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Erickson S, Booker C, Song J, Janzen E, Jelinski M, Schwartzkopf-Genswein K. Epidemiology of Digital Dermatitis in Western Canadian Feedlot Cattle. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1040. [PMID: 38612279 PMCID: PMC11011063 DOI: 10.3390/ani14071040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Digital dermatitis (DD) is an emerging disease in feedlot cattle. Our objective was to identify animal- and feedlot-level risk factors for DD by analyzing individual animal health records (n = 1,209,883) and feedlot-level records from western Canadian feedlots (n = 28) between 2014 and 2018, inclusive. The risk of a DD diagnosis was higher (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 2.08, 95% CI 1.52 to 2.86) in cattle sourced from confined background operations (CB) versus cattle sourced from auction markets (AM). Conversely, ranch direct (RD) cattle were (IRR = 0.02, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.30) lower risk than AM cattle of being diagnosed with DD. The risk of being diagnosed with DD was higher in females than in males. The magnitude of the risk in females over males was influenced by annual DD incidence in low morbidity years (2014, 2017, and 2018) (IRR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.27 to 3.19), medium morbidity years (2016) (IRR = 2.95, 95% CI 1.64 to 5.33), and high morbidity years (2015) (IRR = 5.41, 95% CI 3.27 to 8.95). At the feedlot-level, the risk of a diagnosis of DD was lower in small capacity (SCF) versus large capacity feedlots (LCF) (IRR = 0.24, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.76). Future research should focus on identifying factors that may propagate disease transmission between cattle of different sexes and from different acquisition sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Erickson
- TELUS Agriculture and Consumer Goods, Okotoks, AB T1S 2A2, Canada; (S.E.); (C.B.); (J.S.); (E.J.)
| | - Calvin Booker
- TELUS Agriculture and Consumer Goods, Okotoks, AB T1S 2A2, Canada; (S.E.); (C.B.); (J.S.); (E.J.)
| | - Jiming Song
- TELUS Agriculture and Consumer Goods, Okotoks, AB T1S 2A2, Canada; (S.E.); (C.B.); (J.S.); (E.J.)
| | - Eugene Janzen
- TELUS Agriculture and Consumer Goods, Okotoks, AB T1S 2A2, Canada; (S.E.); (C.B.); (J.S.); (E.J.)
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Murray Jelinski
- Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada;
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2
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O'Hara E, Zaheer R, Andrés-Lasheras S, McAllister TA, Gruninger RJ. Evaluating the liver abscess microbiota of beef cattle during a reduction in tylosin supplementation shows differences according to abscess size and fraction. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae002. [PMID: 38373802 PMCID: PMC10960635 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver abscesses (LA) resulting from bacterial infection in cattle pose a significant global challenge to the beef and dairy industries. Economic losses from liver discounts at slaughter and reduced animal performance drive the need for effective mitigation strategies. Tylosin phosphate supplementation is widely used to reduce LA occurrence, but concerns over antimicrobial overuse emphasize the urgency to explore alternative approaches. Understanding the microbial ecology of LA is crucial to this, and we hypothesized that a reduced timeframe of tylosin delivery would alter LA microbiomes. We conducted 16S rRNA sequencing to assess severe liver abscess bacteriomes in beef cattle supplemented with in-feed tylosin. Our findings revealed that shortening tylosin supplementation did not notably alter microbial communities. Additionally, our findings highlighted the significance of sample processing methods, showing differing communities in bulk purulent material and the capsule-adhered material. Fusobacterium or Bacteroides ASVs dominated LA, alongside probable opportunistic gut pathogens and other microbes. Moreover, we suggest that liver abscess size correlates with microbial community composition. These insights contribute to our understanding of factors impacting liver abscess microbial ecology and will be valuable in identifying antibiotic alternatives. They underscore the importance of exploring varied approaches to address LA while reducing reliance on in-feed antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eóin O'Hara
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403 1st Ave S, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Rahat Zaheer
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403 1st Ave S, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Sara Andrés-Lasheras
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403 1st Ave S, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Tim A McAllister
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403 1st Ave S, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Robert J Gruninger
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403 1st Ave S, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4B1, Canada
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3
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Bumunang EW, Castro VS, Alexander T, Zaheer R, McAllister TA, Guan LL, Stanford K. In Silico Analysis of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 Strains from Presumptive Super- and Low-Shedder Cattle. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:86. [PMID: 38393164 PMCID: PMC10893428 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16020086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cattle are the primary reservoir for STEC O157, with some shedding >104 CFU/g in feces, a phenomenon known as super-shedding (SS). The mechanism(s) responsible for SS are not understood but have been attributed to the environment, host, and pathogen. This study aimed to compare genetic characteristics of STEC O157 strains from cattle in the same commercial feedlot pens with SS or low-shedding (LS) status. Strains from SS (n = 35) and LS (n = 28) collected from 11 pens in three feedlots were analyzed for virulence genes, Shiga toxin-carrying bacteriophage insertion sites, and phylogenetic relationships. In silico analysis showed limited variation regarding virulence gene profiles. Stx-encoding prophage insertion sites mrlA and wrbA for stx1a and stx2a, respectively, were all occupied, but two isolates had fragments of the stx-carrying phage in mrlA and wrbA loci without stx1a and stx2a. All strains screened for lineage-specific polymorphism assay (LSPA-6) were 111111, lineage I. Of the isolates, 61 and 2 were clades 1 and 8, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that pens with more than one SS had multiple distantly related clusters of SS and LS isolates. Although virulence genes and lineage were largely similar within and across feedlots, multiple genetic origins of strains within a single feedlot pen illustrate challenges for on-farm control of STEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel W. Bumunang
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada; (E.W.B.); (T.A.); (R.Z.); (T.A.M.)
