Liu Yi, Li Guangquan, Wang Xianze, Jia Huiyan, Dai Jiuli, Chen Shufang, He Daqian
Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Institute of Livestock and Poultry Research, Ningbo Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ningbo, China.
Front Microbiol. 2025 Feb 18;16:1498460. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1498460. eCollection 2025.
Fasting and refeeding protocols, which induce short-term fluctuations in nutrient and energy levels, elicit adaptive physiological responses in animals. In this study, biochemical, transcriptome and 16S rRNA sequencing techniques were used to investigate the physiological effects of fasting and refeeding on immune responses, liver gene expression, and gut microbiota composition in geese. Fasting led to a significant reduction in circulating levels of IgA and IFN-, while IgG, TNF-, IL-6, and IL-10 levels remained stable. Upon refeeding, IgA and IFN-γlevels rapidly returned to baseline. RNA-Seq analysis identified 858 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the control and fasted groups, and 732 DEGs between the fasted and refed groups. Key regulatory genes involved in energy metabolism and lipid biosynthesis, such as , , and PCK1, were upregulated during fasting, reflecting an increase in fatty acid oxidation and gluconeogenesis. Conversely, lipogenic genes, including , , , and , were downregulated during fasting and upregulated during refeeding, indicating a metabolic shift from catabolic to anabolic processes. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses revealed significant involvement of the PPAR signaling, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and insulin signaling pathways. Additionally, 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that fasting increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, while decreasing Firmicutes. Both alpha and beta diversity were significantly reduced during fasting. Functional analysis of the gut microbiota suggested a shift toward fatty acid oxidation during fasting. Correlation analysis further demonstrated that the relative abundance of was positively correlated with genes involved in gluconeogenesis and negatively correlated with lipid metabolism genes, such as and . This underscores the role of the gut-liver axis in regulating metabolic adaptations. These findings offer critical insights into how short-term fluctuations in nutrient availability influence immune function, metabolic regulation, and gut microbiota composition in geese. This research also provides potential strategies for optimizing poultry nutrition and health management.
禁食和再喂食方案会引起营养和能量水平的短期波动，从而在动物体内引发适应性生理反应。在本研究中，运用生化、转录组和16S rRNA测序技术，研究禁食和再喂食对鹅免疫反应、肝脏基因表达及肠道微生物群组成的生理影响。禁食导致循环中IgA和IFN-水平显著降低，而IgG、TNF-、IL-6和IL-10水平保持稳定。再喂食后，IgA和IFN-γ水平迅速恢复至基线。RNA测序分析确定了对照组与禁食组之间有858个差异表达基因（DEG），禁食组与再喂食组之间有732个DEG。参与能量代谢和脂质生物合成的关键调控基因，如、和PCK1，在禁食期间上调，反映出脂肪酸氧化和糖异生增加。相反，包括、、、和在内的生脂基因在禁食期间下调，在再喂食期间上调，表明代谢从分解代谢向合成代谢过程转变。基因本体（GO）和KEGG通路富集分析显示，PPAR信号传导、糖酵解/糖异生和胰岛素信号通路有显著参与。此外，16S rRNA基因测序表明，禁食增加了拟杆菌门和变形菌门的丰度，同时降低了厚壁菌门。禁食期间，α多样性和β多样性均显著降低。肠道微生物群的功能分析表明，禁食期间向脂肪酸氧化转变。相关性分析进一步表明，的相对丰度与参与糖异生的基因呈正相关，与脂质代谢基因如和呈负相关。这突出了肠-肝轴在调节代谢适应中的作用。这些发现为营养可利用性的短期波动如何影响鹅的免疫功能、代谢调节和肠道微生物群组成提供了重要见解。本研究还为优化家禽营养和健康管理提供了潜在策略。
