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| Bacterial composition at the phylum (A) and genus levels (B) in the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum of cattle and three yak herds. Dairy = dairy cattle, Yellow = yellow cattle, WQ = WQ yak, SZ = SZ yak, ZB = ZB yak.
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Yak (Bos grunniens) is an unique ruminant species in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). The ruminant gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiota is not only associated with the nutrients metabolism, but also contributes to the host’s local adaptation. Examining the microbiota between cattle and yak in different geography could improve our understanding...
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... the rumen, a total of 38 phyla were identified from the 15 samples, ranging from 19 to 36 phyla for dairy cattle, yellow cattle, and yaks ( Figure 1A). The phyla Bacteroidetes (dairy cattle = 60.2%, yellow cattle = 64.8%, ...
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... bacteria belonging to the phyla Fibrobacteres, Spirochaetes, and Proteobacteria were present in all samples at the level of 2.5-4.0%. At the genus level ( Figure 1B), Prevotella was the most dominant bacterium in the rumen of dairy cattle (26.8%), yellow cattle (18.0%) and WQ yak (23.5%), followed by the Rikenellaceae RC9 group (dairy cattle = 10.2%, yellow cattle = 19.3%, and WQ yak = 13.5%) and the Bacteroideales F082 group (Bacteroidales, dairy cattle = 10.1%, yellow cattle = 12.3%, and WQ yak = 11.9%), accounting for approximately 47% of the overall bacterial composition. ...
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... the reticulum, a total of 40 phyla were observed in all samples, ranging from 16 to 40 phyla per sample ( Figure 1A). The phylum Bacteroidetes was the most abundant bacteria in the reticulum of dairy cattle (63.0%), yellow cattle (62.5%), ...
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... the dominant bacteria in the reticulum of SZ yak was the phylum Firmicutes (59.9%), followed by the phylum Bacteroidetes (30.3%). At the genus level ( Figure 1B), Prevotella was also the most dominant bacterium in the reticulum Different letters in the same column indicate the significant differences from each other. ...
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... the omasum, a total of 32 phyla were identified ( Figure 1A). The predominant bacteria were in the phylum Bacteroidetes (dairy cattle = 68.7%, ...
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... cattle = 16.3%, and WQ yak = 11.3%, SZ yak = 14.8% and ZB yak = 17.2%, Figure 1B). Prevotella was also abundantly present in the omasum of dairy cattle (19.6%), yellow cattle (10.6%) and WQ yak (21.2%), while the occurrence of Christensenellaceae R7 was high in the omasum of SZ yak (13.4%) and ZB yak (15.0%). ...
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... the abomasum, a total of 27 phyla were identified in all samples ( Figure 1A). The phylum Bacteroidetes was the most abundant phylum in the abomasum of dairy cattle (54.1%) and WQ yak (44.7%), followed by the phylum Firmicutes (dairy cattle = 33.3% and WQ yak = 42.9%). ...
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... the NMDS plot showed that the microbiota separated into two clear clusters across all breeds, one including dairy cattle, yellow cattle, and WQ yak; and another including SZ yak and ZB yak, based on the Bray-Curtis distance (ANOSIM: r = 0.61, p = 0.01, Figure 2B) and the unweighted UniFrac distance (ANOSIM: r = 0.63, p = 0.01, Figure 2C). The microbiota was not significantly different between the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum based on the Bray-Curtis distance (ANOSIM: r = 0.01, p = 0.55, Figure 2D) and the group distance across all breeds (Supplementary Figure S1). However, the NMDS results based on the Bray-Curtis distance showed that the microbiota in the rumen (ANOSIM: r = 0.79, p = 0.001, Figure 3A), reticulum (ANOSIM: r = 0.78, p = 0.001, Figure 3B), omasum (ANOSIM: r = 0.83, p = 0.001, Figure 3C), and abomasum (ANOSIM: r = 0.71, p = 0.01, Figure 3D) were significantly separated according to the ruminant breeds. ...
