Investigating the immune modulation of microRNAs and their association with the microbiota profile of horses with severe equine asthma.
In this study, we hypothesize that severe equine asthma (SEA) affected horses may experience gut dysbiosis due to differences in their microbiota profile and regulation by microRNAs compared to healthy horses. We aim to measure the fecal microbiota composition of healthy horses compared to SEA-affected horses as a tool to reveal potential gut dysbiosis. Rectal swabs from healthy horses (n = 8/group) and severe asthmatic horses (SEA; n = 4/group) were collected for DNA isolation and 16 sRNA sequencing to identify key prokaryotic (bacteria and archaea) and eukaryotic (fungi) microorganisms present in the feces of healthy relative to SEA affected horses.