Heritability and recursive influence of host genetics on the rumen microbiota drive body weight variance in male Hu sheep lambs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Heritable rumen microbiota is an important modulator of ruminant growth performance. However, no information exists to date on host genetics-rumen microbiota interactions and their association with phenotype in sheep. To solve this, we curated and analyzed whole-genome resequencing genotypes, 16S rumen-microbiota data, and longitudinal body weight (BW) phenotypes from 1150 sheep.

Results

A variance component model indicated significant heritability of rumen microbial community diversity. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using microbial features as traits identified 411 loci-taxon significant associations (P < 10^-8). We found a heritability of 39% for 180-day-old BW, while also the rumen microbiota likely played a significant role, explaining that

SUBMITTER: Wang W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10463499 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature