Abstract
Simple SummaryIn modern sheep production systems, less energy is required to gain lean tissue than to deposit fat; therefore, producers are attempting to decrease fat deposition costs by altering nutrient use to benefit the production of leaner carcasses. Microbes in the rumen have vital functions in feed digestion; however, limited research has been performed on the rumen microbiome’s effect on fat deposition. This study revealed variations in microbial populations in rumen carrying different fat deposition phenotypes in a characteristic way, and these findings could aid in developing strategies for manipulating rumen microbiota to alter the production performance of sheep.Microbial communities of the sheep rumen have been studied extensively; however, their involvement in the regulation of fat deposition is unknown. Herein, we aimed to identify the correlations among fat deposition-related phenotypes and the effect of microbiota on changes in body fat accumulation. The rumen microbiota of 141 lambs was profiled by 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing, and the volatile fatty acids’ (VFAs’) concentrations were quantified by gas chromatography. Subsequently, the animals were grouped according to body mass index (BMI) to compare the microbiota of the rumen among the sheep with different fat deposition levels. Results further revealed differences in terms of the species abundance, diversity, and microbial composition between sheep with different fat deposition levels. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis and Random Forest (RF) regression analysis identified changes in 29 ruminal bacteria, which may be the main driver for different fat deposition.
Highlights
Fat-tailed sheep, representing 25% of the global sheep population [1], evolved from the wild ancestor of thin-tailed sheep approximately 5000 years ago
The results showed that the average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily gain (ADG) were significantly higher in the high fat deposition (HFD) group, which implied that sheep with a faster growth rate might acquire a high fat content
We demonstrated that body mass index (BMI) was associated with a range of fat deposition traits and it can be used as an important predictor of fat parameters in sheep
Summary
Fat-tailed sheep, representing 25% of the global sheep population [1], evolved from the wild ancestor of thin-tailed sheep approximately 5000 years ago. Domestication and long-term selection have led the fat-tailed sheep to show high adaptability to extreme environments, which, combined with a good fat deposition ability, represents an increase in the energy storage in the form of adipose tissue [2]. During periods of cold and food deprivation, body fat undergoes massive decomposition to provide energy for metabolism. This biological characteristic has been preserved through evolution and is not affected by nutritional quality, geographical environment, and other factors [3]. In modern sheep production systems, the use of intensive or semi-intensive feeding systems mean that fat is not an important energy source. More energy is required for fat deposition than to produce the same amount of lean tissue and, feed efficiency reduces [4]. Methods to modulate fat deposition in sheep are urgently required
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