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Home / Equine Research Bank / PLoS One / A Microbiological Map of the Healthy Equine Gastrointestinal...
PloS one2016; 11(11); e0166523; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166523

A Microbiological Map of the Healthy Equine Gastrointestinal Tract.

Abstract: Horses are exquisitely sensitive to non-specific gastrointestinal disturbances as well as systemic and extraintestinal conditions related to gut health, yet minimal data are available regarding the composition of the microbiota present in the equine stomach, small intestine, and cecum and their relation to fecal microbiota. Moreover, there is minimal information regarding the concordance of the luminal and mucosal microbial communities throughout the equine gut. Illumina-based 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of the luminal and mucosal microbiota present in seven regions of the gastrointestinal tract of nine healthy adult horses revealed a distinct compositional divide between the small and large intestines. This disparity in composition was more pronounced within the luminal contents, but was also detected within mucosal populations. Moreover, the uniformity of the gut microbiota was much higher in the cecum and colon relative to that in the stomach, jejunum and ileum, despite a significantly higher number of unique sequences detected in the colon. Collectively, the current data suggest that while colonic samples (a proxy for feces) may provide a reasonable profile of the luminal contents of the healthy equine large intestine, they are not informative with regard to the contents of the stomach or small intestine. In contrast to the distinct difference between the highly variable upper gastrointestinal tract microbiota and relatively uniform large bowel microbiota present within the lumen, these data also demonstrate a regional continuity present in mucosal microbial communities throughout the length of the equine gut.
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Publication Date: 2016-11-15 PubMed ID: 27846295PubMed Central: PMC5112786DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166523Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research paper investigates the varying composition of gut bacteria in different parts of a healthy horse’s gastrointestinal tract. The findings suggest a significant difference in bacterial distribution between the small and large intestines, and emphasize the inability of colonic samples to accurately represent bacteria present in the stomach or the small intestine.

Study Overview and Methodology

  • This study aimed to address the gap in data regarding the microbiota in different parts of a horse’s gut: the stomach, the small intestine, the cecum, and their relation to fecal microbiota.
  • Research tools employed for the study included Illumina-based 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to profile the bacterial communities residing in the luminal and mucosal regions of the horse’s gastrointestinal tract.
  • The study was conducted on nine healthy adult horses, and bacteria were sampled and analyzed from seven regions of the gastrointestinal tract.

Key Findings

  • The results showed a clear distinction in the bacterial composition between the small and large intestines, with this difference being more evident within the luminal contents although it was also detected in the mucosal populations.
  • The uniformity of the gut microbiota was considerably higher in the cecum and colon than in the stomach, jejunum, and ileum. Interestingly, a significantly higher number of unique sequences were detected in the colon.
  • The data demonstrated a continuity in the mucosal microbial communities throughout the length of the horse’s gut, contrasting sharply with the variability in the luminal contents seen between the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract.

Conclusions and Implications

  • The conductor of the study concluded that colonic samples, while providing a representative profile of the luminal contents of a healthy horse’s large intestine, do not provide accurate information about the content of the stomach or the small intestine.
  • The findings of this research can have significant implications for future strategies targeting microbiota manipulation for the creation or maintenance of a healthy equine gut, as interventions can be designed to be region-specific.

Cite This Article

APA
Ericsson AC, Johnson PJ, Lopes MA, Perry SC, Lanter HR. (2016). A Microbiological Map of the Healthy Equine Gastrointestinal Tract. PLoS One, 11(11), e0166523. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0166523

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 11
Pages: e0166523
PII: e0166523

Researcher Affiliations

Ericsson, Aaron C
  • University of Missouri Metagenomics Center, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, 4011 Discovery Drive, Columbia, MO, 65201, United States of America.
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, 1600 Rollins Road, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America.
Johnson, Philip J
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, 1600 Rollins Road, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America.
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Missouri, 1600 Rollins Road, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America.
Lopes, Marco A
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, 1600 Rollins Road, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America.
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Missouri, 1600 Rollins Road, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America.
Perry, Sonja C
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, 1600 Rollins Road, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America.
Lanter, Hannah R
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, 1600 Rollins Road, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States of America.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteria / classification
  • Bacteria / genetics
  • Bacterial Typing Techniques
  • Cecum / microbiology
  • Colon / microbiology
  • Duodenum / microbiology
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome / genetics
  • Genetic Variation
  • Horses / microbiology
  • Ileum / microbiology
  • Jejunum / microbiology
  • Male
  • Organ Specificity
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Stomach / microbiology
  • Symbiosis / physiology

Grant Funding

  • K01 OD019924 / NIH HHS

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Citations

This article has been cited 66 times.
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