Microbiota diversity and association with performance phenotypes in beef bulls.

ABSTRACT: Feed efficiency, nutrient utilization, and methane emission are highly dependent on the gastrointestinal microbiota, implying an influence of these microorganisms on economically important traits (e.g., carcass traits and meat quality). The interaction between microbial composition, diet, and host performance suggests that microbiota-targeted strategies may increase production in livestock animals. However, little is known about this interaction in beef cattle. We aimed to characterize the gastrointestinal microbiota and identify taxa associated with performance phenotypes in Nellore bulls. We identified 1,268 bacterial and 75 archaeal amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). For both bacteria and archaea, alpha diversity showed significant within-year variation. No statistical differences were

SUBMITTER: Fuentes Rojas LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12573086 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature