Maternal gastrointestinal microbiome shapes gut microbial function and resistome of newborns in a cow-to-calf model
Yimin Zhuang,
Shuai Liu,
Duo Gao,
Yiming Xu,
Wen Jiang,
Guobin Hou,
Sumin Li,
Xinjie Zhao,
Tianyu Chen,
Shangru Li,
Siyuan Zhang,
Yanting Huang,
Jingjun Wang,
Jianxin Xiao,
Mengmeng Li,
Wei Wang,
Shengli Li,
Zhijun Cao
Affiliations
Yimin Zhuang
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Shuai Liu
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Duo Gao
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Yiming Xu
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Wen Jiang
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Guobin Hou
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Sumin Li
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Xinjie Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Tianyu Chen
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Shangru Li
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Siyuan Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Yanting Huang
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Jingjun Wang
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Jianxin Xiao
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Mengmeng Li
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Wei Wang
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Shengli Li
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Zhijun Cao
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, International Calf and Heifer Organization, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
Abstract Background The maternal gut microbiome is the direct and important source of early colonization and development of the neonatal gut microbiome. However, differences in unique and shared features between mothers with different physiological phenotypes and their newborns still lack exhaustive investigation. Here, using a cow-to-calf model, a comprehensive investigation was conducted to elucidate the pattern and characterization of microbial transfer from the maternal source to the offspring. Results The microbiota in the rumen and feces of dairy cows were divided into two clusters via enterotype analysis. The cows from the enterotype distinguished by Prevotella in the rumen had better production performance, whereas no difference was observed in the cows classified by feces enterotype. Furthermore, through a pairwise combination of fecal and ruminal enterotypes, we screened a group of dairy cows with excellent phenotypes. The gastrointestinal microbiomes of cows with different phenotypes and their offspring differed significantly. The rumen was a more important microbial source for meconium than feces. Transmission of beneficial bacteria from mother to offspring was observed. Additionally, the meconium inherits advantageous metabolic functions of the rumen. The resistome features of the rumen, feces, and meconium were consistent, and resistome abundance from cows to calves showed an expanding trend. The interaction between antibiotic-resistance genes and mobile genetic elements from the rumen to meconium was the most remarkable. The diversity of core metabolites from cows to calves was stable and not affected by differences in phenotypes. However, the abundance of specific metabolites varied greatly. Conclusions Our study demonstrates the microbial taxa, metabolic function, and resistome characteristics of maternal and neonatal microbiomes, and reveals the potential vertical transmission of the microbiome from a cow-to-calf model. These findings provide new insights into the transgenerational transmission pattern of the microbiome. Video Abstract
