Comparison of cecal microbiota composition in hybrid pigs from two separate three-way crosses

Abstract

Objective: The intestinal microbiota plays an important role in host physiology, metabolism, immunity, and behavior. And host genetics could influence the gut microbiota of hybrid animals. The three-way cross model is commonly utilized in commercial pig production; however, the use of this model to analyse the gut microbial composition is rarely reported. Methods: Two three-way hybrid pigs were selected, with Saba pigs as the starting maternal pig: Duroc× (Berkshire×Saba) (DBS) pig, Berkshire×(Duroc×Saba) (BDS) pig. One hundred pigs of each model were reared from 35 days (d) to 210 d. The body weight or feed consumption of all pigs were recorded and their feed/gain (F/G) ratio was calculated. On day 210, 10 pigs from each three-way cross were selected for slaughter, and cecal chyme samples were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results: The final body weight (FBW) and average daily gain (ADG) of DBS pigs were significantly higher than those of BDS pigs (p<0.05), while the F/G ratios of DBS pigs were significantly lower than those of BDS pigs (p<0.05). The dominant phyla in DBS and BDS pigs were Bacteroidetes (55.23% vs 59%, respectively) and Firmicutes (36.65% vs 34.86%, respectively) (p>0.05). At the genus level, the abundance of <i>Prevotella, Roseburia</i>, and <i>Anaerovibrio</i> in DBS pigs was significantly lower than in BDS pigs (p<0.01). The <i>abundance of Eubacterium, Clostridium XI, Bacteroides, Methanomassiliicoccus</i>, and <i>Parabacteroides</i> in DBS pigs was significantly higher than in BDS pigs (p<0.05). The FBWs and ADGs were positively correlated with <i>Bacteroides, ClostridiumXI</i>, and <i>Parabacteroides</i> but negatively correlated with the <i>Prevotella, Prevotella</i>/Bacteroides (P/B) ratio, <i>Roseburia</i>, and <i>Anaerovibrio</i>. Conclusion: These results indicated that host genetics affect the cecal microbiota composition and the porcine gut microbiota is associated with growth performance, thereby suggesting that gut microbiota composition may be a useful biomarker in porcine genetics and breeding.