Characterisation of the Faecal Microbiome of Foals from 0-5 Months of Age and Their Respective Mares across Five Geographic Locations.
Abstract: A foal undergoes considerable growth and development from birth to weaning, progressing from a milk-based diet to complete herbivory. The symbiotic relationships between bacteria, archaea and fungi substantiate this energy demand by colonising the hindgut and remaining flexible throughout the diet transitions. A total of 70 faecal samples were collected from 14 mares and their foals across five studs in NSW as they aged from 0 to 5 months old. DNA was extracted from faecal samples and underwent amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene V4 hypervariable region of archaea and bacteria, and the fungal internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS1) region. The fungal and bacterial community structure was assessed using Bray-Curtis dissimilarities, and the effect of age at sampling and location was determined using PERMANOVA. Age at sampling had a substantial effect on the foal's archaeal and bacterial faecal microbiota (PERMANOVA: R2 = 0.16; < 0.01), while the effect of geographical location was smaller but still significant (PERMANOVA: R2 = 0.07; < 0.01). The overall abundance, diversity and richness of bacterial and archaeal populations increased ( < 0.01) as foals aged, most noticeably rising between foals 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 months of age. The 15 most relatively abundant fungal species were all environmental saprophytes, most strongly affected by geographical location ( < 0.01) rather than age at sampling. There was an effect of location on ( = 0.02) and a location × age interaction for fungal species ( < 0.01), ( = 0.04), and ( = 0.01). There was no effect of age, location, or location × age interaction on the relative abundance of the remaining fungal species. The faecal microbiome appeared to stabilise for most bacterial and archaeal genera by 2 to 3 months of age, resembling an adult mare. Bacterial genera isolated from faecal samples belonged mainly to the phylum. Age at sampling more strongly affected the archaeal and bacterial faecal microbiota than the effect of the geographical location where the horse was sampled. The lack of effect of location on microbe populations suggests that although environmental factors may influence population structure, there are distinct differences at each stage of foal maturation.
© 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
Publication Date: 2022-09-23 PubMed ID: 36137987DOI: 10.31083/j.fbe1403022Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The study investigates how the gut bacteria of foals (baby horses) develop from birth to five months, and how the mares’ (mothers’) bacteria relate to the foals’ gut flora, considering geographical differences. The research found that both age and location affect the structure of microscopic organisms in the foals’ gut, with age being a more significant factor.
Research Methodology
- The researchers collected 70 fecal samples from 14 pairs of foals and mares at different locations across NSW.
- DNA was collected from these fecal samples, which were subjected to gene sequencing to analyze the structure of bacterial and fungal communities in the gut.
- The effect of age at the time of sampling and the geographical location of the horse was investigated using a statistical method called PERMANOVA.
Major Findings
- Age significantly impacted the composition of bacteria and other microbes in the foal’s gut, with the abundance and variety of these organisms increasing as the foals aged.
- The most pronounced increase in gut microbes occurred between the first two to three months of the foal’s life.
- Location also influenced the foal’s gut microbiota but to a lesser extent than age.
- Fungal species found were primarily environmental saprophytes, organisms that feed on dead plant and animal material, which were influenced more by geographical location than by the age of the foal.
Implications of the Study
- The study shows that by the time foals reach two to three months, their gut microbiota begins to stabilize and resemble that of an adult mare.
- These findings suggest that as foals grow, they develop their unique gut microbiota despite the influence of external factors such as geography. As such, each maturation stage of the foal features distinct differences in microbial populations.
- However, a lack of location influence on certain microbe populations indicates that the environment’s role is limited mainly to shaping the species diversity rather than affecting their population structure.
- This research contributes to the knowledge of how foal’s gut microbiota develops and is affected by different factors, which can be useful in veterinary science, especially in understanding digestive health.
Cite This Article
APA
O'Reilly GC, Holman DB, Muscat K, Muscatello G, Parra MC, Meale SJ, Chaves AV.
(2022).
Characterisation of the Faecal Microbiome of Foals from 0-5 Months of Age and Their Respective Mares across Five Geographic Locations.
Front Biosci (Elite Ed), 14(3), 22.
https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbe1403022 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia.
- Lacombe Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe, AB 403, Canada.
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia.
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia.
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia.
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia.
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bacteria / genetics
- Feces / microbiology
- Female
- Horses / genetics
- Microbiota / genetics
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- McAdams ZL, Campbell EJ, Dorfmeyer RA, Turner G, Shaffer S, Ford T, Lawson J, Terry J, Raju M, Coghill L, Cresci L, Lascola K, Pridgen T, Blikslager A, Barrell E, Banse H, Paul L, Gillen A, Nott S, VandeCandelaere M, van Galen G, Townsend KS, Martin LM, Johnson PJ, Ericsson AC. A novel dataset of 2,362 equine fecal microbiomes from veterinary teaching hospitals across three countries reveals effects of geography and disease. Anim Microbiome 2025 Dec 3;7(1):124.
- Mady EA, Osuga H, Toyama H, El-Husseiny HM, Inoue R, Murase H, Yamamoto Y, Nagaoka K. Relationship between the components of mare breast milk and foal gut microbiome: shaping gut microbiome development after birth. Vet Q 2024 Dec;44(1):1-9.
- Klinsawat W, Uthaipaisanwong P, Jenjaroenpun P, Sripiboon S, Wongsurawat T, Kusonmano K. Microbiome variations among age classes and diets of captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Thailand using full-length 16S rRNA nanopore sequencing. Sci Rep 2023 Oct 17;13(1):17685.
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