| | - Vinicius S. Castro
- Faculty of Agronomy and Zootechnics, Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Cuiabá 78010-715, Brazil;
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 1M4, Canada
| | - Trevor Alexander
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada; (E.W.B.); (T.A.); (R.Z.); (T.A.M.)
| | - Rahat Zaheer
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada; (E.W.B.); (T.A.); (R.Z.); (T.A.M.)
| | - Tim A. McAllister
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada; (E.W.B.); (T.A.); (R.Z.); (T.A.M.)
| | - Le Luo Guan
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P9, Canada;
| | - Kim Stanford
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 1M4, Canada
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4
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Mizoguchi Y, Guan LL. - Invited Review - Translational gut microbiome research for strategies to improve beef cattle production sustainability and meat quality. Anim Biosci 2024; 37:346-359. [PMID: 38186252 PMCID: PMC10838664 DOI: 10.5713/ab.23.0387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Advanced and innovative breeding and management of meat-producing animals are needed to address the global food security and sustainability challenges. Beef production is an important industry for securing animal protein resources in the world and meat quality significantly contributes to the economic values and human needs. Improvement of cattle feed efficiency has become an urgent task as it can lower the environmental burden of methane gas emissions and the reduce the consumption of human edible cereal grains. Cattle depend on their symbiotic microbiome and its activity in the rumen and gut to maintain growth and health. Recent developments in high-throughput omics analysis (metagenome, metatranscriptome, metabolome, metaproteome and so on) have made it possible to comprehensively analyze microbiome, hosts and their interactions and to define their roles in affecting cattle biology. In this review, we focus on the relationships among gut microbiome and beef meat quality, feed efficiency, methane emission as well as host genetics in beef cattle, aiming to determine the current knowledge gaps for the development of the strategies to improve the sustainability of beef production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasushi Mizoguchi
- School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 214-8571,
Japan
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2P5,
Canada
| | - Le Luo Guan
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2P5,
Canada
- Faculty of Land and Food Systems, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4,
Canada
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5
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Javed MQ, Kovalchuk I, Yevtushenko D, Yang X, Stanford K. Relationship between Desiccation Tolerance and Biofilm Formation in Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli. Microorganisms 2024; 12:243. [PMID: 38399647 PMCID: PMC10891874 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major concern in the food industry and requires effective control measures to prevent foodborne illnesses. Previous studies have demonstrated increased difficulty in the control of biofilm-forming STEC. Desiccation, achieved through osmotic stress and water removal, has emerged as a potential antimicrobial hurdle. This study focused on 254 genetically diverse E. coli strains collected from cattle, carcass hides, hide-off carcasses, and processing equipment. Of these, 141 (55.51%) were STEC and 113 (44.48%) were generic E. coli. The biofilm-forming capabilities of these isolates were assessed, and their desiccation tolerance was investigated to understand the relationships between growth temperature, relative humidity (RH), and bacterial survival. Only 28% of the STEC isolates had the ability to form biofilms, compared to 60% of the generic E. coli. Stainless steel surfaces were exposed to different combinations of temperature (0 °C or 35 °C) and relative humidity (75% or 100%), and the bacterial attachment and survival rates were measured over 72 h and compared to controls. The results revealed that all the strains exposed to 75% relative humidity (RH) at any temperature had reduced growth (p < 0.001). In contrast, 35 °C and 100% RH supported bacterial proliferation, except for isolates forming the strongest biofilms. The ability of E. coli to form a biofilm did not impact growth reduction at 75% RH. Therefore, desiccation treatment at 75% RH at temperatures of 0 °C or 35 °C holds promise as a novel antimicrobial hurdle for the removal of biofilm-forming E. coli from challenging-to-clean surfaces and equipment within food processing facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Qasim Javed
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (M.Q.J.); (I.K.); (D.Y.)
| | - Igor Kovalchuk
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (M.Q.J.); (I.K.); (D.Y.)
| | - Dmytro Yevtushenko
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (M.Q.J.); (I.K.); (D.Y.)
| | - Xianqin Yang
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe, AB T4L 1V7, Canada;
| | - Kim Stanford
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (M.Q.J.); (I.K.); (D.Y.)
