Date: September 21, 2016
Source: INRA-France
Pig is a main livestock species for food production worldwide and
is also widely used as an animal model in biomedical research. Today we know
that the many types of bacteria that inhabit the gut are important for health
and disease. Knowledge of the genes of these bacteria and their function therefore
constitutes the first step towards a more comprehensive understanding of how
bacteria in the gut affect health and disease.
The researchers have analyzed stool samples from 287 pigs representing different breeds and selected pig lines from 11 different farms in France, China and Denmark. In total the researchers identified 7.7 million genes and identified a large number of known and unknown bacteria. The results showed clear country dependent differences, reflecting differences in farm systems and antibiotics supplementation. The results further illustrate how age, gender, and pig genetics are associated with differences in the composition of bacteria in the gut.
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