Association between host genetics of sheep and the rumen microbial composition
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Date
2022Author
Mani, Sinalo
Aiyegoro, Olayinka Ayobami
Adeleke, Matthew Adekunle
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A synergy between the rumen microbiota and the host genetics has created a symbiotic relationship, beneficial to the host’s
health. In this study, the association between the host genetics and rumen microbiome of Damara and Meatmaster sheep
was investigated. The composition of rumen microbiota was estimated through the analysis of the V3-V4 region of the 16S
rRNA gene, while the sheep blood DNA was genotyped with Illumina OvineSNP50 BeadChip and the genome-wide asso-
ciation (GWA) was analyzed. Sixty significant SNPs dispersed in 21 regions across the Ovis aries genome were found to be
associated with the relative abundance of seven genera: Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Clostridium, Flavobacterium, Prevotella,
Pseudomonas, and Streptobacillus. A total of eighty-four candidate genes were identified, and their functional annotations
were mainly associated with immunity responses and function, metabolism, and signal transduction. Our results propose
that those candidate genes identified in the study may be modulating the composition of rumen microbiota and further
indicating the significance of comprehending the interactions between the host and rumen microbiota to gain better insight
into the health of sheep.