Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2025
08:14
A Method to Define the Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Colon Microbiome Biodiversity in a Mouse Colon Tumor Model
Published on: February 28, 2018
8.8K
Genotype-associated heritable rumen bacteria can be a stable microbiota passed to the offspring
Xinwei Zang1, Huizeng Sun1, Mingyuan Xue1
1Institute of Diary Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
ISME Communications
|February 8, 2024
Summary
Heritable rumen bacteria in dairy cows show high stability and can be passed from mothers to offspring. This vertical transmission suggests a consistent microbial community across generations, impacting host traits.
Area of Science:
- Rumen microbiome research
- Dairy cattle genetics
- Microbial ecology
Background:
- Some rumen microbes exhibit heritability, influencing host phenotypes.
- The vertical transmission of these heritable rumen bacteria across generations is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the vertical transmission of heritable rumen bacteria from mother cows to their offspring.
- To identify host genetic associations with heritable bacterial abundances.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of rumen bacteria composition between mother cows and their offspring.
- Analysis of host genotypes and their correlation with heritable bacterial abundances.
- Assessment of microbial function stability between generations.
Main Results:
- Heritable rumen bacteria exhibited higher compositional similarity between mothers and offspring than non-heritable bacteria.
- Five host genotypes were associated with the relative abundances of two heritable bacterial species, *Pseudoscardovia* and *p-251-o5*.
- Predicted heritable microbial functions were more stable across generations compared to non-heritable functions.
Conclusions:
- Heritable rumen bacteria demonstrate significant stability and are vertically transmitted from mothers to offspring in dairy cows.
- Host genetics play a role in shaping the abundance of specific heritable rumen bacteria.
- This generational stability of heritable rumen microbes suggests a consistent influence on host phenotype across generations.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Bacterial Flora of the Large Intestine
449
The gut microbiome is formed by a vast and diverse community of bacteria that colonizes our large intestine. These bacteria start residing in the gut from birth and continue diversifying throughout life, influenced by factors such as diet, lifestyle, and stress. The gut bacterial community also includes bacteria from food and those that enter the colon through the anus.
The normal gut flora of the colon plays a critical role in generating essential vitamins such as vitamins K, B5, and B7.
The normal gut flora of the colon plays a critical role in generating essential vitamins such as vitamins K, B5, and B7.
449
01:23Anatomy of the Intestines
72.0K
Although digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids may begin in the stomach, it is completed in the intestine. The absorption of nutrients, water, and electrolytes from food and drink also occurs in the intestine. The intestines can be divided into two structurally distinct organs—the small and large intestines.
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the...
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the...
72.0K
02:27Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
6.5K
Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
6.5K
02:59Animal Mitochondrial Genetics
7.6K
Among all the organelles in an animal cell, only mitochondria have their own independent genomes. Animal mitochondrial DNA is a double-stranded, closed-circular molecule with around 20,000 base pairs. Mitochondrial DNA is unique in that one of its two strands, the heavy, or H, -strand is guanine rich, whereas the complementary strand is cytosine rich and called the light, or L, -strand. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA has a very low percentage of non-coding regions and is marked by...
7.6K
01:49Law of Segregation
65.9K
When crossing pea plants, Mendel noticed that one of the parental traits would sometimes disappear in the first generation of offspring, called the F1 generation, and could reappear in the next generation (F2). He concluded that one of the traits must be dominant over the other, thereby causing masking of one trait in the F1 generation. When he crossed the F1 plants, he found that 75% of the offspring in the F2 generation had the dominant phenotype, while 25% had the recessive phenotype.
65.9K
01:49Probability Laws
40.8K
Overview
40.8K