Effects of Mycoplasma gallisepticum Infection on the Microbial Community Structure and Function in the Oviduct Magnum of Laying Hens

To clarify the effects of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (M. gallisepticum) infection on the oviduct magnum microbial community of laying hens, 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was performed on 17 Roman Gray hens (10 infected, 7 uninfected). The infected group had more OTUs (473 vs. 356) and was significantly enriched in phylum Mycoplasmatota and genus Mycoplasma (LDA ≥ 2), while the uninfected group was dominated by Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Escherichia, and Bacillus. Alpha diversity (Chao1, Shannon, Simpson indices) showed no significant differences (p > 0.05), but Beta diversity analyses (ANOSIM R=0.63, p=0.001; Adonis Pr(>F)=0.001, R²=0.219) revealed extremely significant structural differences. PICRUSt predicted high abundances of basic metabolism and genetic information processing genes, and Bray-Curtis PCoA with PERMANOVA (p < 0.05) confirmed distinct functional separation between groups. In conclusion, M. gallisepticum infection reshapes the microbial structure and function in the oviduct magnum, providing basic data for studying reproductive tract microbe interactions and protein synthesis impacts.