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... the findings also revealed that host genetics and geography affected the bacterial diversity and community composition in four stomach chambers, which were characterized by different taxonomy. The present study revealed that the phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the predominant bacteria in dairy cattle, yellow cattle, and yaks regardless of stomach region ( Figure 1A). Similar to previous findings, the two phyla were also observed to be abundantly presented in the GIT of goat ( Lei et al., 2018 Li et al., 2014), indicating the ecological and functional importance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes in ruminant GIT. ...
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... the prevalence of phylum Proteobacteria in abomasum may be related to the difference of physiology and function, such as the oxygen concentration, among the four stomach chambers, resulting in the spatial heterogeneity of gut microbiota distribution ( Zhang et al., 2014). This study also showed that the genera Prevotella and Rikenellaceae RC9 were the abundant bacteria in rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum of dairy cattle, yellow cattle, and three yak herds (Figure 1B), which is consistent with the previous findings in goat ( Lei et al., 2018), dairy cattle ( Mao et al., 2015), yak ( Zhang et al., 2016;Xue et al., 2018;Hu et al., 2019), and the global rumen microbiota ( Henderson et al., 2015). Prevotella spp. is a group of bacteria usually identified in rumen, representing the greater genetic and metabolic diversity ( Bekele et al., 2010;Purushe et al., 2010), and playing major roles in carbohydrate metabolism, such as hemicellulose, starch, xylan, lignan, pectin (Dehority, 1966;Cotta, 1992;Gardner et al., 1995;Kabel et al., 2011), and nitrogen metabolism (Stevenson and Weimer, 2007;Kim et al., 2017). ...
Citations
... The in-depth exploration of the gut microbiota provides researchers with an opportunity to better understand the intricate interactions between the microbial ecosystem and the host [23]. Previous studies reported microbiota differences in different plateau ruminant breeds [24] and yaks in different seasons [25]; however, little information is available about the microflora of yaks from different altitude and temperature regions. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effects of altitude and temperature on the intestinal microflora of yaks by sequencing yak feces from three different counties in Tibet. ...
Despite the crucial role of the gut microbiota in different physiological processes occurring in the animal body, reports regarding the gut microbiota of animals residing in different environmental conditions like high altitude and different climate settings are limited. The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau is renowned for its extreme climatic conditions that provide an ideal environment for exploring the effects of high altitude and temperature on the microbiota of animals. Yaks have unique oxygen delivery systems and genes related to hypoxic response. Damxung, Nyêmo, and Linzhou counties in Tibet have variable altitudes and temperatures that offer distinct settings for studying yak adaptation to elevated terrains. The results of our study suggest that amplicon sequencing of V3-V4 and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) regions yielded 13,683 bacterial and 1912 fungal amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). Alpha and beta diversity indicated distinct microbial structures. Dominant bacterial phyla were Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and Actinobacteriota. Genera UCG-005, Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group were dominant in confined yaks living in Damxung county (DXS) and yaks living in Linzhou county (LZS), whereas UCG-005 prevailed in confined yaks living in Nyêmo county (NMS). The linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis highlighted genus-level differences. Meta-stat analysis revealed significant shifts in bacterial and fungal community composition in yaks at different high altitudes and temperatures. Bacterial taxonomic analysis revealed that two phyla and 32 genera differed significantly (p < 0.05). Fungal taxonomic analysis revealed that three phyla and four genera differed significantly (p < 0.05). Functional predictions indicated altered metabolic functions, especially in the digestive system of yaks living in NMS. This study reveals significant shifts in yak gut microbiota in response to varying environmental factors, such as altitude and temperature, shedding light on previously unexplored aspects of yak physiology in extreme environments.
... Consequently, we postulated that the rumen community of Xizang goats residing at high altitudes would possess enhanced metabolic stability and capability, enabling them to meet the energy requirements of their frigid and alpine environments. A comparative analysis of the relative abundance of rumen microbiota composition in dairy cows, cattle, and yaks revealed significant variations [28], whereas the current study showed differences between Xizang goats and low-altitude goats in terms of the relative abundance of rumen microbiota composition. The microbial communities were primarily dominated by Bacteroidote and Firmicutes, according to Kumar et al. 's investigation of the whole genome of the cecum microbiome of native Ethiopian chickens from two geographically distinct regions: the Amhara zone (Menz Gera Midir, 3300 m) and the Afar zone (Dulecha, 730 m above mean sea level) [29]. ...
