title: Chronic Zinc Deficiency Alters Chick Gut Microbiota Composition and Function.
abstract: Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a prevalent micronutrient insufficiency. Although the gut is a vital organ for Zn utilization, and Zn deficiency is associated with impaired intestinal permeability and a global decrease in gastrointestinal health, alterations in the gut microbial ecology of the host under conditions of Zn deficiency have yet to be studied. Using the broiler chicken (Gallus gallus) model, the aim of this study was to characterize distinct cecal microbiota shifts induced by chronic dietary Zn depletion. We demonstrate that Zn deficiency induces significant taxonomic alterations and decreases overall species richness and diversity, establishing a microbial profile resembling that of various other pathological states. Through metagenomic analysis, we show that predicted Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways responsible for macro- and micronutrient uptake are significantly depleted under Zn deficiency; along with concomitant decreases in beneficial short chain fatty acids, such depletions may further preclude optimal host Zn availability. We also identify several candidate microbes that may play a significant role in modulating the bioavailability and utilization of dietary Zn during prolonged deficiency. Our results are the first to characterize a unique and dysbiotic cecal microbiota during Zn deficiency, and provide evidence for such microbial perturbations as potential effectors of the Zn deficient phenotype.
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS Robert Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. smr2@cornell.edu.|Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. smr2@cornell.edu.|College of Medicine, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA. smr2@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Spenser
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, 8 Henrietta Szold St, Safed 1311502, Israel. hadarneuman@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hadar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Neuman
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, 8 Henrietta Szold St, Safed 1311502, Israel. sharonmosc@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moscovich
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS Robert Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. rpg3@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Raymond P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Glahn
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, 8 Henrietta Szold St, Safed 1311502, Israel. Omry.Koren@biu.ac.il.
authors.forename: Omry
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Koren
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS Robert Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. et79@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Elad
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tako
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002645:Chickens; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D015032:Zinc
keywords: cecal microbiome; dysbiosis; microbiota; zinc biomarker; zinc deficiency