Metagenomic Analysis of the Reindeer Rumen Microbiota

Abstract

AbstractReindeer are ruminants that have adapted to difficult arctic conditions, poor diets and low temperatures. We have analyzed the metagenomes of the microbial communities of the reindeer rumen in the Nenets and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Districts. An analysis of the complete genomes of the microbial communities of the reindeer rumen from the Nenets and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Regions revealed differences between them at the functional levels. Taxonomically, more than 96% of the sequences belonged to the Bacteria domain, 2.18% to the Eukaryota domain, 1.54% to the Archaea domain, and 0.14% of the sequences were viral. In the sample from the Nenets Autonomous District, a trend towards a higher proportion of representatives of the fungal kingdom Neocallimastigomycota was revealed. Large functional differences between rumen microbiomes were found in the analysis of carbohydrate-active enzymes. In the genome of animals from the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. At this level, obvious differences in the spectrum of produced enzymes responsible for the utilization of complex polysaccharides were revealed. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in the rumen of reindeer from the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, a large proportion was occupied by representatives of the phylum Firmicutes, which include the largest number of decomposers of complex polysaccharides.KeywordsRumen metagenomeWhole genome sequencingReindeerArctic zone