The interactions between the rumen microbiota and the host are crucial for the digestive and absorptive processes of ruminants, and they are heavily influenced by the climatic conditions of their habitat. Owing to the harsh conditions of the high-altitude habitat, little is known about how ruminants regulate the host transcriptome and the composition of their rumen microbiota. Using the model species of goats, we examined the variations in the rumen microbiota, transcriptome regulation, and climate of the environment between high altitude (Lhasa, Xizang; 3650 m) and low altitude (Chengdu, Sichuan, China; 500 m) goats. The results of 16 S rRNA sequencing revealed variations in the abundance, diversity, and composition of rumen microbiota. Papillibacter, Quinella, and Saccharofermentans were chosen as potential microbes for the adaptation of Xizang goats to the harsh climate of the plateau by the Spearman correlation study of climate and microbiota. Based on rumen transcriptome sequencing analysis, 244 genes were found to be differentially expressed between Xizang goats and low-altitude goats, with 127 genes showing up-regulation and 117 genes showing down-regulation. SLC26A9, GPX3, ARRDC4, and COX1 were identified as potential candidates for plateau adaptation in Xizang goats. Moreover, the metabolism of fatty acids, arachidonic acids, pathway involving cytokines and their receptors could be essential for adaptation to plateau hypoxia and cold endurance. The expression of GPX3, a gene linked to plateau acclimatization in Xizang goats, was linked to the abundance of Anaerovibrio, and the expression of SLC26A9 was linked to the quantity of Selenomonas, according to ruminal microbiota and host Spearman correlation analysis. Our findings imply that in order to adapt harsh plateau conditions, Xizang goats have evolved to maximize digestion and absorption as well as to have a rumen microbiota suitable for the composition of their diet.
... In contrast, the relative abundances of Alistipes, Christensenellaceae R-7, Rikenellaceae RC9, Ruminococcaceae Other, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, and Ruminococcaceae UCG-010 increased linearly with age, which was in line with the findings for calves and goats [40,50]. As discussed above, these bacteria play important roles in carbohydrate and nitrogen degradation [51,52], which may reveal commonalities in the succession of gut microbial communities in juvenile ruminants. Previous studies have demonstrated that the supplementation of polysaccharides could increase the body weight of calves and reduce the rate of calf diarrhea by affecting the abundance of beneficial intestinal bacteria, thus promoting calf growth [53,54], indicating the possibility and importance of polysaccharides for promoting gut health and growth in juvenile sika deer. ...
Simple Summary
The gut microbiota plays an active role in gut development and host growth in juvenile ruminants and contributes to their productive performance in adulthood. However, the gut microbiota composition and metabolic profile patterns of succession from birth to weaning of juvenile sika deer remain unclear. Feces are a highly efficient and convenient biological sample that can be used to reflect gut microbiology and metabolomics studies. Based on fecal samples, we demonstrated that the gut bacterial community and metabolic profile of juvenile sika deer were significantly altered at birth compared to the transition and rumination periods, suggesting functional changes in amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism. Our results revealed the key role of the birth–transition period in the regulation of gut bacterial communities and metabolic functions during juvenile sika deer development.
