Gut Microbiota Diversity of Local Egyptian Cattle Managed in Different Ecosystems

Abstract

The animal gastrointestinal tract contains a complex microbiome whose composition ultimately reflects the co-evolution of microorganisms with their animal host and their host's environment. This study aimed to gain insights into the adaptation of the microbiota of local Egyptian cattle to three different ecosystems (Upper Egypt, Middle Egypt, and Lower Egypt) distributed across 11 governorates (with an average of 12 animals per governorate) using amplicon sequencing. We analyzed the microbiota from 136 fecal samples of local Egyptian cattle through a 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach to better understand the fecal microbial diversity of this breed which developed under different ecosystems. An alpha diversity analysis showed that the fecal microbiota of the Egyptian cattle was not significantly diverse across areas, seasons, sexes, or farm types. Meanwhile, microbiota data revealed significant differences in richness among age groups (<i>p</i> = 0.0018). The microbial community differed significantly in the distribution of its relative abundance rather than in richness across different ecosystems. The taxonomic analysis of the reads identified <i>Firmicutes</i> and <i>Actinobacteriota</i> as the dominant phyla, accounting for over 93% of the total bacterial community in Egyptian cattle. Middle Egypt exhibited a different microbial community composition compared to Upper and Lower Egypt, with a significantly higher abundance of <i>Firmicutes</i> and <i>Euryarchaeota</i> and a lower abundance of <i>Actinobacteriota</i> in this region than the other two ecosystems. Additionally, Middle Egypt had a significantly higher relative abundance of the <i>Methanobacteriaceae</i> family and the <i>Methanobrevibacter</i> genera than Lower and Upper Egypt. These results suggest a difference in the adaptation of the fecal microbial communities of Egyptian cattle raised in Middle Egypt. At the genus level, eleven genera were significantly different among the three ecosystems including <i>Bacillus</i>, <i>DNF00809</i>, <i>Kandleria</i>, <i>Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group</i>, <i>Methanobrevibacter</i>, <i>Mogibacterium</i>, <i>Olsenella</i>, <i>Paeniclostridium</i>, <i>Romboutsia</i>, <i>Turicibacter</i>, and <i>UCG-005</i>. These significant differences in microbiota composition may impact the animal's adaptation to varied environments.