Characteristics of intestinal bacteriophages and their relationship with Bacteria and serum metabolites during quail sexual maturity transition.

BACKGROUND: Bacteriophages are prokaryotic viruses that rank among the most abundant microbes in the gut but remain among the least understood, especially in quails. In this study, we surveyed the gut bacteriophage communities in 22 quails at different ages (days 20 and 70) using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. We then systematically evaluated the relationships with gut bacteria and host serum metabolites. RESULTS: We discovered that Myoviridae and Siphoviridae were the dominant bacteriophage families in quails. Through a random forest and LEfSe analysis, we identified 23 differential bacteriophages with overlapping presence. Of these, 21 bacteriophages (e.g., Enterococcus phage IME-EFm5 and Enterococcus phage IME-EFm1) showed higher abundances in the day 20 group, while two bacteriophages (Bacillus phage Silence and Bacillus virus WPh) were enriched in the day 70 group. These key bacteriophages can serve as biomarkers for quail sexual maturity. Additionally, the differential bacteriophages significantly correlated with specific bacterial species and shifts in the functional capacities of the gut microbiome. For example, Enterococcus phages (e.g., Enterococcus phage EFP01, Enterococcus phage IME-EFm5, and Enterococcus phage IME-EFm1) were significantly (P < 0.001, FDR) and positively correlated with Enterococcus faecalis. However, the relationships between the host serum metabolites and either bacteriophages or bacterial species varied. None of the bacteriophages significantly (P > 0.05, FDR) correlated with nicotinamide riboside and triacetate lactone. In contrast, some differential bacterial species (e.g., Christensenella massiliensis and Bacteroides neonati) significantly (P < 0.05, FDR) correlated with nicotinamide riboside and triacetate lactone. Furthermore, characteristic successional alterations in gut bacteriophages, bacteria, and host serum metabolites across different ages highlighted a sexual maturity transition coexpression network. CONCLUSION: This study improves our understanding of the gut bacteriophage characteristics in quails and offers profound insights into the interactions among gut bacteriophages, bacteria, and host serum metabolites during the quail's sexual maturity transition.

Bacteroidales reduces growth rate through serum metabolites and cytokines in Chinese Ningdu yellow chickens.

Increasing evidence has indicated that the gut microbiome plays an important role in chicken growth traits. However, the cecal microbial taxa associated with the growth rates of the Chinese Ningdu yellow chickens are unknown. In this study, shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to identify cecal bacterial species associated with the growth rate of the Chinese Ningdu yellow chickens. We found that nine cecal bacterial species differed significantly between high and low growth rate chickens, including three species (Succinatimonas hippei, Phocaeicola massiliensis, and Parabacteroides sp. ZJ-118) that were significantly enriched in high growth rate chickens. We identified six Bacteroidales that were significantly enriched in low growth rate chickens, including Barnesiella sp. An22, Barnesiella sp. ET7, and Bacteroidales bacterium which were key biomarkers in differentiating high and low growth rate chickens and were associated with alterations in the functional taxa of the cecal microbiome. Untargeted serum metabolome analysis revealed that 8 metabolites showing distinct enrichment patterns between high and low growth rate chickens, including triacetate lactone and N-acetyl-a-neuraminic acid, which were at higher concentrations in low growth rate chickens and were positively and significantly correlated with Barnesiella sp. An22, Barnesiella sp. ET7, and Bacteroidales bacterium. Furthermore, the results suggest that serum cytokines, such as IL-5, may reduce growth rate and are related to changes in serum metabolites and gut microbes (e.g., Barnesiella sp. An22 and Barnesiella sp. ET7). These results provide important insights into the effects of the cecal microbiome, serum metabolism and cytokines in Ningdu yellow chickens.

Unlocking the Nexus of Sirtuins: A Comprehensive Review of Their Role in Skeletal Muscle Metabolism, Development, and Disorders.

The sirtuins constitute a group of histone deacetylases reliant on NAD+ for their activity that have gained recognition for their critical roles as regulators of numerous biological processes. These enzymes have various functions in skeletal muscle biology, including development, metabolism, and the body's response to disease. This comprehensive review seeks to clarify sirtuins' complex role in skeletal muscle metabolism, including glucose uptake, fatty acid oxidation, mitochondrial dynamics, autophagy regulation, and exercise adaptations. It also examines their critical roles in developing skeletal muscle, including myogenesis, the determination of muscle fiber type, regeneration, and hypertrophic responses. Moreover, it sheds light on the therapeutic potential of sirtuins by examining their impact on a range of skeletal muscle disorders. By integrating findings from various studies, this review outlines the context of sirtuin-mediated regulation in skeletal muscle, highlighting their importance and possible consequences for health and disease.