Abstract
The gut microbiota establishment in young ruminants has a profound impact on their adult production performance. However, the critical phase for the succession of the gut microbial composition and metabolic profiles of juvenile sika deer still needs to be further investigated. Here, we analyzed the fecal microbiota and metabolites of juvenile sika deer during the birth (D1), transition (D42), and rumination (D70) periods based on 16S rRNA sequencing and gas chromatography–time–of–flight mass spectrometry (GC–TOF–MS). The results showed that the fecal bacteria and metabolites composition were significantly different in D1 compared to D42 and D70, and the number of OTUs and the Shannon index were significantly higher in D70 than in D1 (p < 0.05). The relative abundances of Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Lachnoclostridium showed a significant increase in D1 compared to D42 and D70, whereas the relative abundances of Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, Ruminococcaceae UCG-010, Ruminococcaceae UCG-014, Christensenellaceae R-7, and Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group were significantly decreased in D1 compared to D42 and D70 (p < 0.05). The amounts of serine, phenylalanine, aspartic acid, ornithine, citrulline, creatine, isoleucine, galactose, and ribose in the feces were significantly higher in D1 compared to D42 and D70. In contrast, the concentrations of cortexolone, resveratrol, piceatannol, fumaric acid, alpha-ketoglutarate, glycerol, uracil-5-carboxylic acid, and maleic acid were significantly decreased in D1. The enrichment analysis showed that amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism were significantly changed in D1 compared to D42 and D70. The glycine, serine and threonine metabolism; alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism; arginine biosynthesis; glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism; citrate cycle; and pyruvate metabolism were significantly enriched across the three periods (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results suggested that the birth–transition period is a critical phase for the gut bacterial community and metabolic function shift in juvenile sika deer.
... Previously, numerous studies demonstrated that phyla Bacillota and Bacteroidota are widely distributed in the guts of various mammalian species [17,28,[39][40][41][42]. This probably indicates their important ecological and functional roles in the gastrointestinal tracts of ruminants [43,44]. Previous studies have shown that Bacillota are the major phylum of bacteria that catabolize ingested cellulose to volatile fatty acids in the host [45]. ...
In the vast expanse of Baikal Siberia, indigenous nomadic animal groups have been conserved, grazing on pastures throughout the year. It is believed that the fecal microbiota of these diverse nomadic animal species is unique to each species and closely tied to their feeding environments. We conducted a pioneering comparative analysis of the taxonomic structure and the diversity of fecal microbiota in indigenous nomadic animals inhabiting Baikal Siberia. Our study encompassed 20 deer, 23 yaks, 24 camels, and 29 sheep, using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene profiling. In the fecal microbiota of these animals, we observed a predominant presence of the phyla Bacillota, Bacteroidota, and Verrucomicrobiota, collectively comprising over 88% of the microbial communities. Moreover, these proportions exhibited variations according to the host species. The unculturable Bacillota UCG-005 and UCG-010 are the key groups for all animals. However, at the genus level, distinctive compositions of fecal microbiota were discernible within each animal group. We identified a total of 37 dominant genera across the fecal samples from these four animal species. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis demonstrated that the fecal microbiota composition clustered among individuals of the same animal species. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) indicated that camels exhibited higher abundances of the family Akkermansiaceae and the uncultured clostridial lineage UCG-010, while deer featured Lachnospiraceae; sheep had Ruminococcaceae; and yaks displayed Monoglobaceae, Bacteroidaceae, and methanogenic archaea from the family Methanobacteriaceae as distinctive marker taxa. Our studies showed that the studied nomadic animals feed mainly on plants belonging to the families Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Asteraceae, and Rosaceae. Our research indicated that the identity of the host species and, to a lesser degree, their diets and habitats, significantly shape the composition of fecal microbiota in these studied nomadic ruminant animals.
... Some species have cellulolytic activity but were primarily involved in the fermentation of the hydrolysis products. With degradation of the biomass, hydrolysis and fermentation happened simultaneously, which could explain the fluctuation phenomena of Prevotella abundance (Xin et al., 2019). The abundance of Rikenellaceae increased from 2.55% to 11.45%, while the abundance of Eubacterium decreased from 9.47% to 0.70% with the digestion time. ...
... high abundance of Prevotella thus the number of microorganisms converting glucose into VFA would be relatively lower. Because Prevotella is the dominant cellulolytic genus which can convert more cellulose into glucose (Xin et al., 2019). Meanwhile, more glucose was stored in the hydrolysis system, which also demonstrated the lower VFA production of 6-CM and 6-BM samples. ...
... This finding indicates that excessively high or low abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes are disadvantageous for the fermentation. The previous study also revealed the ecological and functional importance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes in ruminant (Xin et al., 2019). The dominant genus Prevotella showed a negative linear relationship with the VFA concentration within a small abundance range. ...