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6
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Singer SD, Lehmann M, Zhang Z, Subedi U, Burton Hughes K, Lim NZL, Ortega Polo R, Chen G, Acharya S, Hannoufa A, Huan T. Elucidation of Physiological, Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Salinity Response Mechanisms in Medicago sativa. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:2059. [PMID: 37653976 PMCID: PMC10221938 DOI: 10.3390/plants12102059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a widely grown perennial leguminous forage crop with a number of positive attributes. However, despite its moderate ability to tolerate saline soils, which are increasing in prevalence worldwide, it suffers considerable yield declines under these growth conditions. While a general framework of the cascade of events involved in plant salinity response has been unraveled in recent years, many gaps remain in our understanding of the precise molecular mechanisms involved in this process, particularly in non-model yet economically important species such as alfalfa. Therefore, as a means of further elucidating salinity response mechanisms in this species, we carried out in-depth physiological assessments of M. sativa cv. Beaver, as well as transcriptomic and untargeted metabolomic evaluations of leaf tissues, following extended exposure to salinity (grown for 3-4 weeks under saline treatment) and control conditions. In addition to the substantial growth and photosynthetic reductions observed under salinity treatment, we identified 1233 significant differentially expressed genes between growth conditions, as well as 60 annotated differentially accumulated metabolites. Taken together, our results suggest that changes to cell membranes and walls, cuticular and/or epicuticular waxes, osmoprotectant levels, antioxidant-related metabolic pathways, and the expression of genes encoding ion transporters, protective proteins, and transcription factors are likely involved in alfalfa's salinity response process. Although some of these alterations may contribute to alfalfa's modest salinity resilience, it is feasible that several may be disadvantageous in this context and could therefore provide valuable targets for the further improvement of tolerance to this stress in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy D. Singer
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Madeline Lehmann
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada
| | - Zixuan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Udaya Subedi
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada
| | - Kimberley Burton Hughes
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Nathaniel Z.-L. Lim
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Rodrigo Ortega Polo
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Guanqun Chen
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada
| | - Surya Acharya
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Abdelali Hannoufa
- London Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON N5V 4T3, Canada
| | - Tao Huan
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
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7
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Fossen JD, Campbell JR, Gow SP, Erickson N, Waldner CL. Antimicrobial Use in Canadian Cow-Calf Herds. Vet Sci 2023; 10:vetsci10050366. [PMID: 37235449 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10050366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite growing concern surrounding antimicrobial use (AMU) and the importance of cow-calf herds to the Canadian livestock industry, surveillance of AMU in cow-calf herds to inform antimicrobial stewardship programs has been sporadic. Producers from the Canadian Cow-Calf Surveillance Network (87%, 146/168) provided data and almost all reported AMU in at least one animal (99%, 145/146 herds) in 2019-2020. The most common reasons for AMU were treatment of respiratory disease in nursing calves in 78% of herds and neonatal diarrhea in 67% of herds, as well as for lameness in cows in 83% of herds. However, most herds treated <5% of animals for these reasons. Less than 2.5% of herds treated more than 30% of calves for either bovine respiratory disease or neonatal diarrhea and no herds treated more than 30% of cows for lameness. The most frequently reported antimicrobial was oxytetracycline in 81% of herds, followed by florfenicol in 73% of herds. Antimicrobials with very high importance to human health, such as ceftiofur, were used at least once by 20% of herds but were only used in >30% of nursing calves from one herd. Similarly, while 56% of herds used macrolides at least once, within-herd use was the highest in nursing calves where <4% of herds reported use in >30% of animals. Herds using artificial insemination and calving in the winter were more likely (p = 0.05) to treat >5% of nursing calves for respiratory disease, suggesting the importance of vaccination programs for herds at risk. Overall, AMU was similar to previous Canadian studies; however, the percentage of herds using macrolides had increased from a comparable study in 2014.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayce D Fossen
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - John R Campbell
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Sheryl P Gow
- Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Nathan Erickson
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Cheryl L Waldner
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
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8
