Dataset Information

Quantitative analysis of ruminal methanogenic microbial populations in beef cattle divergent in phenotypic residual feed intake (RFI) offered contrasting diets.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Methane (CH4) emissions in cattle are an undesirable end product of rumen methanogenic fermentative activity as they are associated not only with negative environmental impacts but also with reduced host feed efficiency. The aim of this study was to quantify total and specific rumen microbial methanogenic populations in beef cattle divergently selected for residual feed intake (RFI) while offered (i) a low energy high forage (HF) diet followed by (ii) a high energy low forage (LF) diet. Ruminal fluid was collected from 14 high (H) and 14 low (L) RFI animals across both dietary periods. Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis was conducted to quantify the abundance of total and specific rumen methanogenic microbes. Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the association between the relative abundance of methanogens and animal performance, rumen fermentation variables and diet digestibility.

Results

Abundance of methanogens, did not differ between RFI phenotypes. However, relative abundance of total and specific methanogen species was affected (P?ConclusionsThese findings suggest that differences in abundance of specific rumen methanogen species may not contribute to variation in CH4 emissions between efficient and inefficient animals, however dietary manipulation can influence the abundance of total and specific methanogen species.

SUBMITTER: Carberry CA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4177383 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Quantitative analysis of ruminal methanogenic microbial populations in beef cattle divergent in phenotypic residual feed intake (RFI) offered contrasting diets.

Carberry Ciara A CA Kenny David A DA Kelly Alan K AK Waters Sinéad M SM

Journal of animal science and biotechnology 20140822 1

<h4>Background</h4>Methane (CH4) emissions in cattle are an undesirable end product of rumen methanogenic fermentative activity as they are associated not only with negative environmental impacts but also with reduced host feed efficiency. The aim of this study was to quantify total and specific rumen microbial methanogenic populations in beef cattle divergently selected for residual feed intake (RFI) while offered (i) a low energy high forage (HF) diet followed by (ii) a high energy low forage ...[more]

PMID: 25276350

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Project description:We applied ruminal and plasma metabolomics and ruminal 16S rRNA gene sequencing to determine the metabolic pathways and ruminal bacterial taxa associated with divergent residual body weight gain phenotype in crossbred beef steers. A group of 108 crossbred growing beef steers (average BW = 282.87 ± 30 kg) were fed a forage-based diet for a period of 56 d in a confinement dry lot equipped with GrowSafe intake nodes to determine their residual body weight gain (RADG) phenotype. After RADG identification, blood and rumen fluid samples were collected from beef steers with the highest RADG (most efficient; n = 16; 0.76 kg/d) and lowest RADG (least efficient; n = 16; -0.65 kg/d). Quantitative untargeted metabolome analysis of the plasma and rumen fluid samples were conducted using chemical isotope labelling/liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Differentially abundant metabolites in each of the plasma and rumen fluid samples between the two groups of beef steers were determined using a false discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted P-values ≤ 0.05 and area under the curve (AUC) > 0.80. Rumen and plasma metabolic pathways that were differentially enriched or depleted (P ≤ 0.05) in beef steers with positive RADG compared to those with negative RADG were determined by the quantitative pathway enrichment analysis. A total of 1,629 metabolites were detected and identified in the plasma of the beef steers; eight metabolites including alanyl-phenylalanine, 8-hydroxyguanosine, and slaframine were differentially abundant (FDR ≤ 0.05; AUC > 0.80) in beef steers with divergent RADG; five metabolic pathways including steroid hormone biosynthesis, thiamine metabolism, propanoate metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, and butanoate metabolism were enriched (P ≤ 0.05) in beef steers with positive RADG, relative to negative RADG steers. A total of 1,908 metabolites were detected and identified in the rumen of the beef steers; results of the pathway enrichment analysis of all the metabolites revealed no metabolic pathways in the rumen were altered (P > 0.05). The rumen fluid samples were also analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess the bacterial community composition. We compared the rumen bacterial community composition at the genus level using a linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) to identify the differentially abundant taxa between the two groups of beef steers. The LEfSe results showed greater relative abundance of Bacteroidetes_vadinHA17 and Anaerovibrio in steers with positive RADG compared to the negative RADG group, while steers in the negative RADG group had greater relative abundance of Candidatus_Amoebophilus, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Pseudomonas, Empedobacter, Enterobacter, and Klebsiella compared to the positive RADG group. Our results demonstrate that beef steers with positive or negative RADG exhibit differences in plasma metabolic profiles and some ruminal bacterial taxa which probably explain their divergent feed efficiency phenotypes.

