Early-Life Immune System Maturation in Chickens Using a Synthetic Community of Cultured Gut Bacteria
Christian Zenner, Thomas C. A. Hitch, Thomas Riedel, Esther Wortmann, Stefan Tiede, Eva Miriam Buhl, Birte Abt, Klaus Neuhaus, Philippe Velge, Jörg Overmann, Bernd Kaspers, Thomas Clavel
Abstract
The immune system plays a crucial role in sustaining animal health. Its development is markedly influenced by early microbial colonization of the gastrointestinal tract. As chicken are fully dependent on environmental microbes after hatching, extensive hygienic measures in production facilities are detrimental to the microbiota, resulting in low colonization resistance against pathogens. To combat enteric infections, antibiotics are frequently used, which aggravates the issue by altering gut microbiota colonization. Intervention strategies based on cultured gut bacteria are proposed to influence immune responses in chicken.