In an attempt to increase profits and sustainability in the swine industry, the gut microbiome has become a focus of much research. In this study, we performed a comparative analysis of the gut microbiome in the ileum, cecum, and colon of Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) (DLY) pigs showing two extreme feed conversion ratios (FCRs) using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results revealed that the microbial community in the cecum and colon had significantly higher alpha diversity than the ileum. We further identified 11, 55, and 55 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with significantly different relative abundances between the high and low FCR pigs among the three gut locations, respectively. These OTUs were mainly associated with bacteria that participate in the metabolism of dietary polysaccharides and proteins. We then identified two and nine metabolic pathways that were enriched in the cecum and colon of the high FCR pigs, respectively. The results suggested that the short chain fatty acids and indolic compounds produced by microbial fermentation might influence porcine feed efficiency. These results should improve our understanding of microbiota compositions in the different gut locations of commercial pigs and provide important insights into the effect of gut microbiota on porcine FCRs.

Gut microbiota has indispensable roles in nutrient digestion and energy harvesting, especially in processing the indigestible components of dietary polysaccharides. Searching for the microbial taxa and functional capacity of the gut microbiome associated with feed efficiency (FE) can provide important knowledge to increase profitability and sustainability of the swine industry. In the current study, we performed a comparative analysis of the fecal microbiota in 50 commercial Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) (DLY) pigs with polarizing FE using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. There was a different microbial community structure in the fecal microbiota of pigs with different FE. Random forest analysis identified 24 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) as potential biomarkers to improve swine FE. Multiple comparison analysis detected 8 OTUs with a significant difference or tendency toward a difference between high- and low-FE pigs (P < 0.01, q < 0.1). The high-FE pigs had a greater abundance of OTUs that were from the Lachnospiraceae and Prevotellaceae families and the Escherichia-Shigella and Streptococcus genera than low-FE pigs. A sub-species Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. gallolyticus could be an important candidate for improving FE. The functional capacity analysis found 18 KEGG pathways and CAZy EC activities that were different between high- and low-FE pigs. The fecal microbiota in high FE pigs have greater functional capacity to degrade dietary cellulose, polysaccharides, and protein and may have a greater abundance of microbes that can promote intestinal health. These results provided insights for improving porcine FE through modulating the gut microbiome.

Increasing feed efficiency is a major goal of breeders as it can reduce production cost and energy consumption. However, the genetic architecture of feeding behavior and feed efficiency traits remains elusive. To investigate the genetic architecture of feed efficiency in pigs, three feeding behavior traits (daily feed intake, number of daily visits to feeder, and duration of each visit) and two feed efficiency traits (feed conversion ratio and residual feed intake) were considered. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of the five traits using a population of 1,008 Duroc pigs genotyped with an Illumina Porcine SNP50K BeadChip. A total of 9 genome-wide (P < 1.54E-06) and 35 suggestive (P < 3.08E-05) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected. Two pleiotropic quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on SSC 1 and SSC 7 were found to affect more than one trait. Markers WU_10.2_7_18377044 and DRGA0001676 are two key SNPs for these two pleiotropic QTLs. Marker WU_10.2_7_18377044 on SSC 7 contributed 2.16 and 2.37% of the observed phenotypic variance for DFI and RFI, respectively. The other SNP DRGA0001676 on SSC 1 explained 3.22 and 5.46% of the observed phenotypic variance for FCR and RFI, respectively. Finally, functions of candidate genes and gene set enrichment analysis indicate that most of the significant pathways are associated with hormonal and digestive gland secretion during feeding. This study advances our understanding of the genetic mechanisms of feeding behavior and feed efficiency traits and provide an opportunity for increasing feeding efficiency using marker-assisted selection or genomic selection in pigs.

