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Home / Equine Research Bank / PLoS One / Composition and Diversity of the Fecal Microbiome and Inferr...
PloS one2015; 10(8); e0136586; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136586

Composition and Diversity of the Fecal Microbiome and Inferred Fecal Metagenome Does Not Predict Subsequent Pneumonia Caused by Rhodococcus equi in Foals.

Abstract: In equids, susceptibility to disease caused by Rhodococcus equi occurs almost exclusively in foals. This distribution might be attributable to the age-dependent maturation of immunity following birth undergone by mammalian neonates that renders them especially susceptible to infectious diseases. Expansion and diversification of the neonatal microbiome contribute to development of immunity in the gut. Moreover, diminished diversity of the gastrointestinal microbiome has been associated with risk of infections and immune dysregulation. We thus hypothesized that varying composition or reduced diversity of the intestinal microbiome of neonatal foals would contribute to increased susceptibility of their developing R. equi pneumonia. The composition and diversity indices of the fecal microbiota at 3 and 5 weeks of age were compared among 3 groups of foals: 1) foals that subsequently developed R. equi pneumonia after sampling; 2) foals that subsequently developed ultrasonographic evidence of pulmonary abscess formation or consolidation but not clinical signs (subclinical group); and, 3) foals that developed neither clinical signs nor ultrasonographic evidence of pulmonary abscess formation or consolidation. No significant differences were found among groups at either sampling time, indicating absence of evidence of an influence of composition or diversity of the fecal microbiome, or predicted fecal metagenome, on susceptibility to subsequent R. equi pneumonia. A marked and significant difference identified between a relatively short interval of time appeared to reflect ongoing adaptation to transition from a milk diet to a diet including available forage (including hay) and access to concentrate fed to the mare.
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Publication Date: 2015-08-25 PubMed ID: 26305682PubMed Central: PMC4549325DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136586Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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 article investigates if the composition or diversity of the gut microbiome in newborn horse foals influences their susceptibility to pneumonia caused by Rhodococcus equi, a pathogenic bacterium. The findings suggest that there is no substantial link between gut microbiome factors and foal susceptibility to the disease.

Understanding the Research Context

  • The study is entrenched in the context of equid (horse family) health, specifically in neonatal foals. The main focus of the paper is on susceptibility to Rhodococcus equi infection, which frequently leads to pneumonia in foals.
  • There is a hint that this susceptibility might be tied to the immune system maturation post-birth, which leaves young mammals, especially neonates, prone to infectious diseases.
  • Susceptibility to infection could be tied to the gut microbiome, which significantly contributes to immune development. A less diverse microbiome may increase the risk of infection and immune dysregulation.

The Hypothesis and Methodology

  • In this context, the researchers hypothesize that variations or reduced diversity in a neonatal foal’s gut microbiome could point towards an increased susceptibility to pneumonia caused by R. equi.
  • The researchers compared fecal microbiota composition and diversity at 3 and 5 weeks of age across three groups of foals. These are, foals that developed pneumonia after sampling, those that showed signs of pulmonary abscess or consolidation but were not symptomatic (subclinical group), and foals that did not present any symptoms or signs of abscess or consolidation.

Research Findings

  • The results showed no significant differences between the groups at either sampling time. This suggests that the fecal microbiome, whether in terms of diversity or composition, has no substantial influence on the susceptibility of neonate foals to Rhodococcus equi pneumonia.
  • A significant finding was a distinct change within a short time interval that was believed to be an adaptation to dietary changes—from a milk diet to one that included forage and concentrate fed to the mare.

Cite This Article

APA
Whitfield-Cargile CM, Cohen ND, Suchodolski J, Chaffin MK, McQueen CM, Arnold CE, Dowd SE, Blodgett GP. (2015). Composition and Diversity of the Fecal Microbiome and Inferred Fecal Metagenome Does Not Predict Subsequent Pneumonia Caused by Rhodococcus equi in Foals. PLoS One, 10(8), e0136586. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0136586

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 8
Pages: e0136586

Researcher Affiliations

Whitfield-Cargile, Canaan M
  • Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
Cohen, Noah D
  • Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
Suchodolski, Jan
  • Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
Chaffin, M Keith
  • Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
McQueen, Cole M
  • Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
Arnold, Carolyn E
  • Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
Dowd, Scot E
  • Molecular Research DNA Laboratory (MR DNA), Shallowater, Texas, United States of America.
Blodgett, Glenn P
  • 6666 Ranch, Guthrie, Texas, United States of America.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Disease Susceptibility
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Horse Diseases / genetics
  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
  • Horses / genetics
  • Horses / microbiology
  • Metagenome
  • Microbiota / genetics
  • Pneumonia / microbiology
  • Pneumonia / veterinary
  • Rhodococcus equi / genetics
  • Rhodococcus equi / pathogenicity

Conflict of Interest Statement

Competing Interests: 1) This study was supported by a grant from Boehringer Ingelheim; 2) Scot Dowd is an employee of Molecular Research DNA Laboratory and receives a salary from Molecular Research DNA Laboratory, Shallowater, TX; and, 3) Glenn P. Blodgett is employed by 6666 Ranch. There are no patents, products in development, or marketed products to declare. This does not alter the authors\' adherence to all the PLoS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

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