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Sarich JM, Stanford K, Schwartzkopf-Genswein KS, McAllister TA, Blakley BR, Penner GB, Ribeiro GO. Effect of increasing concentration of ergot alkaloids in the diet of feedlot cattle: performance, welfare, and health parameters. J Anim Sci 2023; 101:skad287. [PMID: 37638650 PMCID: PMC10506379 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skad287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This study was designed to evaluate the effects of feeding increasing dietary concentrations of ergot alkaloids from cereal grains (EA; 0, 0.75, 1.5, 3.0 mg/kg of dietary DM) to feedlot cattle over backgrounding (BG) and finishing (FS) phases on health, welfare, and growth performance. Two hundred and forty commercial steers (280 ± 32 kg BW) were stratified by weight and randomly allocated to 16 pens (15 steers/pen), 4 of which were equipped with the GrowSafe system (1 pen/treatment) to measure individual feed intake. Each pen was randomly assigned to a treatment (n = 4/treatment). Treatments included 1) control (CTRL), no added EA; 2) CTRL + 0.75 mg/kg EA (EA075); 3) CTRL + 1.5 mg/kg EA (EA150); and 4) CTRL + 3.0 mg/kg EA (EA300). Steers were fed barley-based BG diets containing 40% concentrate: 60% silage (DM basis) for 84 d. Steers were then transitioned over 28 d to an FS diet (90% concentrate: 10% silage DM basis) and fed for 119 d before slaughter. The diet fed to EA300 steers was replaced with the CTRL diet after 190 d on feed (DOF), due to EA-induced hyperthermia starting at 165 DOF. In the BG phase, average meal length (P = 0.01) and size (P = 0.02), daily feeding duration (P = 0.03), final body weight (BW; P = 0.03), and total BW gain (P = 0.02) linearly decreased with increasing EA levels, while gain to feed (G:F) responded quadratically (P = 0.04), with EA150 having the poorest value. Increasing concentrations of EA in the diet linearly increased rectal temperature (P < 0.01) throughout the trial. Over the full FS phase, a quadratic response was observed for ADG (P = 0.05), final BW (P = 0.05), total BW gain (P = 0.02), and carcass weight (P = 0.05) with steers fed EA150 having the lowest performance, as EA300 steers were transferred to CTRL diet after 190 DOF. Dressing percentage (P = 0.02) also responded quadratically, with the lowest values observed for EA300. Thus, EA reduced ADG during BG and FS phases, although more prominently in FS, likely due to increased ambient temperatures and high-energy diet in FS triggering hyperthermia. When EA300 steers were transferred to the CTRL diet, compensatory gain promoted higher hot carcass weight (HCW) when compared with steers fed EA150. In conclusion, feeding feedlot steers diets with > 0.75 mg/kg EA caused reductions in performance and welfare concerns, although this breakpoint may be affected by duration of feeding, environmental temperatures, and EA profiles in the feed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna M Sarich
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5A8
| | - Kim Stanford
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1K 3M4
| | | | - Tim A McAllister
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4B1
| | - Barry R Blakley
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B4
| | - Gregory B Penner
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5A8
| | - Gabriel O Ribeiro
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5A8
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9
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Sura S, Larney FJ, Charest J, McAllister TA, Headley JV, Cessna AJ. Veterinary antimicrobials in cattle feedlot environs and irrigation conveyances in a high-intensity agroecosystem in southern Alberta, Canada. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:12235-12256. [PMID: 36107301 PMCID: PMC9898329 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22889-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB) is considered one of the most intensively farmed regions in Canada, with high densities of livestock and expansive areas of irrigated cropland. We measured concentrations of seven veterinary antimicrobials (VAs) in 114 surface water samples from feedlot environs and 219 samples from irrigation conveyances in the SSRB. Overall, detection frequencies in feedlot environs were 100% for chlortetracycline (CTC) and tetracycline (TC), 94% for monensin (MON), 84% for tylosin (TYL), 72% for lincomycin (LIN), 66% for erythromycin (ERY), and 23% for sulfamethazine (SMZ). For irrigation conveyances, detection frequencies for CTC and TC remained high (94-100%), but dropped to 18% for ERY, 15% for TYL, 10% for MON, and 4% for SMZ. Lincomycin was not detected in irrigation conveyance water. Maximum concentrations of VAs ranged from 1384 µg L-1 (TC) to 17 ng L-1 (SMZ) in feedlot environs while those in irrigation conveyances were 155 ng L-1 (TC) to 29 ng L-1 (ERY). High detection frequencies and median concentrations of VAs in both feedlot environs and irrigation conveyances were associated with high amounts of precipitation. However, an irrigation district (ID) with high livestock density (Lethbridge Northern) did not exhibit higher concentrations of VAs compared to IDs with less livestock, while levels of VAs in irrigation conveyances were less influenced by the degree of surface runoff. The ubiquity of CTC and TC in our study is likely a reflection of its widespread use in intensive livestock operations. Additional investigation is required to link environmental concentrations of VAs with livestock densities and increase our understanding of potential antimicrobial resistance in high-intensity agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srinivas Sura
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Morden Research and Development Centre, 101 Route 100, Morden, MB, R6M 1Y5, Canada.
