Yaxiao Han, Ran Zhang, Rongyan Zhou, Zhenhong Zhang, Yinliang Zhang, Shulong Yu, Lanhui Li
Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei province 071001, PR China.
Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei province 071001, PR China.
Poult Sci. 2025 Jun 23;104(9):105469. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2025.105469.
Sexual maturation is an important trait in poultry production. The initiation mechanism of sexual maturity is significant for breeding high-yield laying hens. Plasma metabolomics and gut microbiology were used to identify biomarkers of sexual maturity in laying hens. Cecal contents and plasma samples were collected from laying hens at 15 w, 17 w, and 22 w during the sexual maturity transition period. A total of 208 differential metabolites are significantly enriched pathways of sphingolipid metabolism, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism between 15 w and 17 w. A total of 183 differential metabolites were significantly enriched pathways of valine, leucine, isoleucine biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid metabolism between 17 w and 22 w. A total of 56 potential biomarkers, mainly consisting of carnitine and choline metabolites, was identified for the transition from 15 w to 22 w with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. A positive correlation between metabolites and estrogen was identified through Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA). The bacterial taxa associated with sexual maturity were identified in hens at three week-of-age by 16S rDNA Amplicon Sequencing. The bacterial compositions of 15 w, 17 w, and 22 w are distinct, with their main bacterial genera being Bacteroidetes, Desulfovibrio, and Lactobacillus, respectively. The bacterial species enriched in the three groups were key biomarkers distinguishing sexual maturity and significantly correlated with the shifts in the functional capacities of the gut microbiome. The choline, betaine, and methionine in metabolites are correlated with different bacteria using joint analysis, indicating that microbial communities can affect host metabolism. These results provide important insights into the dynamic change of plasma metabolism and gut microbiome in laying hens.
性成熟是家禽生产中的一个重要性状。性成熟的起始机制对于培育高产蛋鸡具有重要意义。血浆代谢组学和肠道微生物学被用于鉴定蛋鸡性成熟的生物标志物。在性成熟过渡期，于15周龄、17周龄和22周龄时从蛋鸡采集盲肠内容物和血浆样本。在15周龄和17周龄之间，共有208种差异代谢物显著富集于鞘脂代谢、甘氨酸、丝氨酸和苏氨酸代谢途径。在17周龄和22周龄之间，共有183种差异代谢物显著富集于缬氨酸、亮氨酸、异亮氨酸生物合成和甘油磷脂代谢途径。通过受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析，确定了从15周龄到22周龄过渡阶段的56种潜在生物标志物，主要由肉碱和胆碱代谢物组成。通过加权基因共表达网络分析（WGCNA）确定了代谢物与雌激素之间的正相关关系。通过16S rDNA扩增子测序在三周龄母鸡中鉴定了与性成熟相关的细菌类群。15周龄、17周龄和22周龄的细菌组成不同，其主要细菌属分别为拟杆菌属、脱硫弧菌属和乳杆菌属。在这三组中富集的细菌种类是区分性成熟的关键生物标志物，并且与肠道微生物群功能能力的变化显著相关。联合分析表明，代谢物中的胆碱、甜菜碱和蛋氨酸与不同细菌相关，表明微生物群落可影响宿主代谢。这些结果为蛋鸡血浆代谢和肠道微生物群的动态变化提供了重要见解。
