Nelore Cattle Microbiota Mapping Targets Methane Reductions
Researchers at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, known as EMBRAPA, are mapping the link between Nelore cattle genetics and gut microorganisms to cut methane emissions and boost feed efficiency, phys.org reported. Luciana Regitano presented the findings on October 28 during FAPESP Week Netherlands.
Cattle produce methane through natural digestion in the rumen, the largest stomach chamber, where microorganisms break down plant fibers. This process consumes between 2% and 12% of the energy an animal would otherwise extract from its feed.
Mapping stomach RNA reveals enzymes for feed additives
The research team uses molecular biology to analyze DNA, RNA, proteins, and chemical substances within cattle tissues and digestive systems simultaneously. By mapping RNA molecules in the rumen, scientists located specific enzymes linked to better feed utilization and lower gas production.
These enzymes offer clear targets for developing new feed additives. One advanced line of research creates compounds that block or slow down the enzymes responsible for creating methane. However, stopping gas formation completely can cause hydrogen to accumulate, making the stomach acidic and disrupting digestion.
“Our strategies aim not only to inhibit the enzyme that generates methane, but also to redirect this hydrogen to beneficial metabolic pathways, such as the production of propionate, an essential fatty acid that serves as an important energy source for the bovine,” Regitano explained.
Calf stomach bacteria shape lifelong development
Scientists are also developing probiotics and prebiotics to encourage the permanent colonization of low-emission bacteria in the rumen. Researchers isolated tiny transport vesicles called nanovesicles from cattle bodies. These carry microRNAs that help regulate gene activity in stomach microorganisms.
A study conducted with the Brazilian Association of Zebu Breeders monitored Nelore cattle from pasture to final feedlot fattening. The data showed that bacteria colonizing a calf’s stomach on pasture influence its development for the rest of its life, creating a nutritional environment whose benefits persist until slaughter.
International partnerships encounter unknown microorganisms
EMBRAPA is expanding its research through partnerships with institutions in the United States, Ireland, Germany, Australia, and the Netherlands. Despite these international collaborations, the studies uncovered a major scientific hurdle: roughly 40% of the microorganisms identified in Nelore samples do not appear in any international database.
Analyses indicate that approximately 48% of the microbial species found may be entirely new to science, with most never isolated in a laboratory. The team is currently using artificial intelligence and bioinformatics to predict gene functions before experimental validation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nelore Cattle Microbiota Research
Why is direct genetic selection for microbiota not currently used in beef cattle?
Direct genetic selection is not financially viable because the cost of sequencing microbiota and adding that data to genomic selection indices is too high relative to production gains, unlike in poultry or dairy farming.
How does early pasture grazing affect cattle later in life?
Initial pasture colonization establishes microbial communities that correlate with feed efficiency and weight gain months later, even after cattle transition to concentrated feed in confinement.
What role do microRNAs play in cattle digestion?
Tiny transport vesicles produced by the animals carry microRNAs that computer simulations show strongly connect with gene functions in rumen microorganisms, suggesting cattle use them to modulate their stomach bacteria.
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