Browsing by Author "Xu, Ke"

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    Dynamics of Small Non-coding RNA Profiles and the Intestinal Microbiome of High and Low Weight Chickens
    Zhou, Hao; Yang, Lingyu; Ding, Jinmei; Xu, Ke; Liu, Jiajia; Zhu, Wenqi; Zhu, Jianshen; He, Chuan; Han, Chengxiao; Qin, Chao; Luo, Huaixi; Chen, Kangchun; Zheng, Yuming; Honaker, Christa F.; Zhang, Yan; Siegel, Paul B.; Meng, He (Frontiers, 2022-06-30)
    The host and its symbiotic bacteria form a biological entity, holobiont, in which they share a dynamic connection characterized by symbiosis, co-metabolism, and coevolution. However, how these collaborative relationships were maintained over evolutionary time remains unclear. In this research, the small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) profiles of cecum and their bacteria contents were measured from lines of chickens that have undergone long-term selection for high (HWS) or low (LWS) 56-day body weight. The results from these lines that originated from a common founder population and maintained under the same husbandry showed an association between host intestinal sncRNA expression profile (miRNA, lncRNA fragment, mRNA fragment, snoRNA, and snRNA) and intestinal microbiota. Correlation analyses suggested that some central miRNAs and mRNA fragments had interactions with the abundance of intestinal microbial species and microbiota functions. miR-6622-3p, a significantly differentially expressed (DE) miRNA was correlated with a body weight gain related bacterium, Alistipes putredinis. Our results showed that host sncRNAs may be mediators of interaction between the host and its intestinal microbiome. This provides additional clue for holobiont concepts.
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    Gut Microbiota Co-microevolution with Selection for Host Humoral Immunity
    Yang, Lingyu; Liu, Shuyun; Ding, Jinmei; Dai, Ronghua; He, Chuan; Xu, Ke; Honaker, Christa F.; Zhang, Yan; Siegel, Paul B.; Meng, He (Frontiers, 2017-07-04)
    To explore coevolution between the gut microbiota and the humoral immune system of the host, we used chickens as the model organism. The host populations were two lines (HAS and LAS) developed from a common founder that had undergone 40 generations of divergent selection for antibody titers to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and two relaxed sublines (HAR and LAR). Analysis revealed that microevolution of host humoral immunity contributed to the composition of gut microbiota at the taxa level. Relaxing selection enriched some microorganisms whose functions were opposite to host immunity. Particularly, Ruminococcaceae and Oscillospira enriched in high antibody relaxed (HAR) and contributed to reduction in antibody response, while Lactobacillus increased in low antibody relaxed (LAR) and elevated the antibody response. Microbial functional analysis showed that alterations were involved in pathways relating to the immune system and infectious diseases. Our findings demonstrated co-microevolution relationships of host-microbiota and that gut microorganisms influenced host immunity.