| | - Francis J Larney
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, 5403 1st Avenue S, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Jollin Charest
- Natural Resource Management Branch, Alberta Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Economic Development, 5401 1st Avenue S, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4V6, Canada
| | - Tim A McAllister
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, 5403 1st Avenue S, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - John V Headley
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Hydrology Research Centre, 11 Innovation Blvd, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada
| | - Allan J Cessna
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon Research and Development Centre, 107 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X2, Canada
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Waldner C, McLeod L, Parker S, Campbell J. Update on copper and selenium in Canadian cow-calf herds: regional differences and estimation of serum reference values. Transl Anim Sci 2023; 7:txad062. [PMID: 37483680 PMCID: PMC10358720 DOI: 10.1093/tas/txad062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Trace mineral supplementation of beef cattle is essential for efficient reproduction and herd health. Understanding regional differences in cow trace mineral status could inform decisions about risks of deficiencies and supplementation management. Cow-calf surveillance projects provided three opportunities to evaluate the trace mineral status of Canadian beef cow herds. Blood samples were collected at pregnancy testing in 2014 from 102 cow-calf herds and in 2016 from 86 cow-calf herds in Western Canada. In 2019, blood samples were collected at pregnancy testing from cows in 163 cow-calf herds from Eastern and Western Canada. Serum samples were analyzed for copper, selenium, and molybdenum concentrations using a plasma mass spectrometer. The prevalence of copper deficient cows sampled from the Western provinces ranged from 24% to 43% across the three periods, and was 20% from Eastern Canada in 2019. The prevalence of selenium deficient cows ranged from 0.2% to 0.4% across the three projects in Western Canada, but was higher in Eastern Canada at 4.6% in 2019. High serum molybdenum was identified in 9.4% to 14% of cows across the three periods in Western Canada and in 15% of cows sampled in Eastern Canada in 2019. Serum copper, selenium, and molybdenum concentrations varied by cow age and month of sample collection. Serum selenium and molybdenum concentrations, but not copper, varied by soil type associated with the location of the farm. A subsample of samples from cows from Western Canadian herds provided body condition score (BCS) data, pregnancy status, and calf survival data and were used to estimate updated serum reference values for adequate concentrations. Age-specific values were required for selenium and molybdenum. Reference intervals (80%) were estimated from 2,406 pregnant beef cows from 99 herds with each cow having a BCS ≥ 2.5/5 and a live calf at 3 wk with no retained placenta: copper for all cows (0.379 to 0.717 ppm), selenium for cows <4 yr (0.052 to 0.152 ppm), and selenium for cows ≥4 yr (0.064 to 0.184 ppm). Upper 90% reference limits were also estimated for serum molybdenum for cows <4 yr (>0.104 ppm) and cows ≥4 yr (>0.110 ppm). The lower limits for the reference intervals for adequate copper and selenium are below those previously reported; nevertheless, they represent a large sample that was specifically applicable to extensively managed beef animals in western Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lianne McLeod
- Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5B4
| | - Sarah Parker
- Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5B4
| | - John Campbell
- Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5B4
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11
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Meléndez DM, Marti S, Haley DB, Schwinghamer TD, Yang X, Schwartzkopf-Genswein KS. Effect of rest, post-rest transport duration, and conditioning on performance, behavioural, and physiological welfare indicators of beef calves. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278768. [PMID: 36454988 PMCID: PMC9714911 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of conditioning, rest, and post-rest transport duration on welfare indicators of 6-7 mo old beef calves following a 20-h transport. Three hundred and twenty-eight weaned calves (237 ± 29.7 kg of BW) were randomly assigned to a 2 × 2 × 2 nested factorial design: conditioning, conditioned (C) or non-conditioned (N); rest, 0 (R0) or 8 (R8) h, and post-rest transport, 4 (T4) or 15 (T15) h. Calves were sampled before (LO1) and after (UN1) the initial 20-h journey, before (LO2) and after (UN2) the additional 4 or 15-h journey, and at 1, 2, 3, 5, 14, and 28 d after UN2. Data was analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS. Fixed effects included conditioning, transport, and time nested within rest period, while random effects included animal and pen. Greater shrink (p < 0.01) was observed in C than N calves after the initial 20-h transport. During the first week after transportation, the mean ADG of N calves was greater than C calves (p < 0.01). From d 14 to d 28, however, the mean ADG of C calves was greater than N calves (p < 0.01). Flight speed, cortisol and L-lactate concentrations were greater (p ≤ 0.05) in C than N calves between LO1 and d 5, while greater (p ≤ 0.02) non-esterified fatty acids, creatine kinase, serum amyloid-A, and haptoglobin concentrations were observed in N than C calves between LO1 and d 3. The R8-T4 calves had greater (p < 0.01) ADG than R8-T15 calves between LO1 and d 5. The R0-T4 calves had greater L-lactate concentrations than R0-T15 and R8-T4 calves (both p = 0.02) on d 1. The R0 calves had greater (p < 0.01) ADG than R8 calves between 14 and 28 d. This study suggests that C calves are better fit for transport than N calves as evidenced by behavioural and physiological parameters. Fewer and inconsistent differences were observed for rest and post-rest transport treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela M. Meléndez
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sonia Marti
- Department of Ruminant Production, IRTA, Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Derek B. Haley
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Timothy D. Schwinghamer
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xiaohui Yang
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
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12
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Johnson P, McLeod L, Campbell J, Rousseau M, Larson K, Waldner C. Estimating the sensitivity and specificity of serum ELISA and pooled and individual fecal PCR for detecting Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in Canadian cow-calf herds using Bayesian latent class models. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:937141. [PMID: 35968010 PMCID: PMC9372466 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.937141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
