Intestinal microbiota mediates Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-induced diarrhea in piglets

• Published in: BMC veterinary research Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 385
• Main Authors: Bin, Peng, Tang, Zhiyi, Liu, Shaojuan, Chen, Shuai, Xia, Yaoyao, Liu, Jiaqi, Wu, Hucong, Zhu, Guoqiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 05-12-2018; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Animals; Bacteria; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - genetics; Care and treatment; Coliforms; Communicable diseases; Complications and side effects; Development and progression; Diarrhea; Diarrhea - microbiology; Diarrhea - veterinary; Digestive system; Dysbacteriosis; Dysbiosis - immunology; Dysbiosis - microbiology; Dysbiosis - veterinary; E coli; Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli; Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli - immunology; Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli - physiology; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli infections; Escherichia coli Infections - veterinary; Experiments; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation; Fecal microflora; Feces; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - genetics; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - immunology; Gastrointestinal tract; Health aspects; Hogs; Host-bacteria relationships; Immune response; Infections; Infectious diseases; Intestinal Diseases - immunology; Intestinal Diseases - microbiology; Intestinal Diseases - veterinary; Intestinal microflora; Intestine; Jejunum; Mediation; Metabolites; Metagenomics; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Microbiota transplantation; Pathogenesis; Physiology; Piglet; RNA; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; rRNA 16S; Structure-function relationships; Surgery; Swine; Swine Diseases - immunology; Swine Diseases - microbiology; Transplantation; Type 2 diabetes; China; Diarrhea; Microbiota transplantation; Microbiota; Piglet; Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli
• ISSN: 1746-6148; 1746-6148
• DOI: 10.1186/s12917-018-1704-9

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) causes diarrhea in humans, cows, and pigs. The gut microbiota underlies pathology of several infectious diseases yet the role of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of ETEC-induced diarrhea is unknown.
By using an ETEC induced diarrheal model in piglet, we profiled the jejunal and fecal microbiota using metagenomics and 16S rRNA sequencing. A jejunal microbiota transplantation experiment was conducted to determine the role of the gut microbiota in ETEC-induced diarrhea. ETEC-induced diarrhea influenced the structure and function of gut microbiota. Diarrheal piglets had lower Bacteroidetes: Firmicutes ratio and microbiota diversity in the jejunum and feces, and lower percentage of Prevotella in the feces, but higher Lactococcus in the jejunum and higher Escherichia-Shigella in the feces. The transplantation of the jejunal microbiota from diarrheal piglets to uninfected piglets leaded to diarrhea after transplantation. Microbiota transplantation experiments also supported the notion that dysbiosis of gut microbiota is involved in the immune responses in ETEC-induced diarrhea.
We conclude that ETEC infection influences the gut microbiota and the dysbiosis of gut microbiota after ETEC infection mediates the immune responses in ETEC infection.