Cow genes help steer what gut microbes do with grass
Lakamp AD, Adams S, Kuehn LA, Snelling WM, Wells J
Soil Health
Every steak, burger, or dairy product traces back to a cow's gut microbes turning grass and hay into usable nutrients, and this study shows breeding smarter cattle could make that plant-to-protein conversion more efficient with less feed and land.
Cattle can't digest tough plant fiber on their own, so they rely on billions of microbes living in their rumen (a specialized stomach chamber) to do the heavy lifting. Researchers studied over 700 beef cattle and found that an animal's own genetics partly determines which jobs those gut microbes take on, like breaking down specific plant compounds. Some of these microbial jobs were tied to how efficiently cattle turn feed into weight gain, hinting that breeding programs could one day select for cattle whose genes naturally recruit more efficient plant-digesting microbes.
Key Findings
Researchers analyzed 16,350 microbial gene functions (ORFs) from rumen samples of 717 beef cattle across four diets.
About 4% of these microbial functions showed strong heritability from the host animal, and over 10% had heritability estimates above 0.20.
Eleven host cattle genes, tied to immune response, metabolism, or host-microbe communication, were linked to multiple microbial functions, including ones connected to feed efficiency.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found that a beef cow's genes shape which functions its gut microbes perform when breaking down plant material, and some of those microbial functions are linked to how efficiently the animal converts feed into growth.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Influence of host genetics on the functional composition of the rumen metagenome in beef cattle1.
Cattle rely on the microorganisms in their rumen to break down plant matter into useable nutrients. Studies have demonstrated that the rumen microbiome plays a critical role in economically importa...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Gene editing removes 97% of celiac-triggering proteins from bread wheat
It could mean that people with celiac disease — roughly 1 in 100 worldwide — may one day safely eat bread made from real wheat, without sacrificing the taste...
Crop-improvement refers to the systematic enhancement of plant varieties through selective breeding, genetic modification, and biotechnological approaches to develop cultivars with superior agronomic, nutritional, or environmental traits. This field is essential for addressing global food security,
arrow_forward Explore topic