| Abstrakt: |
Simple Summary: Silkworms are monophagous insects that primarily feed on mulberry leaves. However, in sericulture, cost-effective artificial diets are often used to maximize productivity, which can lead to dietary stress, delayed development, and reduced silk quality in silkworms. Improving silkworms' adaptability to artificial diets is crucial for the sericulture industry. This study aimed to identify key intestinal bacteria taxa that facilitate silkworms' adaptation to dietary transitions by comparing the gut microbiomes of silkworms reared on three different diets: exclusive mulberry leaves, exclusive artificial diet, and a sequential transition from artificial diet to mulberry leaves. Using advanced sequencing techniques and bioinformatic analyses, we discovered that the transitional diet group harbored an intermediary gut microbiota complexity, with specific bacterial groups, such as Lactobacillus and Weissella, potentially aiding in the adaptation process. Our findings provide valuable insights into the adaptation mechanisms of silkworm gut microbiota in response to dietary changes. These results pave the way for developing tailored probiotic supplements that can be added to artificial diets, enhancing silkworms' adaptability and overall health without altering the diet composition. This research holds promise for optimizing sericulture practices, improving silk quality, and ensuring the sustainability of the silk industry. The gut microbiome significantly influences the health and productivity of silkworms (Bombyx mori), the cornerstone of sericulture. With the increasing use of cost-effective artificial diets in sericulture, it is crucial to understand how these diets impact the silkworm gut microbiomes. Here we employed 16S rRNA sequencing to delineate the impact of three distinct dietary regimens on the silkworm gut microbiomes: exclusive mulberry leaf diet (SY), exclusive artificial feed diet (SL), and a sequential transition from artificial feed to mulberry leaves (ZS). Our results unveiled stark differences in microbial diversity across the groups, with the ZS group displaying an intermediary complexity. LefSe and random forest analyses identified Methylobacteriaceae, Microbacterium, and Rhodococcus as significantly enriched in the ZS group, suggesting their potential to facilitate silkworms' adaptation to dietary transitions. Functional profiling revealed differential pathway regulation, indicating a metabolic reconfiguration in response to dietary modulations. Notably, the enrichment of Lactobacillus and Weissella in both the SL and ZS groups highlights their potential as probiotics in artificial diets. Our findings provide insights into the diet adaptation mechanisms of silkworm gut microbiota, paving the way for harnessing the intestinal bacteria to enhance silkworm health and silk production through targeted microbial interventions in sericulture practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