While Johne's disease (JD) is less common in beef than in dairy herds, consolidation is increasing transmission risk. Estimates of Mycobacterium avium spp. paratuberculosis (MAP) prevalence and test performance in cow-calf herds are needed to inform control programs. Objectives of this study included describing the prevalence of MAP in Canadian cow-calf herds and comparing the relative performance of a serum ELISA, pooled fecal PCR and individual fecal PCR using Bayesian latent class models, and to investigate factors associated with positive MAP tests. Blood and fecal samples (n = 3,171) were collected from 159 Canadian cow-calf herds. All samples were analyzed using serum ELISA and fecal PCR (pools of five samples) and a subset of 913 fecal samples were also tested with individual PCR. Based on latent class analysis, MAP prevalence was higher in eastern compared to western Canada for both animals {East, 3% [95% Credible Interval (CrI) 1–7%]; West, 1% [95% CrI 0.2–2%]} and herds [East, 15% (95% CrI 2–35%); West, 10% (95% CrI 1–26%), based on one or more positive results]. Sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) for animal level individual PCR were 96% (95% CrI 80–100%) and 98% (95% CrI 96–100%), respectively followed by pooled PCR [Se = 54% (95% CrI 36–72%), Sp > 99.9% (95% CrI 99.8–100%)] and ELISA [Se = 36% (95% CrI 22–52%), Sp = 98% (95% CrI 96–99%)]. Based on 20 samples per herd, the herd level Se of ELISA was 79% (95% CrI 47–100%) (at least one positive sample) compared to 43% (95% CrI 14–94%) for pooled PCR. Herd-level Sp was 99% (95% CrI 96–100%) for pooled PCR and 90% (95% CrI 83–100%) for ELISA. Cows from herds with dairy cattle on farm and cows with symptoms of JD in the past 3 years were more likely to be MAP positive. Herds that had animals with JD symptoms in the previous 3 years and those with more breeding females were most likely to test positive for MAP. While serum ELISA can be effective for herd screening, PCR performed better for animal testing. Pooled PCR testing could be a less costly option; however, determining the most cost-effective approach will require further economic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paisley Johnson
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Lianne McLeod
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - John Campbell
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Marjolaine Rousseau
- Département de Sciences Cliniques, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Kathy Larson
- Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Cheryl Waldner
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- *Correspondence: Cheryl Waldner
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Singer SD, Burton Hughes K, Subedi U, Dhariwal GK, Kader K, Acharya S, Chen G, Hannoufa A. The CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Modulation of SQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 8 in Alfalfa Leads to Distinct Phenotypic Outcomes. Front Plant Sci 2022; 12:774146. [PMID: 35095953 PMCID: PMC8793889 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.774146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most widely grown perennial leguminous forage and is an essential component of the livestock industry. Previously, the RNAi-mediated down-regulation of alfalfa SQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 8 (MsSPL8) was found to lead to increased branching, regrowth and biomass, as well as enhanced drought tolerance. In this study, we aimed to further characterize the function of MsSPL8 in alfalfa using CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutations in this gene. We successfully generated alfalfa genotypes with small insertions/deletions (indels) at the target site in up to three of four MsSPL8 alleles in the first generation. The efficiency of editing appeared to be tightly linked to the particular gRNA used. The resulting genotypes displayed consistent morphological alterations, even with the presence of up to two wild-type MsSPL8 alleles, including reduced leaf size and early flowering. Other phenotypic effects appeared to be dependent upon mutational dosage, with those plants with the highest number of mutated MsSPL8 alleles also exhibiting significant decreases in internode length, plant height, shoot and root biomass, and root length. Furthermore, MsSPL8 mutants displayed improvements in their ability to withstand water-deficit compared to empty vector control genotypes. Taken together, our findings suggest that allelic mutational dosage can elicit phenotypic gradients in alfalfa, and discrepancies may exist in terms of MsSPL8 function between alfalfa genotypes, growth conditions, or specific alleles. In addition, our results provide the foundation for further research exploring drought tolerance mechanisms in a forage crop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy D. Singer
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Kimberley Burton Hughes
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Udaya Subedi
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Gaganpreet Kaur Dhariwal
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Kazi Kader
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Surya Acharya
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Guanqun Chen
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Abdelali Hannoufa
- London Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada
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14
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Klassen L, Reintjes G, Li M, Jin L, Amundsen C, Xing X, Dridi L, Castagner B, Alexander TW, Abbott DW. Fluorescence activated cell sorting and fermentation analysis to study rumen microbiome responses to administered live microbials and yeast cell wall derived prebiotics. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1020250. [PMID: 36938132 PMCID: PMC10022430 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1020250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid dietary changes, such as switching from high-forage to high-grain diets, can modify the rumen microbiome and initiate gastrointestinal distress, such as bloating. In such cases, feed additives, including prebiotics and live microbials, can be used to mitigate these negative consequences. Bio-Mos® is a carbohydrate-based prebiotic derived from yeast cells that is reported to increase livestock performance. Here, the responses of rumen bacterial cells to Bio-Mos® were quantified, sorted by flow cytometry using fluorescently-labeled yeast mannan, and taxonomically characterized using fluorescence in situ hybridization and 16S rRNA sequencing. Further, to evaluate the effects of bovine-adapted Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron administration as a live microbial with and without Bio-Mos® supplementation, we analyzed microbial fermentation products, changes to carbohydrate profiles, and shifts in microbial composition of an in vitro rumen community. Bio-Mos® was shown to be an effective prebiotic that significantly altered microbial diversity, composition, and fermentation; while addition of B. thetaiotaomicron had no effect on community composition and resulted in fewer significant changes to microbial fermentation. When combined with Bio-Mos®, there were notable, although not significant, changes to major bacterial taxa, along with increased significant changes in fermentation end products. These data suggest a synergistic effect is elicited by combining Bio-Mos® and B. thetaiotaomicron. This protocol provides a new in vitro methodology that could be extended to evaluate prebiotics and probiotics in more complex artificial rumen systems and live animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leeann Klassen
