
Relationships between microbial composition and steatosis are being extensively studied in mammals, and causal relations have been evidenced. The Landaise greylag goose (Anser anser) is a good model to study steatosis in migratory birds as it is domesticated, but is still, from a genetic point of view, close to its wild migratory ancestor It has a great ingestion capacity and a good predisposition for hepatic steatosis, whether spontaneous or induced by conventional overfeeding. The Landaise greylag goose (Anser anser) is a good model to study steatosis in migratory birds as it is domesticated, and can be bred in experimental conditions, but is still, from a genetic point of view, close to its wild migratory ancestor [5] It has a great ingestion capacity and a good predisposition for hepatic steatosis, whether spontaneous [6] or induced by conventional overfeeding [7]. The digestive microbiota could be another contributing factor to the variable aptitude to spontaneous steatosis and a potential actor on feeding behavior [11] in geese
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.
