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Methanogen Colonisation Does Not Significantly Alter Acetogen Diversity in Lambs Isolated 17 h After Birth and Raised Aseptically

  • Environmental Microbiology
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Abstract

Reductive acetogenesis is not competitive with methanogenesis in adult ruminants, whereas acetogenic bacteria are the dominant hydrogenotrophs in the early rumen microbiota. The ecology of hydrogenotrophs in the developing rumen was investigated using young lambs, raised in sterile isolators, and conventional adult sheep. Two lambs were born naturally, left with their dams for 17 h and then placed into a sterile isolator and reared aseptically. They were inoculated with cellulolytic bacteria and later with Methanobrevibacter sp. 87.7 to investigate the effect of methanogen establishment on the rumen acetogen population since they lacked cultivable representatives of methanogens. Putative acetogens were investigated by acetyl-CoA synthase and formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase gene analysis and methanogens by methyl coenzyme reductase A gene analysis. Unexpectedly, a low abundant but diverse population of methanogens (predominantly Methanobrevibacter spp.) was identified in isolated lambs pre-inoculation with Mbb. sp 87.7, which was similar to the community structure in conventional sheep. In contrast, potential acetogen diversity in isolated lambs and conventional sheep was different. Potential acetogens affiliated between the Lachnospiraceae and Clostridiaceae in conventional sheep and with the Blautia genus and the Lachnospiraceae in isolated lambs. The establishment of Mbb. sp. 87.7 (1,000-fold increase in methanogens) did not substantially affect acetogen diversity.

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to Gérard Vert and Christophe de Martrin (Unit of Microbiology, INRA Clermont-Ferrand/Theix) for the rearing of lambs and rumen sampling, and to Pascale Lepercq, Rémy Roux and Gérard Andant for technical assistance. This work was partly funded by the French and Australian governments, through the French–Australian Science and Technology (FAST) program. Emma Gagen was a recipient of scholarships from The University of Queensland and CSIRO Livestock Industries.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Livestock Industries, St. Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia

    Emma J. Gagen, Stuart E. Denman & Christopher S. McSweeney

  2. School of Animal Studies, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, 4343, Australia

    Emma J. Gagen & Rafat Al Jassim

  3. INRA, Unité de Microbiologie, UR454, Centre de Clermont-Ferrand/Theix, 63122, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France

    Pascale Mosoni & Evelyne Forano

  4. Department of Microbiology, University of Regensburg, Universitaetstrasse 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany

    Emma J. Gagen

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  1. Emma J. Gagen
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  2. Pascale Mosoni
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  4. Rafat Al Jassim
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Correspondence to Emma J. Gagen.

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Emma J. Gagen and Pascale Mosoni contributed equally to the manuscript

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Gagen, E.J., Mosoni, P., Denman, S.E. et al. Methanogen Colonisation Does Not Significantly Alter Acetogen Diversity in Lambs Isolated 17 h After Birth and Raised Aseptically. Microb Ecol 64, 628–640 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-012-0024-z

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