Rumen fluid is a natural and green biocatalyst that can efficiently degrade biomass into volatile fatty acid (VFA) used to produce value-added materials. But the essence of high degradation efficiency in the rumen has not been fully analyzed. This study investigated the contribution of substrate structure and microbial composition to volatile fatty acid production in the fermentation of corn stover. The ball milled corn stover were innovatively applied to ferment with the rumen fluid collected at different digestion times. Exogeneous cellulase was also added to the ruminal fermentation to further reveal the inner mechanism. With prolonged digestion time, the microbial community relative abundance levels of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes increased from 29.98% to 72.74% and decreased from 51.76% to 22.11%, respectively. The highest VFA production of the corn stover was achieved via treatment with the rumen fluid collected at 24 h which was up to 9508 mg/L. The ball milled corn stover achieved high VFA production because of the more accessible substrate structure. The application of exogenous cellulase has no significant influence to the ruminal fermentation. The microbial community abundance contributed more to the VFA production compared with the substrate structures.
... The authors did not find differences in the population of protozoa in the microbiome of the analyzed breeds. In a study by Xin et al. [2019] comparing the four-stomach microbiota on two cattle breeds and three herds of domesticated yaks (Bos grunniens) found differences between cattle breeds and yak herds and between species. The authors suggest that both geographic and genetic backgrounds had a significant impact on differences in the microbial composition of the animals. ...
... The adaptation of the microbial community of the digestive system can be influenced by the direction in which the animals are housed (meat, dairy, wool, combination products, etc.) Studies conducted to date suggest that selection of animals for a given performance is also associated with changes in the microbial composition of the digestive system [Cholewińska et al. 2020]. Also, the above-mentioned studies on different breeds and species carried out suggest the potential heritability of the microbiome through an indirect relationship with race [Douglas et al. 2015, Xin et al. 2019. ...
Many breeds have been bred for specific purposes (for meat, wool or fertility), and
knowledge of the influence of a factor such as breed can enable breeders to more accurately to environment and selected performance indicators for best results. However, since breed differences are not fully understood, further research needs to be undertaken.
... Therefore, we think that free leucine could alter the amino acids metabolism and composition, promote the BCAAs conversion to BCVFAs, and then change the fermentation parameters (Allison et al., 1966). Ruminal microorganisms play important roles in rumen development, nutrient digestion, and host physiological function, and dominant phyla Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes ratio (F: B) is beneficial for animal growth (Xin et al., 2019;Huang et al., 2021). In the present study, we found that free leucine from the RU-Leu group increased the Sobs and Shannon indices of alpha diversity, but no difference between the RU-Leu and RP-Leu groups. ...
... Frontiers in Microbiology 10 frontiersin.org level, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, a member of the Rikenellaceae family, degrades cellulose and hemicellulose to produce acetate (Liu et al., 2022), however, the RA of Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group decreased in the RU-Leu group and RP-Leu group compared with the control group, indicating that free leucine may alter the rumen fermentation patterns to increase the propionate production, these results were consistent with a study in cattle (Xin et al., 2019). Moreover, free leucine from the RU-Leu and RP-Leu groups increased the RA of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group bacteria. ...
This study was conducted to compare the effects of rumen-protected (RP-Leu) and unprotected L -leucine (RU-Leu) on the fermentation parameters, bacterial composition, and amino acid metabolism in vitro rumen batch incubation. The 5.00 g RP-Leu or RU-Leu products were incubated in situ in the rumen of four beef cattle ( Bos taurus ) and removed after 0, 2, 4, 6, 12, 16, and 24 h to determine the rumen protection rate. In in vitro incubation, both RP-Leu and RU-Leu were supplemented 1.5 mmol/bottle ( L -leucine HCl), and incubated after 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 16 h to measure gas production (GP), nutrient degradability, fermentation parameters, bacterial composition, and amino acids metabolism. Results from both in vitro and in situ experiments confirmed that the rumen protection rate was greater ( p < 0.01) in RP-Leu than in RU-Leu, whereas the latter was slow ( p < 0.05) degraded within incubation 8 h. Free leucine from RP-Leu and RU-Leu reached a peak at incubation 6 h ( p < 0.01). RU-Leu supplementation increased ( p < 0.05) gas production, microbial crude protein, branched-chain AAs, propionate and branched-chain VFAs concentrations, and Shannon and Sobs index in comparison to the control and RP-Leu supplementation. RU-Leu and RP-Leu supplementation decreased ( p < 0.05) the relative abundance of Bacteroidota , which Firmicutes increased ( p < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that there are 5 bacteria at the genus level that may be positively correlated with MCP and propionate ( p < 0.05). Based on the result, we found that RP-Leu was more stable than RU-Leu in rumen fluid, but RU-Leu also does not exhibit rapid degradation by ruminal microbes for a short time. The RU-Leu was more beneficial in terms of regulating rumen fermentation pattern, microbial crude protein synthesis, and branched-chain VFAs production than RP-Leu in vitro rumen conditions.
