Special Issue "The Digestive Tract of Ruminants: Feed–Microbiome–Host Interactions"

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2021.

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Renée M. Petri
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
Interests: application of multi-omics approaches to the tracking and assessment of the gastrointestinal microbiome for rumen; GIT and animal health; the impact of feed; feed management and feed additives on host–microbe crosstalk; immunity and the mitigation of production-related diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Gut health is defined as the balance of homeostasis between host and microbiome, as well as the resistance to external and endogenous disturbances. Ruminants are defined by their mode of plant digestion and evolved forestomach, and therefore, most external disturbances are a result of diet composition or dietary change. Although it is accepted that diet plays a main role in shaping gut microbiota, more and more evidence has revealed that host genetics is also an important factor in determining the composition of gut microbiota. The interactions of the feed–microbiome–host are also compartmentalized, and can vary in each unique region of the ruminant digestive tract based on environmental parameters. Even with the rapid advancement of omics methodologies and bioinformatics, there are critical gaps in knowledge for understanding the interactions within the digestive tract of ruminants.

We are seeking original research papers that evaluate the feed–microbiome–host interactions under a variety of conditions and locations, and look to identify cross-talk within the digestive tract. Moreover, topics may be related to feed composition changes, microbial dysbiosis, feed additives, and production-related diseases in ruminants.

Dr. Renée M. Petri
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gastrointestinal microbiome
  • ruminants
  • animal and rumen health
  • animal immunity
  • host–microbiome crosstalk

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

Article
A Grain-Based SARA Challenge Affects the Composition of Epimural and Mucosa-Associated Bacterial Communities throughout the Digestive Tract of Dairy Cows
Animals 2021, 11(6), 1658; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061658 - 02 Jun 2021
Viewed by 1285
Abstract
The effects of a subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) challenge on the composition of epimural and mucosa-associated bacterial communities throughout the digestive tract were determined in eight non-lactating Holstein cows. Treatments included feeding a control diet containing 19.6% dry matter (DM) starch and a [...] Read more.
The effects of a subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) challenge on the composition of epimural and mucosa-associated bacterial communities throughout the digestive tract were determined in eight non-lactating Holstein cows. Treatments included feeding a control diet containing 19.6% dry matter (DM) starch and a SARA-challenge diet containing 33.3% DM starch for two days after a 4-day grain step-up. Subsequently, epithelial samples from the rumen and mucosa samples from the duodenum, proximal, middle and distal jejunum, ileum, cecum and colon were collected. Extracted DNA from these samples were analyzed using MiSeq Illumina sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Distinct clustering patterns for each diet existed for all sites. The SARA challenge decreased microbial diversity at all sites, with the exception of the middle jejunum. The SARA challenge also affected the relative abundances of several major phyla and genera at all sites but the magnitude of these effects differed among sites. In the rumen and colon, the largest effects were an increase in the relative abundance of Firmicutes and a reduction of Bacteroidetes. In the small intestine, the largest effect was an increase in the relative abundance of Actinobacteria. The grain-based SARA challenge conducted in this study did not only affect the composition and cause dysbiosis of epimural microbiota in the rumen, it also affected the mucosa-associated microbiota in the intestines. To assess the extent of this dysbiosis, its effects on the functionality of these microbiota must be determined in future. Full article
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