Wei Guo1,2, Mi Zhou2, Tao Ma2,3, Sisi Bi4, Weiwei Wang1, Ying Zhang5, Xiaodan Huang5, Le Luo Guan6, Ruijun Long7,8,9. 1. College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China. 2. Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2P5, Canada. 3. Key laboratory of Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China. 4. School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China. 5. School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China. 6. Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2P5, Canada. lguan@ualberta.ca. 7. College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China. longrj@lzu.edu.cn. 8. School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China. longrj@lzu.edu.cn. 9. International Centre for Tibetan Plateau Ecosystem Management, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China. longrj@lzu.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The development and maturation of rumen microbiota across the lifetime of grazing yaks remain unexplored due to the varied lifestyles and feed types of yaks as well as the challenges of obtaining samples. In addition, the interactions among four different rumen microbial groups (bacteria, archaea, fungi and protozoa) in the rumen of yak are not well defined. In this study, the rumen microbiota of full-grazing yaks aged 7 days to 12 years old was assessed to determine the maturation patterns of these four microbial groups and the dynamic interactions among them during different growth stages. RESULTS: The rumen microbial groups (bacteria, archaea, protozoa and fungi) varied through the growth of yaks from neonatal (7 days) to adult (12 years), and the bacterial and archaeal groups were more sensitive to changes in growth stages compared to the two eukaryotic microbial groups. The age-discriminatory taxa within each microbial group were identified with the random forest model. Among them, Olsenella (bacteria), Group 10 sp., belonging to the family Methanomassiliicoccaceae (archaea), Orpinomyces (fungi), and Dasytricha (protozoa) contributed the most to discriminating the age of the rumen microbiota. Moreover, we found that the rumen archaea reached full maturation at 5 approximately years of age, and the other microbial groups matured between 5 and 8 years of age. The intra-interactions patterns and keystone species within each microbial group were identified by network analysis, and the inter-interactions among the four microbial groups changed with growth stage. Regarding the inter-interactions among the four microbial groups, taxa from bacteria and protozoa, including Christensenellaceae R-7 group, Prevotella 1, Trichostomatia, Ruminococcaceae UCG-014 and Lachnospiraceae, were the keystone species in the network based on betweenness centrality scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study depicted a comprehensive view of rumen microbiota changes in different growth stages of grazing yaks. The results revealed the unique microbiota maturation trajectory and the intra- and inter-interactions among bacteria, archaea, fungi and protozoa in the rumen of grazing yaks across the lifetime of yaks. The information obtained in this study is vital for the future development of strategies to manipulate rumen microbiota in grazing yaks for better growth and performance in the harsh Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau ecosystem.
BACKGROUND: The development and maturation of rumen microbiota across the lifetime of grazing yaks remain unexplored due to the varied lifestyles and feed types of yaks as well as the challenges of obtaining samples. In addition, the interactions among four different rumen microbial groups (bacteria, archaea, fungi and protozoa) in the rumen of yak are not well defined. In this study, the rumen microbiota of full-grazing yaks aged 7 days to 12 years old was assessed to determine the maturation patterns of these four microbial groups and the dynamic interactions among them during different growth stages. RESULTS: The rumen microbial groups (bacteria, archaea, protozoa and fungi) varied through the growth of yaks from neonatal (7 days) to adult (12 years), and the bacterial and archaeal groups were more sensitive to changes in growth stages compared to the two eukaryotic microbial groups. The age-discriminatory taxa within each microbial group were identified with the random forest model. Among them, Olsenella (bacteria), Group 10 sp., belonging to the family Methanomassiliicoccaceae (archaea), Orpinomyces (fungi), and Dasytricha (protozoa) contributed the most to discriminating the age of the rumen microbiota. Moreover, we found that the rumen archaea reached full maturation at 5 approximately years of age, and the other microbial groups matured between 5 and 8 years of age. The intra-interactions patterns and keystone species within each microbial group were identified by network analysis, and the inter-interactions among the four microbial groups changed with growth stage. Regarding the inter-interactions among the four microbial groups, taxa from bacteria and protozoa, including Christensenellaceae R-7 group, Prevotella 1, Trichostomatia, Ruminococcaceae UCG-014 and Lachnospiraceae, were the keystone species in the network based on betweenness centrality scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study depicted a comprehensive view of rumen microbiota changes in different growth stages of grazing yaks. The results revealed the unique microbiota maturation trajectory and the intra- and inter-interactions among bacteria, archaea, fungi and protozoa in the rumen of grazing yaks across the lifetime of yaks. The information obtained in this study is vital for the future development of strategies to manipulate rumen microbiota in grazing yaks for better growth and performance in the harsh Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau ecosystem.
Authors: Sharon A Huws; Christopher J Creevey; Linda B Oyama; Itzhak Mizrahi; Stuart E Denman; Milka Popova; Rafael Muñoz-Tamayo; Evelyne Forano; Sinead M Waters; Matthias Hess; Ilma Tapio; Hauke Smidt; Sophie J Krizsan; David R Yáñez-Ruiz; Alejandro Belanche; Leluo Guan; Robert J Gruninger; Tim A McAllister; C Jamie Newbold; Rainer Roehe; Richard J Dewhurst; Tim J Snelling; Mick Watson; Garret Suen; Elizabeth H Hart; Alison H Kingston-Smith; Nigel D Scollan; Rodolpho M do Prado; Eduardo J Pilau; Hilario C Mantovani; Graeme T Attwood; Joan E Edwards; Neil R McEwan; Steven Morrisson; Olga L Mayorga; Christopher Elliott; Diego P Morgavi Journal: Front Microbiol Date: 2018-09-25 Impact factor: 5.640
Authors: Alejandro Belanche; David R Yáñez-Ruiz; Andrew P Detheridge; Gareth W Griffith; Alison H Kingston-Smith; Charles J Newbold Journal: Environ Microbiol Date: 2019-10-08 Impact factor: 5.491
Authors: Sandra Kittelmann; Henning Seedorf; William A Walters; Jose C Clemente; Rob Knight; Jeffrey I Gordon; Peter H Janssen Journal: PLoS One Date: 2013-02-08 Impact factor: 3.240