Tang Xinyue, Li Ziming, Liu Xinghai, Wu Yulong, Gong Kaiqi, Guo Ying, Zhang Wenbing, Chi Shuyan, Liu Shilin, Huo Da, Yang Yujia
The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
Laboratory of Aquatic Nutrition and Feed, College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China.
Mar Biotechnol (NY). 2025 Sep 26;27(5):142. doi: 10.1007/s10126-025-10521-1.
Sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus is one of the key aquaculture species in China, possessing high nutritional and medicinal value. However, significant variations in growth are commonly observed among individuals during their development. This study investigates the differences in gut microbiota composition, digestive capacity, and metabolic pathways in A. japonicus, aiming to elucidate the underlying relations contributing to growth rate discrepancies from the perspective of gut microbiota. Intestinal tissues were collected from individuals exhibiting marked growth differences, but Sharing the same genetic background And growth environment, for 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. Although no significant differences were observed in alpha diversity at the ASV level, differences in phylum level proportions suggest potential functional variations. We found significant differences in the gut microbiota between fast-growing and slow-growing A. japonicus by LEfSe analysis. The abundance of fast-growing individuals in Verrucomicrobiota, Verrucomicrobiaceae, and Haloferula was significantly increased. Additionally, significant differences in the enrichment of gut microbiota metabolic pathways were observed; the fast-growing group demonstrated higher overall metabolic activity, and body weight showed a significant positive correlation with glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism and purine metabolism. The digestive capacity of fast-growing A. japonicus was significantly enhanced. Furthermore, fast-growing individuals exhibit a more complex metabolic network involving various biomolecular synthesis and metabolic pathways. These findings suggest that the differences in the growth rate of A. japonicus are primarily related to the functional activity of the gut microbiota; in particular, the improvement of digestive capacity and the activation of specific metabolic pathways may play a key role in promoting the growth of the host. Understanding these microbial influences provides valuable insights into the biological mechanisms underlying growth variation and may contribute to the development of strategies for optimizing sea cucumber aquaculture.
刺参是中国重要的水产养殖品种之一，具有很高的营养和药用价值。然而，在其生长发育过程中，个体间通常会出现显著的生长差异。本研究调查了刺参肠道微生物群组成、消化能力和代谢途径的差异，旨在从肠道微生物群的角度阐明导致生长速率差异的潜在关系。从具有明显生长差异但具有相同遗传背景和生长环境的个体中收集肠道组织，进行16S rRNA测序分析。虽然在ASV水平的α多样性上未观察到显著差异，但门水平比例的差异表明存在潜在的功能差异。通过LEfSe分析，我们发现快速生长和缓慢生长的刺参肠道微生物群存在显著差异。疣微菌门、疣微菌科和盐生菌属中快速生长个体的丰度显著增加。此外，还观察到肠道微生物群代谢途径富集的显著差异；快速生长组表现出更高的整体代谢活性，体重与乙醛酸和二羧酸代谢以及嘌呤代谢呈显著正相关。快速生长的刺参消化能力显著增强。此外，快速生长的个体表现出更复杂的代谢网络，涉及各种生物分子合成和代谢途径。这些发现表明，刺参生长速率的差异主要与肠道微生物群的功能活性有关；特别是消化能力的提高和特定代谢途径的激活可能在促进宿主生长中起关键作用。了解这些微生物影响为生长变异的生物学机制提供了有价值的见解，并可能有助于制定优化海参养殖的策略。
