Joanne Oultram1, Georgios Oikonomou2, Matthew Barden1, Peter Richards-Rios3, Erika Ganda4, Luca Lenzi5, Richard Eccles6, Joseph Neary1. 1. Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. 2. Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. Georgios.Oikonomou@liverpool.ac.uk. 3. Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. 4. Department of Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. 5. Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. 6. Department of Functional and Comparative Genomics, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The dam is considered an important source of microbes for the calf; consequently, the development of calf microbiota may vary with farming system due to differences between the contact the calf has with the dam. The objective of this study was to characterise the early changes in the composition of oral and faecal microbiota in beef and dairy calves (N = 10) using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The microbiota of calves was compared to selected anatomical niches on their dams which were likely to contribute to the vertical transfer of microbes. RESULTS: A total of 14,125 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were identified and taxonomically assigned. The oral microbiota of calves and their dams were composed of more similar microbes after the first 4 weeks of life than immediately after calving. The faecal microbiota of four-week old calves was composed of microbes which were more similar to those found in the oral microbiota of calves and adult cows than the faecal microbiota of adult cows. Specific ASVs were identified in the oral microbiota of four-week old calves that were also present in cow niches at calving, whereas very few ASVs were present in the calf faecal microbiota at four-weeks of age were present in any adult cow niche at calving. These results were observed in both beef and dairy calves. CONCLUSIONS: We did not observe any marked differences in the maturation of the oral and faecal microbiota between beef or dairy calves, despite dairy calves having very limited contact with their dam. This suggests the development of gastrointestinal microbiota in calves may not be affected by continued vertical transmission of microbes from the dam. Although the calf faecal microbiota changed over the first four-weeks of life, it was composed of microbes which were phylogenetically closer to those in the oral microbiota of calves and adult cows than the faeces of adult cows. There was little evidence of persistent microbial seeding of the calf faeces from anatomical niches on the cow at calving in either beef or dairy animals.
BACKGROUND: The dam is considered an important source of microbes for the calf; consequently, the development of calf microbiota may vary with farming system due to differences between the contact the calf has with the dam. The objective of this study was to characterise the early changes in the composition of oral and faecal microbiota in beef and dairy calves (N = 10) using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The microbiota of calves was compared to selected anatomical niches on their dams which were likely to contribute to the vertical transfer of microbes. RESULTS: A total of 14,125 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were identified and taxonomically assigned. The oral microbiota of calves and their dams were composed of more similar microbes after the first 4 weeks of life than immediately after calving. The faecal microbiota of four-week old calves was composed of microbes which were more similar to those found in the oral microbiota of calves and adult cows than the faecal microbiota of adult cows. Specific ASVs were identified in the oral microbiota of four-week old calves that were also present in cow niches at calving, whereas very few ASVs were present in the calf faecal microbiota at four-weeks of age were present in any adult cow niche at calving. These results were observed in both beef and dairy calves. CONCLUSIONS: We did not observe any marked differences in the maturation of the oral and faecal microbiota between beef or dairy calves, despite dairy calves having very limited contact with their dam. This suggests the development of gastrointestinal microbiota in calves may not be affected by continued vertical transmission of microbes from the dam. Although the calf faecal microbiota changed over the first four-weeks of life, it was composed of microbes which were phylogenetically closer to those in the oral microbiota of calves and adult cows than the faeces of adult cows. There was little evidence of persistent microbial seeding of the calf faeces from anatomical niches on the cow at calving in either beef or dairy animals.
Authors: Alexander Lex; Nils Gehlenborg; Hendrik Strobelt; Romain Vuillemot; Hanspeter Pfister Journal: IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph Date: 2014-12 Impact factor: 4.579
Authors: Ilma Tapio; Kevin J Shingfield; Nest McKain; Aurélie Bonin; Daniel Fischer; Ali R Bayat; Johanna Vilkki; Pierre Taberlet; Timothy J Snelling; R John Wallace Journal: PLoS One Date: 2016-03-17 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Kiera Murphy; David Curley; Tom F O'Callaghan; Carol-Anne O'Shea; Eugene M Dempsey; Paul W O'Toole; R Paul Ross; C Anthony Ryan; Catherine Stanton Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2017-01-17 Impact factor: 4.379
Authors: Daniela Klein-Jöbstl; Narciso M Quijada; Monika Dzieciol; Benjamin Feldbacher; Martin Wagner; Marc Drillich; Stephan Schmitz-Esser; Evelyne Mann Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-08-01 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Jeferson M Lourenco; Taylor R Krause; Christina B Welch; Todd R Callaway; T Dean Pringle Journal: Animals (Basel) Date: 2022-04-20 Impact factor: 3.231
Authors: Kyoko Hasebe; Michael D Kendig; Nadeem O Kaakoush; Aynaz Tajaddini; R Frederick Westbrook; Margaret J Morris Journal: Anim Microbiome Date: 2022-05-12
Authors: Nida Amin; Sarah Schwarzkopf; Asako Kinoshita; Johanna Tröscher-Mußotter; Sven Dänicke; Amélia Camarinha-Silva; Korinna Huber; Jana Frahm; Jana Seifert Journal: Anim Microbiome Date: 2021-04-21
Authors: Giovana S Slanzon; Benjamin J Ridenhour; Dale A Moore; William M Sischo; Lindsay M Parrish; Sophie C Trombetta; Craig S McConnel Journal: PLoS One Date: 2022-01-04 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Jianmin Chai; Sarah F Capik; Beth Kegley; John T Richeson; Jeremy G Powell; Jiangchao Zhao Journal: Vet Res Date: 2022-01-12 Impact factor: 3.683