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Greta Reintjes
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Meiying Li
- College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Long Jin
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Carolyn Amundsen
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Xiaohui Xing
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Lharbi Dridi
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Bastien Castagner
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Trevor W. Alexander
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - D. Wade Abbott
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: D. Wade Abbott,
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15
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Ominski K, McAllister T, Stanford K, Mengistu G, Kebebe EG, Omonijo F, Cordeiro M, Legesse G, Wittenberg K. Utilization of by-products and food waste in livestock production systems: a Canadian perspective. Anim Front 2021; 11:55-63. [PMID: 35586782 PMCID: PMC8127648 DOI: 10.1093/af/vfab004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Ominski
- Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba and the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Tim McAllister
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Kim Stanford
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Genet Mengistu
- Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba and the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - E G Kebebe
- Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba and the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Faith Omonijo
- Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba and the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Marcos Cordeiro
- Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba and the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Getahun Legesse
- Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Karin Wittenberg
- Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba and the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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16
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Klassen L, Reintjes G, Tingley JP, Jones DR, Hehemann JH, Smith AD, Schwinghamer TD, Arnosti C, Jin L, Alexander TW, Amundsen C, Thomas D, Amann R, McAllister TA, Abbott DW. Quantifying fluorescent glycan uptake to elucidate strain-level variability in foraging behaviors of rumen bacteria. Microbiome 2021; 9:23. [PMID: 33482928 PMCID: PMC7825182 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020-00975-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Gut microbiomes, such as the microbial community that colonizes the rumen, have vast catabolic potential and play a vital role in host health and nutrition. By expanding our understanding of metabolic pathways in these ecosystems, we will garner foundational information for manipulating microbiome structure and function to influence host physiology. Currently, our knowledge of metabolic pathways relies heavily on inferences derived from metagenomics or culturing bacteria in vitro. However, novel approaches targeting specific cell physiologies can illuminate the functional potential encoded within microbial (meta)genomes to provide accurate assessments of metabolic abilities. Using fluorescently labeled polysaccharides, we visualized carbohydrate metabolism performed by single bacterial cells in a complex rumen sample, enabling a rapid assessment of their metabolic phenotype. Specifically, we identified bovine-adapted strains of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron that metabolized yeast mannan in the rumen microbiome ex vivo and discerned the mechanistic differences between two distinct carbohydrate foraging behaviors, referred to as "medium grower" and "high grower." Using comparative whole-genome sequencing, RNA-seq, and carbohydrate-active enzyme fingerprinting, we could elucidate the strain-level variability in carbohydrate utilization systems of the two foraging behaviors to help predict individual strategies of nutrient acquisition. Here, we present a multi-faceted study using complimentary next-generation physiology and "omics" approaches to characterize microbial adaptation to a prebiotic in the rumen ecosystem. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leeann Klassen
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Greta Reintjes
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Jeffrey P Tingley
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Darryl R Jones
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Jan-Hendrik Hehemann
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359, Bremen, Germany
- Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen (MARUM), 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Adam D Smith
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Timothy D Schwinghamer
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Carol Arnosti
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 27599-3300, NC, USA
| | - Long Jin
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Trevor W Alexander
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Carolyn Amundsen
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Dallas Thomas
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Rudolf Amann
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Tim A McAllister
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - D Wade Abbott
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4, Canada.
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Fonseca PAS, Suárez-Vega A, Marras G, Cánovas Á. GALLO: An R package for genomic annotation and integration of multiple data sources in livestock for positional candidate loci. Gigascience 2020; 9:giaa149. [PMID: 33377911 PMCID: PMC7772745 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giaa149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of high-throughput sequencing and genotyping methodologies has enabled the identification of thousands of genomic regions associated with several complex traits. The integration of multiple sources of biological information is a crucial step required to better understand patterns regulating the development of these traits. FINDINGS Genomic Annotation in Livestock for positional candidate LOci (GALLO) is an R package developed for the accurate annotation of genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) located in regions identified in common genomic analyses performed in livestock, such as genome-wide association studies and transcriptomics using RNA sequencing. Moreover, GALLO allows the graphical visualization of gene and QTL annotation results, data comparison among different grouping factors (e.g., methods, breeds, tissues, statistical models, studies), and QTL enrichment in different livestock species such as cattle, pigs, sheep, and chickens. CONCLUSIONS Consequently, GALLO is a useful package for annotation, identification of hidden patterns across datasets, and data mining previously reported associations, as well as the efficient examination of the genetic architecture of complex traits in livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo A S Fonseca
