Avian leukosis virus subgroup J infection influencing composition of probiotics within chicken gut microbiota

Abstract Background: Avian leukosis virus (ALV) is one of the major causes of disease in poultry. Probiotics play a critical role in animal health maintenance. Studies have indicated that viral infection can alter the composition of chicken gut flora. We hypothesized that the ALV-J infection could alter Probiotics composition in chicken fecal bacterial microbiome. To test is, we performed high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and evaluated gut flora profiles from the feces of ALV-J infected and healthy chickens. Results: Relative abundance at the phylum and species levels was calculated. The phylum Proteobacteria was expressed in higher abundance in ALV-J infected chickens than in healthy chickens. Additionally, the abundance of the opportunistic pathogen, Propionibacterium acnes, significantly increased in ALV-J infected chickens. Interestingly, ALV-J infection tended to be significantly decreased by the probiotics Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactobacillus reuteri. Conclusions: The study indicated ALV-J infection significantly altered the gut microbiota distribution in chickens. It also showed that ALV-J infection significantly influenced composition of the probiotics including Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactobacillus reuteri in chicken gut, which implied that to relieve avian leucosis subgroup J, microbiota-targeted therapies such as probiotic supplements are required.