... Previous studies in pika argued that increased Prevotella in gut microbiota may be associated with the degradation of cellulose (Dai et al. 2015;Li et al. 2016). Genus Prevotella is abundant in yak stomach (Xin et al. 2019); the coprophagy behavior of pika in yak grazing areas may increase the abundance of Prevotellaceae lineage. In another study, researchers found that successive sheep grazing could significantly increase the abundance of lineage Prevotellaceae in the feces of Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii) (Li et al. 2019a). ...
With the overuse of antibiotics in health care and animal husbandry, antibiotic resistance becomes a serious threat to public health. Antibiotic residues from veterinary medicine have increased the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) by horizontal gene transfer globally, leading to the enrichment of ARGs in wildlife. Plateau pika ( Ochotona curzoniae ) is a small herbivore endemic to the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. Previous studies reveal that pika evolves a coprophagy behavior toward cohabitated yak, which makes the pika population a potential reservoir of ARGs. Yet, little is known about the resistome of pika under different grazing intensities. Here, we sampled the cecum content of pika from three different grazing intensity areas in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau to evaluate the effect of grazing on its gut microbiota and resistome. By using the 16S full‐length amplicon and metagenomic sequencing, our study revealed that livestock grazing significantly altered the gut microbial community of plateau pika as compared to prohibited grazing areas. We found bacterial lineage Prevotellaceae, Lachnospirales, and RF39 increased in grazing areas. Analysis of the resistome revealed that pika from continuous grazing areas enriched a higher abundance of colistin ( MCR ) and streptogramin ( vat ) resistance genes. Moreover, we observed significant correlations between the gut microbial community, ARGs, and mobile genetic element profiles, hinting that pika gut microbiota was an important shaping force of the resistome. In future studies, the continuous monitoring of wildlife gut resistome and environmental antibiotic residues is imperative for a better understanding and for tackling the horizontal gene transfer of ARGs across the wildlife–livestock interface.
... This genus is universally present in the rumen and abomasum of dairy cattle, yellow 487 cattle, and yak living in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (Xin et al., 2019). As shown in previous and 488 our studies, the Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group is not only present in the rumen (De Mulder et al., 489 2018;Scharen et al., 2018;Bach et al., 2019;Mu et al., 2021;Wang et al., 2021;Huang et al., 490 2022;Wei et al., 2022) and ileum (present study), but also the feces in Holstein cows (Miles et 491 al., 2022;Jia et al., 2023). ...
