Abstract
Lipids are critical nutrients for aquatic animals, and excessive or insufficient lipid intake can lead to physiological disorders, which further affect fish growth and health. In aquatic animals, the gut microbiota has an important regulatory role in lipid metabolism. However, the effects of a high-fat diet on physical health and microbiota diversity in the gut of freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) are unclear. Therefore, in the present study, a control group (Con, 6%) and a high-fat diet group (HFD, 12%) were established for a 16-week feeding experiment in freshwater drum to explore the physiological changes in the gut and the potential regulatory mechanisms of bacteria. The results indicated that a high-fat diet inhibited antioxidant and immune capacity while increasing inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy in gut cells. Transcriptome analysis revealed significant enrichment in immune-related, apoptosis-related and disease-related pathways. Through 16S rRNA analysis, a total of 31 genus-level differentially abundant bacterial taxa were identified. In addition, a high-fat diet reduced gut microbial diversity and disrupted the ecological balance of the gut microbiota (Ace, Chao, Shannon and Simpson indices). Integrated analysis of the gut microbiota combined with physiological indicators and the transcriptome revealed that gut microbial disorders were associated with intestinal antioxidants, immune and inflammatory responses, cell apoptosis and autophagy. Specifically, genus-level bacterial taxa in Proteobacteria (Plesiomonas, Arenimonas, Erythrobacter and Aquabacteriumb) could serve as potential targets controlling the response to high-fat-diet stimulation.