Neonatal Calf Diarrhea Is Associated with Decreased Bacterial Diversity and Altered Gut Microbiome Profiles
Wei Li,
Xin Yi,
Baoyun Wu,
Xiang Li,
Boping Ye,
Ziqi Deng,
Runa A,
Sanlong Hu,
Dongdong Li,
Hao Wu,
Zhenming Zhou
Affiliations
Wei Li
The State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
Xin Yi
The State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
Baoyun Wu
The State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
Xiang Li
The State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
Boping Ye
The State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
Ziqi Deng
The State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
Runa A
The State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
Sanlong Hu
The State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
Dongdong Li
The State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
Hao Wu
The State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
Zhenming Zhou
The State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
Neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) is a broad symptom encompassing many potential underlying causes. While alterations in the gut microbiota have been correlated with diarrhea, the effects of diarrhea on gut communities have not been sufficiently studied. To explore these effects and identify key microbiota involved, we profiled the fecal microbial community of 21 calves with varying health conditions using the 16S rRNA gene. In comparison to healthy calves, diarrheic calves exhibited significantly decreased diversity and evenness indices. There was a notable increase in the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota, and a significant decrease in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, there were increased relative abundances of Escherichia-Shigella and Lactobacillus. Notably, the abundance of Lactobacillus continued to increase during the recovery from diarrhea. Clinical observation and bacterial typing analysis revealed fecal microbiome dysbiosis as a significant characteristic of NCD. This work identifies dysbiosis as a key factor promoting diarrhea in neonatal calves, characterized by a low-diversity microbiome. The increased abundance of Lactobacillus might contribute to the curative properties of diarrhea.
