Analysis of the gut bacterial communities in beef cattle and their association with feed intake, growth, and efficiency1,2,3

Abstract

The impetus behind the global food security challenge is direct, with the necessity to feed almost 10 billion people by 2050. Developing a food-secure world, where people have access to a safe and sustainable food supply, is the principal goal of this challenge. To achieve this end, beef production enterprises must develop methods to produce more pounds of animal protein with less. Selection for feed-efficient beef cattle using genetic improvement technologies has helped to understand and improve the stayability and longevity of such traits within the herd. Yet genetic contributions to feed efficiency have been difficult to identify, and differing genetics, feed regimens, and environments among studies contribute to great variation and interpretation of results. With increasing evidence that hosts and their microbiomes interact in complex associations and networks, examining the gut microbial population variation in feed efficiency may lead to partially clarifying the considerable variation in the efficiency of feed utilization. The use of metagenomics and high-throughput sequencing has greatly impacted the study of the ruminant gut. The ability to interrogate these systems at great depth has permitted a greater understanding of the microbiological and molecular mechanisms involved in ruminant nutrition and health. Although the microbial communities of the reticulorumen have been well documented to date, our understanding of the populations within the gastrointestinal tract as a whole is limited. The composition and phylogenetic diversity of the gut microbial community are critical to the overall well-being of the host and must be determined to fully understand the relationship between the microbiomes within segments of the cattle gastrointestinal tract and feed efficiency, ADG, and ADFI. This review addresses recent research regarding the bacterial communities along the gastrointestinal tract of beef cattle; their association with ADG, ADFI, and feed efficiency; and the potential implications for beef production.

Recto-Anal Junction (RAJ) and Fecal Microbiomes of Cattle Experimentally Challenged With Escherichia coli O157:H7

“…Analysis of the structural and functional profiles of cattle GIT microbiota has gained pace recently (Mao et al, 2015), especially in the context of the rumen microbiome and feed utilization by cattle (Callaway et al, 2010;Petri et al, 2013;Myer et al, 2017;Thomas et al, 2017). In addition, reports have established a link between younger animals and GIT microbiota with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) shedding (Mir et al, 2015(Mir et al, , 2016(Mir et al, , 2019.…”

“…Changes in GIT microbiota can occur due to dietary change (Myer et al, 2017), infection, or immune system failure (Ichinohe et al, 2011;Wu and Wu, 2012). In cattle under certain conditions, O157 can cause inflammation, small mucosal hemorrhages in intestine, and induce immune responses (Walle et al, 2013), suggesting that it could also be disturbing GIT microbiota during its passage.…”

Correlation of the rumen fluid microbiome and the average daily gain with a dietary supplementation of Allium mongolicum Regel extracts in sheep1

“…In addition, next-generation sequencing techniques have uncovered novel features of the rumen microbiome, and integration of these results with ruminant performance parameters has led to meaningful advances in research (Morgavi et al, 2013). However, association-based studies have focused mainly on feed efficiencies for ruminants (Perea et al, 2017), and some studies have investigated the association between the cattle rumen microbiome and ADG as well as ADFI (Myer et al, 2017;Paz et al, 2018). Few studies have focused on the association between the sheep rumen microbiome and ADG.…”

Effects of red clover isoflavones on tall fescue seed fermentation and microbial populations in vitro

“…As diet and toxins effect ruminal fermentation and production of glucogenic precursors required for the nutrition of the animal [ 21 , 22 ], it is critical to determine the extent to which endophyte toxins in fescue may impact microbial numbers, alter microbial profiles, or influence volatile fatty acid (VFA) production and concentrations. While a phylogenetically [ 23 ] and functionally diverse rumen microbiome is essential to the health and nutritional status of ruminant animals, feed additives or plant-secondary compounds, such as isoflavones, may further improve rumen functionality in tandem with microbial populations. Isoflavones may enhance rumen function by improving fiber degradation and by reducing several microorganisms responsible for lowered ruminal pH and increased lactate production that can disrupt normal functional microflora [ 24 , 25 ].…”