Project description:BackgroundResidual feed intake (RFI) describes an animal's feed efficiency independent of growth performance. The objective of this study was to determine differences in growth performance, carcass traits, major bacteria attached to ruminal solids-fraction, and ruminal epithelium gene expression between the most-efficient and the least-efficient beef cattle. One-hundred and forty-nine Red Angus cattle were allocated to three contemporary groups according to sex and herd origin. Animals were fed a finishing diet in confinement for 70 d to determine the RFI category for each. Within each group, the two most-efficient (n = 6; RFI coefficient = - 2.69 ± 0.58 kg dry matter intake (DMI)/d) and the two least-efficient animals (n = 6; RFI coefficient = 3.08 ± 0.55 kg DMI/d) were selected. Immediately after slaughter, ruminal solids-fraction and ruminal epithelium were collected for bacteria relative abundance and epithelial gene expression analyses, respectively, using real-time PCR.ResultsThe most-efficient animals consumed less feed (P = 0.01; 5.03 kg less DMI/d) compared with the least-efficient animals. No differences (P > 0.10) in initial body weight (BW), final BW, and average daily gain (ADG) were observed between the two RFI classes. There were no significant RFI × sex effects (P > 0.10) on growth performance. Compared with the least-efficient group, hot carcass weight (HCW), ribeye area (REA), and kidney, pelvic, and heart fat (KPH) were greater (P ≤ 0.05) in the most-efficient cattle. No RFI × sex effect (P > 0.10) for carcass traits was detected between RFI groups. Of the 10 bacterial species evaluated, the most-efficient compared with least efficient cattle had greater (P ≤ 0.05) relative abundance of Eubacterium ruminantium, Fibrobacter succinogenes, and Megasphaera elsdenii, and lower (P ≤ 0.05) Succinimonas amylolytica and total bacterial density. No RFI × sex effect on ruminal bacteria was detected between RFI groups. Of the 34 genes evaluated in ruminal epithelium, the most-efficient cattle had greater (P ≤ 0.05) abundance of genes involved in VFA absorption, metabolism, ketogenesis, and immune/inflammation-response. The RFI × sex interactions indicated that responses in gene expression between RFI groups were due to differences in sex. Steers in the most-efficient compared with least-efficient group had greater (P ≤ 0.05) expression of SLC9A1, HIF1A, and ACO2. The most-efficient compared with least-efficient heifers had greater (P ≤ 0.05) mRNA expression of BDH1 and lower expression (P ≤ 0.05) of SLC9A2 and PDHA1.ConclusionsThe present study revealed that greater feed efficiency in beef cattle is associated with differences in bacterial species and transcriptional adaptations in the ruminal epithelium that might enhance nutrient delivery and utilization by tissues. The lack of RFI × sex interaction for growth performance and carcass traits indicates that sex may not play a major role in improving these phenotypes in superior RFI beef cattle. However, it is important to note that this result should not be considered a solid biomarker of efficient beef cattle prior to further examination due to the limited number of heifers compared with steers used in the study.

