Impact of zearalenone on quorum sensing signaling molecules and its association with the suppression of ruminal microbial fermentation in a RUSITEC system

作者：Zuo Wang, Tianyi Ma, Jianhua He, Yu Ge, Qianglin Liu, Xinyi LAN, Lei Liu, Fachun Wan, Weijun Shen · 发表于：Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology/Journal of animal science and biotechnology · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1186/s40104-025-01337-z · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology、Mycotoxins in Agriculture and Food、Milk Quality and Mastitis in Dairy Cows

BACKGROUND: Zearalenone (ZEN), a common mycotoxin in ruminant diets, could disturb the rumen ecosystem and impair rumen fermentation. Noticeably, ZEN has been shown to reduce the relative abundances of specific bacterial taxa that potentially possess quorum sensing (QS) functions, which are deemed essential for the microbial interactions and adaptations during rumen fermentation. Nonetheless, whether QS communications participate in the responses of rumen microbial fermentation to ZEN remains unknown. Therefore, the present trial was performed to explore the potential roles of QS during the alterations of rumen microbial fermentation by ZEN through a rumen simulation technique (RUSITEC) system, in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. RESULTS: ZEN significantly (P < 0.05) reduced QS signal autoinducer-2 (AI-2), and tended to (P = 0.051) downregulate QS signal C4-homoserine lactone (HSL). ZEN also significantly (P < 0.05) decreased total volatile fatty acid (TVFA), acetate, propionate, isobutyrate, isovalerate, organic matter disappearance (OMD), neutral detergent fiber disappearance (NDFD), and acid detergent fiber disappearance (ADFD) in different manners. The linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis indicated significantly (P < 0.05) differential enrichments of a series of bacterial taxa such as Butyrivibrio_sp_X503, Rhizobium daejeonense, Hoylesella buccalis, Ezakiella coagulans, Enterococcus cecorum, Ruminococcus_sp_zg-924, Polystyrenella longa, and Met...