Comparison of Fecal Microbiota of Mongolian and Thoroughbred Horses by High-throughput Sequencing of the V4 Region of the 16S rRNA Gene.
Abstract: The hindgut of horses is an anaerobic fermentative chamber for a complex and dynamic microbial population, which plays a critical role in health and energy requirements. Research on the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses has not been reported until now as far as we know. Mongolian horse is a major local breed in China. We performed high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes V4 hypervariable regions from gut fecal material to characterize the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses and compare them to the microbiota in Thoroughbred horses. Fourteen Mongolian and 19 Thoroughbred horses were used in the study. A total of 593,678 sequence reads were obtained from 33 samples analyzed, which were found to belong to 16 phyla and 75 genera. The bacterial community compositions were similar for the two breeds. Firmicutes (56% in Mongolian horses and 53% in Thoroughbred horses) and Bacteroidetes (33% and 32% respectively) were the most abundant and predominant phyla followed by Spirochaete, Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, and Fibrobacteres. Of these 16 phyla, five (Synergistetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, TM7, and Chloroflexi) were significantly different (p<0.05) between the two breeds. At the genus level, Treponema was the most abundant genus (43% in Mongolian horses vs 29% in Thoroughbred horses), followed by Ruminococcus, Roseburia, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Anaeroplasma, which were detected in higher distribution proportion in Mongolian horses than in Thoroughbred horses. In contrast, Oscillibacter, Fibrobacter, Methanocorpusculum, and Succinivibrio levels were lower in Mongolian horses. Among 75 genera, 30 genera were significantly different (p<0.05) between the two breeds. We found that the environment was one of very important factors that influenced horse gut microbiota. These findings provide novel information about the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses and a foundation for future investigations of gut bacterial factors that may influence the development and progression of gastrointestinal disease in horses.
Publication Date: 2015-12-01 PubMed ID: 26954132PubMed Central: PMC5003997DOI: 10.5713/ajas.15.0587Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research explores the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses, comparing it to that of Thoroughbred horses. Using high-throughput sequencing, the study identifies significant differences at the phylum and genus level, with environmental elements identified as a key influence on horse gut microbiota.
Research Objectives and Methodology
- The goal of this research was to understand the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses, a local breed in China, which had not previously been studied. The researchers also aimed to compare this microbiota to that of Thoroughbred horses.
- High-throughput sequencing of the V4 hypervariable regions of 16S rRNA genes from horse feces was used to gather data. This approach allowed for the analysis of vast quantities of genetic material, helping to characterize the gut microbiota.
- The study involved 14 Mongolian horses and 19 Thoroughbred horses. A total of 33 samples were analyzed, yielding 593,678 sequence reads.
Key Findings
- The results demonstrated that the bacterial community compositions were largely similar for the two breeds. The most abundant phyla for both breeds were Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, followed by Spirochaete, Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, and Fibrobacteres.
- However, significant differences were identified between the two breeds in five of the 16 phyla: Synergistetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, TM7, and Chloroflexi.
- At the genus level, Treponema was most prevalent, particularly in Mongolian horses. Ruminococcus, Roseburia, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Anaeroplasma were also found in higher proportions in Mongolian horses, while Oscillibacter, Fibrobacter, Methanocorpusculum, and Succinivibrio were lower.
- Out of the 75 genera identified, 30 revealed significant differences between the two breeds.
- Another key finding was that the environment had a considerable impact on the horse gut microbiota.
Implications of the Research
- This research provides new insights into the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses and how it compares to that of Thoroughbred horses.
- Understanding these differences and similarities is important as they may influence the development and progression of gastrointestinal diseases in horses.
- Further studies on this topic could potentially lead to improved diagnostic and treatment methods for equine gastrointestinal conditions.
Cite This Article
APA
Zhao Y, Li B, Bai D, Huang J, Shiraigo W, Yang L, Zhao Q, Ren X, Wu J, Bao W, Dugarjaviin M.
(2015).
Comparison of Fecal Microbiota of Mongolian and Thoroughbred Horses by High-throughput Sequencing of the V4 Region of the 16S rRNA Gene.
Asian-Australas J Anim Sci, 29(9), 1345-1352.
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.15.0587 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia Mongolian Horse Genetic Resources Protection and Industrial Engineering Laboratory, Hohhot 010018, China.
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia Mongolian Horse Genetic Resources Protection and Industrial Engineering Laboratory, Hohhot 010018, China.
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia Mongolian Horse Genetic Resources Protection and Industrial Engineering Laboratory, Hohhot 010018, China.
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia Mongolian Horse Genetic Resources Protection and Industrial Engineering Laboratory, Hohhot 010018, China.
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia Mongolian Horse Genetic Resources Protection and Industrial Engineering Laboratory, Hohhot 010018, China.
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia Mongolian Horse Genetic Resources Protection and Industrial Engineering Laboratory, Hohhot 010018, China.
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia Mongolian Horse Genetic Resources Protection and Industrial Engineering Laboratory, Hohhot 010018, China.
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia Mongolian Horse Genetic Resources Protection and Industrial Engineering Laboratory, Hohhot 010018, China.
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia Mongolian Horse Genetic Resources Protection and Industrial Engineering Laboratory, Hohhot 010018, China.
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia Mongolian Horse Genetic Resources Protection and Industrial Engineering Laboratory, Hohhot 010018, China.
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia Mongolian Horse Genetic Resources Protection and Industrial Engineering Laboratory, Hohhot 010018, China.
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