N-Acyl-Homoserine Lactones May Affect the Gut Health of Low-Birth-Weight Piglets by Altering Intestinal Epithelial Cell Barrier Function and Amino Acid Metabolism

Background: In piglets, low birth weight (LBW) is associated with intestinal dysfunction, which affects their growth performance and causes economic losses. Objectives: This study was designed to test whether microbial quorum sensing (QS) affects LBW-induced intestinal developmental defects in piglets. Methods: Seven normal-birth-weight (NBW; 1.36 +/- 0.01 kg) and 7 LBW (0.89 +/- 0.01 kg) piglets were selected. Feces were collected from piglets on 2, 21, and 50 days of age for detection of the QS signaling molecules, N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), and microbiota analysis. The associations between 2 long-chain AHLs [N-3-oxo-dodecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (3OC12-HSL) and N-3-oxo-tetradecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (30C14-HSL)1 and the microbes were tested using Spearman correlation coefficients. The effect of 3OC12-HSL and 3OC14-HSL on intestinal porcine epithelial cell-jejunum 2 (IPEC-J2) cell viability was investigated by cholecystokinin octapeptide assay. Transcriptomic analysis was performed by RNA sequencing on cells treated with 3OC12-HSL. Results: The concentrations of 3OC12-HSL and 3OC14-HSL in the feces of LBW piglets were higher than those in NBW piglets at age 50 d by 2.5- and 2.24-fold, respectively (P < 0.05). The microbial (Y diversity (observed species, abundancebased coverage estimator, and Shannon index) of LBW piglets was 81-91% lower than that of NBW piglets (P < 0.05). The relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae UCG-002/UCG-013 was 43.0% and 30.0% lower, respectively, in feces from LBW compared with NBW piglets (P < 0.05). 3OC12-HSL and Ruminococcaceae UCG-002/UCG-005/UCG-010 abundance were negatively correlated (rho <= -0.58). Treatment with 400 mu M 3OC12-HSL markedly reduced IPEC-J2 cell viability by 47.5%. Transcriptomic data showed that 3OC12-HSL mainly changed the import across plasma membrane and arginine and proline metabolism of IPEC-J2 cells. Conclusions: 3OC12-HSL is a QS signaling molecule with an ability to impair gut health of LBW piglets. This finding adds to our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for gut injury in LBW piglets.

Automated summary

The study revealed that LBW piglets had lower microbial diversity in the intestines compared to NBW piglets, while exhibiting higher concentrations of 3OC12-HSL which was negatively correlated with specific microbial populations.