👤 Victoria G Castiglioni

Genetically modified soybean is largely used in animal feed and its massive cultivation affects the environmental sustainability of livestock and the dependency for the import in the European market. The aim of this study was to evaluate the partial substitution of soybean meal with an innovative common bean genotype (Phaseolus vulgaris lec-lpa) with reduced content of anti-nutritional factors on zootechnical performance, gut microbiota modulation and faecal minerals in post-weaning piglets. Fourteen piglets were divided into a control group fed with a basal diet and a treatment group fed with a commercial diet in which 7.3% of soybean meal and 0.8% of soybean oil were replaced with 10% of P. vulgaris lec- lpa for 28 days. BW, ADG, ADFI and FCR were evaluated, and diarrhoea incidence was recorded. Evaluation of pH, nitrogen content, protein digestibility and mineral content was performed on faecal samples. Microbiota was analysed by rectal swabs samples. Blood serum metabolic profile was evaluated. The treatment group showed lower BW and ADG during the trial (p < 0.05), but the health status of the animals was preserved. The treatment group released lower levels of minerals in faeces when compared with the control group after 28 days (p < 0.05) suggesting a lower dispersion of faecal minerals in the environment. Significant Beta diversity index was observed at 14 and 28 days (p < 0.05). Roseburia and Butyricicoccus increased in treatment group at day 28 (p < 0.05). These genera are associated with SCFA production, contributing to the maintenance of intestinal integrity, promoting positive bacterial populations and limiting inflammatory phenomena. In conclusion, P. vulgaris lec- lpa could be a viable and sustainable alternative protein source to reduce the European protein gap, playing a potential role in microbiota modulation and faecal minerals release. Show less

Crumbs proteins are evolutionarily conserved transmembrane proteins with essential roles in promoting the formation of the apical domain in epithelial cells. The short intracellular tail of Crumbs proteins are known to interact with several proteins, including the scaffolding protein PALS1 (protein associated with LIN7, Stardust in Drosophila). PALS1 in turn binds to a second scaffolding protein PATJ (PALS1-associated tight junction protein) to form the core Crumbs/PALS1/PATJ complex. While essential roles in epithelial organization have been shown for Crumbs proteins in Drosophila and mammalian systems, the three Caenorhabditis elegans crumbs genes are dispensable for epithelial polarization and development. Here, we investigated the presence and function of PALS1 and PATJ orthologs in C. elegans. We identified MAGU-2 as the C. elegans ortholog of PALS1 and show that MAGU-2 interacts with all three Crumbs proteins and localizes to the apical membrane domain of intestinal epithelial cells in a Crumbs-dependent fashion. Similar to crumbs mutants, magu-2 deletion showed no epithelial polarity defects. We also identified MPZ-1 as a candidate ortholog of PATJ based on the physical interaction with MAGU-2 and sequence similarity with PATJ proteins. However, MPZ-1 is not broadly expressed in epithelial tissues and, therefore, not likely a core component of the C. elegans Crumbs complex. Finally, we show overexpression of the Crumbs proteins EAT-20 or CRB-3 can lead to apical membrane expansion in the intestine. Our results shed light on the composition of the C. elegans Crumbs complex and indicate that the role of Crumbs proteins in promoting apical domain formation is conserved. Show less