Peña Nuria, Lafuente Irene, Sevillano Ester, Feito Javier, Allendez Gastón, Muñoz-Atienza Estefanía, Crispie Fiona, Cintas Luis M, Cotter Paul D, Hernández Pablo E, Borrero Juan
Departamento de Nutrición y Ciencia de los Alimentos (NUTRYCIAL), Sección Departamental de Nutrición y Ciencia de los Alimentos (SD-NUTRYCIAL), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Avenida Puerta de Hierro, s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Co. Cork, APC Microbiome Ireland, P61 C996 Fermoy, Ireland.
Genes (Basel). 2025 Aug 11;16(8):946. doi: 10.3390/genes16080946.
: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics in livestock, offering a sustainable strategy for controlling bacterial pathogens in food production systems. In addition to their direct antimicrobial effects, AMPs play a key role in modulating host-associated microbiomes, influencing both microbial composition and function. Advances in metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatic tools now enable comprehensive exploration of AMP diversity and activity within complex microbial ecosystems. : In this study, we employed Illumina-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze intestinal contents from six gut sections of broiler chickens obtained from a Spanish slaughterhouse. : Through de novo assembly and bioinformatic annotation, we identified biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) encoding ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), other specialized bioactive secondary metabolites, antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), virulence factor genes (VFGs), and a diverse microbial community. Among all gut sections, the cecum exhibited the highest genetic richness, characterized by a high diversity of RiPP-like clusters and antimicrobial resistance determinants. : These findings highlight the poultry gut, particularly the cecum, as a significant reservoir of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with potential implications in antibiotic-free poultry production and enhanced food safety.
抗菌肽（AMPs）已成为家畜传统抗生素的有前景的替代品，为控制食品生产系统中的细菌病原体提供了一种可持续策略。除了直接的抗菌作用外，AMPs在调节宿主相关微生物群方面发挥着关键作用，影响微生物的组成和功能。宏基因组测序和生物信息工具的进展现在能够全面探索复杂微生物生态系统中AMP的多样性和活性。在本研究中，我们采用基于Illumina的下一代测序（NGS）技术分析了从西班牙一家屠宰场获取的肉鸡六个肠道部位的肠内容物。通过从头组装和生物信息注释，我们鉴定出了编码核糖体合成和翻译后修饰肽（RiPPs）、其他特殊生物活性次生代谢物、抗菌抗性基因（ARGs）、毒力因子基因（VFGs）以及一个多样化微生物群落的生物合成基因簇（BGCs）。在所有肠道部位中，盲肠表现出最高的遗传丰富度，其特征是类RiPP簇和抗菌抗性决定因素的高度多样性。这些发现突出了家禽肠道，特别是盲肠，作为抗菌肽（AMPs）的重要储存库，对无抗生素家禽生产和提高食品安全具有潜在意义。