Greater feed efficiency (FE) is critical in increasing profitability while reducing the environmental impact of pig production. Previous studies that identified swine FE-associated bacterial taxa were limited in either sampling sites or sequencing methods. This study characterized the microbiomes within the intestine of FE contrasting Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) (DLY) pigs with a comprehensive representation of diverse sampling sites (ileum, cecum, and colon) and a metagenomic sequencing approach. A total of 226 pigs were ranked according to their FE between weaning to 140 day old, and six with extreme phenotypes were selected, three for each of the high and low groups. The results revealed that the cecum and colon had similar microbial taxonomic composition and function, and had higher capacity in polysaccharide metabolism than the ileum. We found in cecum that the high FE pigs had slightly higher richness and evenness in their micriobiota than the low FE pigs. We identified 12 phyla, 17 genera, and 39 species (e.g., Treponema porcinum, Treponema bryantii, and Firmicutes bacterium CAG:110) that were potentially associated with swine FE variation in cecum microbiota through LEfSe analysis. Species enriched in the cecum of the high FE pigs had a greater ability to utilize dietary polysaccharides and dietary protein according to the KEGG annotation. Analysis of antibiotic resistance based on the CARD database annotation indicated that the macB resistant gene might play an important role in shaping the microbial community in the cecum of pigs with contrasting FE. The bacteria from the genus Prevotella was highly enriched in the cecum of low FE pigs, which may impair the establishment of a more effective nutrient harvesting microbiota because of the interaction between Prevotella and other benefical microbes. These findings improved our understanding of the microbial compositions in the different gut locations of DLY pigs and identified many biomarkers associated with FE variation wich may be used to develop strategies to improve FE in pigs.

Macrophages are multifunctional immune cells whose functions depend on polarizable phenotypes and the microenvironment. Macrophages have two phenotypes, including the M1 proinflammatory phenotype and the M2 anti‐inflammatory phenotype, which play important roles in many inflammatory responses and diseases. α‐Ketoglutarate is a key metabolite of the TCA cycle and can regulate the phenotype of macrophage polarization to exert anti‐inflammatory effects in many inflammation‐related diseases. In this review, we primarily elucidate the metabolism, regulatory mechanism, and perspectives of α‐ketoglutarate on macrophages. The regulation of macrophage polarization by α‐ketoglutarate may provide a promising target for the prevention and therapy of inflammatory diseases and is beneficial to animal health.

Intramuscular fat (IMF) is an important quantitative trait of meat, which affects the associated sensory properties and nutritional value of pork. To gain a better understanding of the genetic determinants of IMF, we used a composite strategy, including single-locus and multi-locus association analyses to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for IMF in 1,490 Duroc boars. We estimated the genomic heritability of IMF to be 0.23 ± 0.04. A total of 30 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found to be significantly associated with IMF. The single-locus mixed linear model (MLM) and multiple-locus methods multi-locus random-SNP-effect mixed linear model (mrMLM), fast multi-locus random-SNP-effect efficient mixed model association (FASTmrEMMA), and integrative sure independence screening expectation maximization Bayesian least absolute shrinkage and selection operator model (ISIS EM-BLASSO) analyses identified 5, 9, 8, and 21 significant SNPs, respectively. Interestingly, a novel quantitative trait locus (QTL) on SSC 7 was found to affect IMF. In addition, 10 candidate genes (BDKRB2, GTF2IRD1, UTRN, TMEM138, DPYD, CASQ2, ZNF518B, S1PR1, GPC6, and GLI1) were found to be associated with IMF based on their potential functional roles in IMF. GO analysis showed that most of the genes were involved in muscle and organ development. A significantly enriched KEGG pathway, the sphingolipid signaling pathway, was reported to be associated with fat deposition and obesity. Identification of novel variants and functional genes will advance our understanding of the genetic mechanisms of IMF and provide specific opportunities for marker-assisted or genomic selection in pigs. In general, such a composite single-locus and multi-locus strategy for GWAS may be useful for understanding the genetic architecture of economic traits in livestock.