Systems biology approach for analysis of mobile genetic elements in chicken gut microbiome

Antibiotic use in farming for decades has led to the selection pressure on chicken commensal bacteria which adapted to those changes by the acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes via horizontal gene transfer. Extensive gene transfer between gut bacteria is mediated by mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, integrative conjugative elements and temperate phages. Therefore, chicken gut commensal bacteria are considered reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes. Recently, we initiated a systemic cultivation of chicken gut anaerobes followed by subsequent whole genome sequencing and analysis. In this study, we implemented a novel in silico approach using systems biology methods to detect horizontal gene traits and mobile genetic elements associated with it in the genomes of chicken gut commensals. In total, we identified 1,427 genes envisaged to drive horizontal gene transfer between individual chicken gut microbiota members across different families. Except for genes known to be vertically transferred, we also revealed hypothetical genes which may represent important, yet unknown section of mobilome.