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Home / Equine Research Bank / Anim Microbiome / The gut microbiome of horses: current research on equine ent...
Animal microbiome2019; 1(1); 14; doi: 10.1186/s42523-019-0013-3

The gut microbiome of horses: current research on equine enteral microbiota and future perspectives.

Abstract: Understanding the complex interactions of microbial communities including bacteria, archaea, parasites, viruses and fungi of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) associated with states of either health or disease is still an expanding research field in both, human and veterinary medicine. GIT disorders and their consequences are among the most important diseases of domesticated Equidae, but current gaps of knowledge hinder adequate progress with respect to disease prevention and microbiome-based interventions. Current literature on enteral microbiomes mirrors a vast data and knowledge imbalance, with only few studies tackling archaea, viruses and eukaryotes compared with those addressing the bacterial components.Until recently, culture-dependent methods were used for the identification and description of compositional changes of enteral microorganisms, limiting the outcome to cultivatable bacteria only. Today, next generation sequencing technologies provide access to the entirety of genes (microbiome) associated with the microorganisms of the equine GIT including the mass of uncultured microbiota, or "microbial dark matter".This review illustrates methods commonly used for enteral microbiome analysis in horses and summarizes key findings reached for bacteria, viruses and fungi so far. Moreover, reasonable possibilities to combine different explorative techniques are described. As a future perspective, knowledge expansion concerning beneficial compositions of microorganisms within the equine GIT creates novel possibilities for early disorder diagnostics as well as innovative therapeutic approaches. In addition, analysis of shotgun metagenomic data enables tracking of certain microorganisms beyond species barriers: transmission events of bacteria including pathogens and opportunists harboring antibiotic resistance factors between different horses but also between humans and horses will reach new levels of depth concerning strain-level distinctions.
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Publication Date: 2019-11-13 PubMed ID: 33499951PubMed Central: PMC7807895DOI: 10.1186/s42523-019-0013-3Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study explores the complex relationship of microbial communities within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of horses and its impact on their health or diseases. The research highlights that understanding these interactions can lead to better disease prevention and treatment protocols. It notes the existing knowledge gaps and the potential of next-generation sequencing technologies in uncovering the ‘microbial dark matter’. Ultimately, the study suggests that a deeper understanding of horse microbiomes could lead to early diagnostics and innovative treatment approaches.

Understanding the Horse’s Microbiome

  • Research into the relationships between bacterial communities, along with archaea, parasites, viruses and fungi, in the GIT and states of health or disease is deemed crucial by the study. This research field is relevant to both human and veterinary medicine.
  • Digestive disorders in horses are among their most significant diseases. However, gaps in the understanding of microbial interactions are hampering advancements in disease prevention measures and microbiome-based interventions.
  • Previous research into equine microbiomes reveals an imbalance of data, with too few studies on archaea, viruses and eukaryotes compared to studies on bacterial components.

Methods of Research and Key Findings

  • Earlier techniques for identifying and documenting changes in GIT microorganisms relied on formulating them in cultures, thus limiting the results to only those bacteria that could be cultivated.
  • With the advent of next-generation sequencing technologies, researchers can now study and understand all genes (the microbiome) associated with microorganisms in the equine GIT. This includes unraveling the ‘microbial dark matter’, i.e., the mass of uncultured microbiota.
  • The study discusses the conventional methods used for equine microbiome analysis and provides a summary of findings related to bacteria, viruses, and fungi so far.

Future Perspectives

  • Gaining deeper knowledge about the diverse microorganisms within the equine GIT could open up new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. For instance, tracking certain microorganisms through shotgun metagenomic data analysis could help identify transmission events of bacteria (including pathogens and opportunistic bacteria with antibiotic resistance factors) between horses and even between humans and horses.
  • The study suggests that better understanding of horse microbiomes could lead to early detection of disorders and innovative, disease-specific treatments. Moreover, it would allow for in-depth strain-level distinctions.

Cite This Article

APA
Kauter A, Epping L, Semmler T, Antao EM, Kannapin D, Stoeckle SD, Gehlen H, Lübke-Becker A, Günther S, Wieler LH, Walther B. (2019). The gut microbiome of horses: current research on equine enteral microbiota and future perspectives. Anim Microbiome, 1(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-019-0013-3

Publication

Animal microbiome
ISSN: 2524-4671
NlmUniqueID: 101759457
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 1
Issue: 1
Pages: 14
PII: 14

Researcher Affiliations

Kauter, Anne
  • Advanced Light and Electron Microscopy (ZBS-4), Robert Koch Institute, Seestraße 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Epping, Lennard
  • Microbial Genomics (NG1), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Semmler, Torsten
  • Microbial Genomics (NG1), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Antao, Esther-Maria
  • Research Data Management (MF4), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Kannapin, Dania
  • Equine Clinic, Surgery and Radiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Stoeckle, Sabita D
  • Equine Clinic, Surgery and Radiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Gehlen, Heidrun
  • Equine Clinic, Surgery and Radiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Lübke-Becker, Antina
  • Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Centre for Infection Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Günther, Sebastian
  • Pharmaceutical Biology Institute of Pharmacy, Universität Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Wieler, Lothar H
  • Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Walther, Birgit
  • Advanced Light and Electron Microscopy (ZBS-4), Robert Koch Institute, Seestraße 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany. waltherb@rki.de.

Grant Funding

  • 01KI1727F / the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
  • 01KI1727D / German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
  • 01KI1725F / German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
  • Grant ID 03ZZ0804B / German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
  • grant 838 056 / Federal Government Innovation Support by Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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