Responses of rumen bacterial microflora to aflatoxin B1 challenge: potential roles of AHLs/AI-2 mediated quorum sensing

作者：Zuo Wang, Haikang Guo, Jianhua He, Zhijun Zhang, Sharon Huws, Tongjun Guo, Weijun Shen, Fachun Wan · 发表于：Animal Microbiome · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1186/s42523-026-00515-2 · 被引用次数：2 · 研究领域：Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology、Mycotoxins in Agriculture and Food、Milk Quality and Mastitis in Dairy Cows

BACKGROUND: As a universal cell-to-cell communication mode in the diverse microbial communities, quorum sensing (QS) has been discovered in the ruminal microbiome and supposed to play a significant role in feed digestion and microorganism adaptation during rumen fermentation. Besides, the mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) has been reported to cause rumen dysbacteriosis and alter the abundance of some specific ruminal bacteria that possess the QS-related genes. Threfore, we hypothesized that QS is involved in the responses of rumen bacterial microbiota to AFB1 exposure, and employed the rumen simulation technique (RUSITEC) to investigate the potential roles of QS in the AFB1-induced shifts in ruminal microbiota and relevant metabolisms. RESULTS: AFB1 raised ruminal pH and NH3-N concentration, but decreased total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) production, the molar proportions of acetate, propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate, valerate, isovalerate, and the disappearance of acid detergent fiber (ADF). The concentrations of QS signaling molecules including AI-2, C4-HSL, C6-HSL, and 3-oxo-C6-HSL were reduced by AFB1, whereas the microbial protein and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were unchanged. The copy numbers of Ruminococcus flavefaciens, methanogens, and fungi dropped, while the density of Selenomonas ruminantium rose in response to AFB1. LEfSe analysis showed that the species of unclassified_Prevotella, UCG_004_bacterium_YGB2007, Cenchrus americanus, uncultured_rumen_bacterium affiliated to ...