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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #417302
Research Project: Analysis of Genetic Factors that Increase Foodborne Pathogen Fitness, Virulence, and Antimicrobial Resistance Transfer, to Identify Interventions against Salmonella and Campylobacter in Food Animals

Location: Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research

Title: Microbiota modulation impacts Salmonella colonization and host gene expression in chickens

Author
item Looft, Torey
item WICKWARE, CARMEN - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item HARRIS, DYLAN - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item Monson, Melissa

Submitted to: Beneficial Microbes
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/21/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Exposing chicks to feces or cecal contents from mature birds can reduce Salmonella, potentially through competitive exclusion. This study compared the anti-Salmonella potential of mature cecal contents (CC) to a consortium of 15 commensal bacteria (DC). White Leghorn chicks were divided into three groups, and orally gavaged with DC, CC, or sterile PBS (control; CT). After one week, birds were euthanized for cecal content and cecal tissue collection (pre-Salmonella sample), while remaining birds were orally gavaged with 1X108 colony forming units (CFU) of Salmonella enterica ser. Heidelberg (SH2813). RNA was isolated from tissues for transcriptomic analysis. Cecal content DNA was used for microbiota analysis. Salmonella CFUs were evaluated (3-, 14-, and 28-days post Salmonella inoculation; dpi). The microbiota from CC showed significant differences in alpha diversity compared to other groups for all timepoints (adj.p < 0.05). The bacterial community in DC birds had lower diversity and abundance compared to CT birds on day 14 but diversity in DC was closer to CT on 28 dpi. A 2log10 reduction in SH2813 was observed in DC compared to CT at 28 dpi (adj.p < 0.05). SH2813 counts from the CC group were below 10 CFU/g for all timepoints. Before Salmonella inoculation, 758 genes from CC birds and 25 genes from DC birds were differentially expressed compared to CT birds. Differentially expressed genes included transporters, tight junction, and immunological genes. This study focuses on leveraging the impact of commensal bacteria within the chicken intestine to reduce the duration and density of Salmonella colonization.