Understanding microbial networks of farm animals through genomics, metagenomics and other meta-omic approaches for livestock wellness and sustainability – A Review

Abstract

The association of microorganisms with livestock as endosymbionts, opportunists, and pathogens has been a matter of debate for a long time. Several livestock-associated bacterial and other microbial species have been identified and characterized through traditional culture-dependent genomic approaches. However, it is imperative to understand the comprehensive microbial network of domestic animals for their wellness, disease management, and disease transmission control. Since it is strenuous to provide a niche replica to any microorganisms while culturing them, thus a substantial number of microbial communities remain obscure. Metagenomics has laid out a powerful lens for gaining insight into the hidden microbial diversity by allowing the direct sequencing of the DNA isolated from any livestock sample like the gastrointestinal tract, udder, or genital system. Through metatranscriptomics and metabolomics, understanding gene expression profiles of the microorganisms and their molecular phenotype has become unchallenging. With large data sets emerging out of the genomic, metagenomic, and other meta-omics methods, several computational tools have also been developed for curation, assembly, gene prediction, and taxonomic profiling of the microorganisms. This review provides a detailed account of the beneficial and pathogenic organisms that dwell within or on farm animals. Besides, it highlights the role of meta-omics and computational tools in a comprehensive analysis of livestock-associated microorganisms.

Juglans regia Linn.: A Natural Repository of Vital Phytochemical and Pharmacological Compounds

“…Moreover, walnut heartwood can induce laminitis, an inflammatory disease in horses. As a result, the black walnut extract model has been created to study the many parameters connected to horse laminitis [ 115 ].…”

Metagenomics: An Effective Approach for Exploring Microbial Diversity and Functions

“…In addition to crop-based studies, metagenomic research has been applied to farm animals [233]. Glendinning et al conducted a metagenomic study examining four ruminants, including cow (Bos taurus), sheep (Ovis aries), reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), and red deer (Cervus elaphus), and they constructed 391 microbial genomes, out of which 279 records were new taxa [234].…”