Ecological and Functional Changes in the Hindgut Microbiome of Holstein Cows at High Altitudes
Gong Chen,
Haibo Lu,
Shangzhen Huang,
Congcong Zhang,
Xiaojuan Ma,
Bin Li,
Lingling Hou,
Qing Xu,
Yachun Wang
Affiliations
Gong Chen
College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Haibo Lu
Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Shangzhen Huang
Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Congcong Zhang
College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Xiaojuan Ma
College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Bin Li
Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Tibetan Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa 850000, China
Lingling Hou
College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Qing Xu
College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Yachun Wang
Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
The extreme environmental conditions of the Qinhai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) challenge livestock survival and productivity, yet little is known about how high-altitude environments impact the gut microbiota of dairy cows. To fill this gap, we systematically investigated the differences in the hindgut microbiome between 87 plateau Holstein cows and 72 plain Holstein cows using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Our analysis revealed that the hindgut microbiota of the plateau group exhibited lower species richness but higher evenness than that in the plain group. Additionally, significant separation in hindgut microbiota composition between the two groups was observed based on altitude, while parity, days in milk, and age did not show a comparable impact. Moreover, altitude had a lasting impact on bacterial communities and their co-occurrence networks, resulting in reduced microbial interactions and lower modularity in the plateau group. Furthermore, we identified four key microbial taxa, the Bacteroidaceae and Rikenellaceae families, as well as the Prevotella and Treponema genera, which were associated with the regulation of carbohydrate digestion and energy metabolism and might help the Holstein cows adapt to the plateau environment. Our findings provide insights into strategies for enhancing the adaptability of dairy cows to high-altitude environments through microbiota modulation, which could ultimately contribute to improving livestock management and sustainability in these extreme environments.