Feeding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP; NutriTek®, Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) during periods of metabolic stress is beneficial to the health of dairy cows partially through its effect on the gut microbiota. Whether SCFP alters the ileal microbiota in lactating cows during intestinal challenges induced by feed restriction (FR) is not known. We used 16S rRNA sequencing to assess if feeding SCFP during FR to induce gut barrier dysfunction alters microbiota profiles in the ileum. The mRNA abundance of key genes associated with tissue structures and immunity was also detected. Multiparous cows (97.1 ± 7.6 DIM; n = 7 per treatment) fed a control diet or the control plus 19 g/d NutriTek for 9 wk were subjected to an FR challenge for 5 d, during which they were fed 40% of their ad libitum intake from the 7 d before feed restriction. All cows were slaughtered at the end of FR. DNA extracted from ileal digesta was subjected to PacBio Full-Length 16S rRNA gene sequencing. High-quality amplicon sequence analyses were performed with Targeted Amplicon Diversity Analysis (TADA) and MicrobiomeAnalyst. Functional analysis was performed and analyzed using PICRUSt and STAMP. Feeding SCFP did not (P > 0.05) alter DMI, milk yield, or milk components during FR. In addition, SCFP supplementation tended (P = 0.07) to increase the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Bifidobacterium animalis. Compared with controls, feeding SCFP increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillales (P = 0.03). Gluconokinase, oligosaccharide reducing-end xylanase, and 3-hydroxy acid dehydrogenase were among the enzymes overrepresented (P < 0.05) in response to feeding SCFP. Cows fed SCFP had a lower representation of adenosylcobalamin biosynthesis I (early cobalt insertion) and pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotides de novo biosynthesis III (P < 0.05). Subsets of the Firmicutes genus, Bacteroidota phylum, and Treponema genus were correlated with the mRNA abundance of genes associated with ileal integrity (GCNT3, GALNT5, B3GNT3, FN1, ITGA2, LAMB2) and inflammation (AOX1, GPX8, CXCL12, CXCL14, CCL4, SAA3). Our data indicated that the moderate feed restriction induced dysfunction of the ileal microbiome, but feeding SCFP increased the abundance of some beneficial gut probiotic bacteria and other species related to tissue structures and immunity.
... L. reuteri has a strong ability to adhere to the intestinal mucosa, which can improve the distribution of intestinal microbiota and inhibit colonization by harmful bacteria (Deng et al., 2020). Moreover, L. johnsonii supplementation has been shown to improve intestinal environment, immunity, and disease resistance in piglets (Xin et al., 2019). In the present study, supplementation with L. reuteri L81and L. johnsonii L29 reduced diarrhea incidence at T0-T1 and T1-T2 after weaning, which was consistent with previous findings. ...
Introduction
Weaning stress seriously affects the welfare of calves and causes huge economic losses to the cattle breeding industry. Probiotics play an important role in improving animal growth performance, enhancing immune function, and improving gut microbiota. The newly isolated strains of Lactobacillus reuteri L81 and Lactobacillus johnsonii L29 have shown potential as probiotics. Here, we studied the probiotic properties of these two strains on weaned calves.
Methods
Forty calves were randomly assigned to four groups before weaning, with 10 calves in each group, control group (Ctrl group), L. reuteri L81 supplementation group (2 g per day per calf), L. johnsonii L29 supplementation group (2 g per day per calf), L. reuteri L81 and L. johnsonii L29 composite group (2 g per day per calf), and the effects of Lactobacillus reuteri L81 and Lactobacillus johnsonii L29 supplementation on growth performance, immune status, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal barrier function of weaned calves were evaluated.
Results
The results showed that probiotics supplementation increased the average daily weight gain of calves after weaning, reduced weaning diarrhea index ( p < 0.05), and increased serum IgA, IgM, and IgG levels ( p < 0.05). L. reuteri L81 supplementation significantly decreased IL-6, increased IL-10 and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels at 21 d after weaning ( p < 0.05). Moreover, probiotics supplementation significantly decreased serum endotoxin (ET), diamine oxidase (DAO), and D-lactic acid (D-LA) levels at different time points ( p < 0.05). In addition, supplementation with L. reuteri L81 significantly reduced the crypt depth and increased the ratio of villus height to crypt depth ( p < 0.05) in the ileum, increased gene expression of tight junction protein ZO-1 , Claudin-1 and Occludin in jejunum and ileum mucosa, reduced the gene expression of INF- γ in ileum mucosa and IL-8 in jejunum mucosa, and increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria, including Bifidobacterium , Lactobacillus , Oscillospira , etc.
Discussion
verall, these results showed that the two strains isolated from cattle feces after low concentration fecal microbiota transplantation improved the growth performance, immune performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal barrier function of weaned calves, indicating their potential as supplements to alleviate weaning diarrhea in calves.
