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Development of the faecal microbiota in foals.
M C Costa1, H R Stämpfli2, E Allen-Vercoe3
1Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Canada. costamc@gmail.com.
Equine Veterinary Journal
|November 1, 2015
Summary
The equine foal
Area of Science:
- Equine microbiology
- Microbial ecology
- Animal health
Background:
- The intestinal microbiota plays a crucial role in host health.
- Advances in sequencing technologies have transformed equine microbiota research.
- Limited data exists on early foal intestinal bacterial colonization and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the intestinal bacterial colonization of newborn foals.
- To track the development of the foal's gut microbiota until 9 months of age.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study design.
- Faecal samples collected from mares and foals from birth to 9 months.
- 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V4 region) using Illumina MiSeq.
Main Results:
- Newborn foals exhibit a diverse microbiota, primarily Firmicutes.
- Bacterial diversity decreases in foals aged 2-30 days, with Akkermansia spp. dominating.
- Microbiota stabilizes after 60 days, showing similarities to the mare's but with persistent differences.
Conclusions:
- Equine newborns possess a complex gut microbiota at birth.
- Significant microbiota adaptation occurs within the first month of life.
- Foal microbiota resembles the dam's by 60 days, with ongoing compositional variations.
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