Project description:Residual feed intake (RFI) is a widely used measure of feed efficiency in cattle. Although the precise biologic mechanisms associated with improved feed efficiency are not well-known, most-efficient steers (i.e., with low RFI coefficient) downregulate abundance of proteins controlling protein degradation in skeletal muscle. Whether cellular mechanisms controlling protein turnover in ruminal tissue differ by RFI classification is unknown. The aim was to investigate associations between RFI and signaling through the mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR) and ubiquitin-proteasome pathways in ruminal epithelium. One hundred and forty-nine Red Angus cattle were allocated to 3 contemporary groups according to sex and herd origin. Animals were offered a finishing diet for 70 d to calculate the RFI coefficient for each. Within each group, the 2 most-efficient (n = 6) and least-efficient animals (n = 6) were selected. Compared with least-efficient animals, the most-efficient animals consumed less feed (P < 0.05; 18.36 vs. 23.39 kg/d DMI). At day 70, plasma samples were collected for insulin concentration analysis. Ruminal epithelium was collected immediately after slaughter to determine abundance and phosphorylation status of 29 proteins associated with MTOR, ubiquitin-proteasome, insulin signaling, and glucose and amino acid transport. Among the proteins involved in cellular protein synthesis, most-efficient animals had lower (P ? 0.05) abundance of MTOR, p-MTOR, RPS6KB1, EIF2A, EEF2K, AKT1, and RPS6KB1, whereas MAPK3 tended (P = 0.07) to be lower. In contrast, abundance of p-EEF2K, p-EEF2K:EEF2K, and p-EIF2A:EIF2A in most-efficient animals was greater (P ? 0.05). Among proteins catalyzing steps required for protein degradation, the abundance of UBA1, NEDD4, and STUB1 was lower (P ? 0.05) and MDM2 tended (P = 0.06) to be lower in most-efficient cattle. Plasma insulin and ruminal epithelium insulin signaling proteins did not differ (P > 0.05) between RFI groups. However, abundance of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter SLC2A4 and the amino acid transporters SLC1A3 and SLC1A5 also was lower (P ? 0.05) in most-efficient cattle. Overall, the data indicate that differences in signaling mechanisms controlling protein turnover and nutrient transport in ruminal epithelium are components of feed efficiency in beef cattle.

Project description:Differences in chickens' feed intake may be the underlying factor influencing feed-efficiency (FE)-associated variation in intestinal microbiota and physiology. In chickens eating the same amount of feed, quantitative feed restriction may create similar intestinal conditions and help clarify this cause-and-effect relationship. This study investigated the effect of ad libitum versus restrictive feeding (85% of ad libitum) on ileal and cecal microbiota, concentrations of short-chain fatty acids, visceral organ size, intestinal morphology, permeability, and expression of genes related to nutrient uptake, barrier function, and innate immune response in broiler chickens with divergent residual feed intake (RFI; metric for FE). On day 30 posthatch, 28 low-RFI (good FE) and 29 high-RFI (poor FE) chickens across both feeding-level groups (n?=?112) were selected. Supervised multigroup data integration and relevance network analyses showed that especially Lactobacillus (negative) in ileal digesta, Turicibacter (positive) in cecal digesta, and Enterobacteriaceae (positive) in both intestinal segments depended on chicken's feed intake, whereas the level of Anaerotruncus in cecal digesta was most discriminative for high RFI. Moreover, shallower crypts and fewer goblet cells in ceca indicated host-related energy-saving mechanisms with low RFI, whereas greater tissue resistance suggested a stronger jejunal barrier function in low-RFI chickens. Values corresponding to feed intake level × RFI interactions indicated larger pancreas and lower levels of ileal and cecal short-chain fatty acids in restrictively fed high-RFI chickens than in the other 3 groups, suggesting host physiological adaptations to support greater energy and nutrient needs of high-RFI chickens compensating for the restricted feeding. IMPORTANCE The impact of the FE-associated differences in feed intake on intestinal bacterial and host physiological parameters has so far not been clarified. Understanding the underlying principles is essential for the development of cost-effective strategies to improve FE in chicken production. Under conditions of quantitative feed restriction, low- and high-RFI chickens ate the same amount of feed. Therefore, this research helps in distinguishing intestinal bacterial taxa and functions that were highly reliant on feed intake from those that were associated with physiological adaptations to RFI-associated differences in host nutritional needs and intestinal nutrient availability. This work provides a background for further research to assess manipulation of the intestinal microbiota, host physiology, and FE in chickens by dietary intervention.

Dataset Information

Quantitative analysis of ruminal methanogenic microbial populations in beef cattle divergent in phenotypic residual feed intake (RFI) offered contrasting diets.

Background

Results

Publications

Quantitative analysis of ruminal methanogenic microbial populations in beef cattle divergent in phenotypic residual feed intake (RFI) offered contrasting diets.

Similar Datasets

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