- University of Guelph, Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph N1G 2W1, ONT, Canada
| | - Aroa Suárez-Vega
- University of Guelph, Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph N1G 2W1, ONT, Canada
| | - Gabriele Marras
- University of Guelph, Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph N1G 2W1, ONT, Canada
- The Semex Alliance, 5653 ON-6, Guelph N1G 3Z2, ONT, Canada
| | - Ángela Cánovas
- University of Guelph, Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph N1G 2W1, ONT, Canada
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18
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McMullen C, Alexander TW, Léguillette R, Workentine M, Timsit E. Topography of the respiratory tract bacterial microbiota in cattle. Microbiome 2020; 8:91. [PMID: 32522285 PMCID: PMC7288481 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020-00869-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial bronchopneumonia (BP) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cattle. The nasopharynx is generally accepted as the primary source of pathogenic bacteria that cause BP. However, it has recently been shown in humans that the oropharynx may act as the primary reservoir for pathogens that reach the lung. The objective was therefore to describe the bacterial microbiota present along the entire cattle respiratory tract to determine which upper respiratory tract (URT) niches may contribute the most to the composition of the lung microbiota. METHODS Seventeen upper and lower respiratory tract locations were sampled from 15 healthy feedlot steer calves. Samples were collected using a combination of swabs, protected specimen brushes, and saline washes. DNA was extracted from each sample and the 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4) was sequenced. Community composition, alpha-diversity, and beta-diversity were compared among sampling locations. RESULTS Microbiota composition differed across sampling locations, with physiologically and anatomically distinct locations showing different relative abundances of 1137 observed sequence variants (SVs). An analysis of similarities showed that the lung was more similar to the nasopharynx (R-statistic = 0.091) than it was to the oropharynx (R-statistic = 0.709) or any other URT sampling location. Five distinct metacommunities were identified across all samples after clustering at the genus level using Dirichlet multinomial mixtures. This included a metacommunity found primarily in the lung and nasopharynx that was dominated by Mycoplasma. Further clustering at the SV level showed a shared metacommunity between the lung and nasopharynx that was dominated by Mycoplasma dispar. Other metacommunities found in the nostrils, tonsils, and oral microbiotas were dominated by Moraxella, Fusobacterium, and Streptococcus, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The nasopharyngeal bacterial microbiota is most similar to the lung bacterial microbiota in healthy cattle and therefore may serve as the primary source of bacteria to the lung. This finding indicates that the nasopharynx is likely the most important location that should be targeted when doing bovine respiratory microbiota research. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Trevor W. Alexander
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta Canada
| | - Renaud Léguillette
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Canada
| | - Matthew Workentine
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Canada
| | - Edouard Timsit
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Canada
- Simpson Ranch Chair in Beef Cattle Health and Wellness, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Canada
- Ceva Santé Animale, 10 Avenue de la Ballastière, 33500 Libourne, France
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Bumunang EW, Ateba CN, Stanford K, Niu YD, Wang Y, McAllister TA. Activity of Bacteriophage and Complex Tannins against Biofilm-Forming Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli from Canada and South Africa. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:E257. [PMID: 32429187 PMCID: PMC7277190 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9050257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages, natural killers of bacteria, and plant secondary metabolites, such as condensed tannins, are potential agents for the control of foodborne pathogens. The first objective of this study evaluated the efficacy of a bacteriophage SA21RB in reducing pre-formed biofilms on stainless-steel produced by two Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains, one from South Africa and the other from Canada. The second objective examined the anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm activity of condensed tannin (CT) from purple prairie clover and phlorotannins (PT) from brown seaweed against these strains. For 24-h-old biofilms, (O113:H21; 6.2 log10 colony-forming units per square centimeter (CFU/cm2) and O154:H10; 5.4 log10 CFU/cm2), 3 h of exposure to phage (1013 plaque-forming units per milliliter (PFU/mL)) reduced (p ≤ 0.05) the number of viable cells attached to stainless-steel coupons by 2.5 and 2.1 log10 CFU/cm2 for O113:H21 and O154:H10, respectively. However, as biofilms matured, the ability of phage to control biofilm formation declined. In biofilms formed for 72 h (O113:H21; 5.4 log10 CFU/cm2 and O154:H10; 7 log10 CFU/cm2), reductions after the same duration of phage treatment were only 0.9 and 1.3 log10 CFU/cm2 for O113:H21 and O154:H10, respectively. Initial screening of CT and PT for anti-bacterial activity by a microplate assay indicated that both STEC strains were less sensitive (p ≤ 0.05) to CT than PT over a concentration range of 25-400 µg/mL. Based on the lower activity of CT (25-400 µg/mL), they were not further examined. Accordingly, PT (50 µg/mL) inhibited (p ≤ 0.05) biofilm formation for up to 24 h of incubation at 22 °C, but this inhibition progressively declined over 72 h for both O154:H10 and O113:H21. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that both SA21RB and PT eliminated 24 h biofilms, but that both strains were able to adhere and form biofilms on stainless-steel coupons at longer incubation times. These findings revealed that phage SA21RB is more effective at disrupting 24 than 72 h biofilms and that PT were able to inhibit biofilm formation of both E. coli O154:H10 and O113:H21 for up to 24 h.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel W. Bumunang
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Mafikeng Campus, North-West University, Private Bag X2046, Mmabatho 2735, South Africa; (E.W.B.); (C.N.A.)
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada;
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4V6, Canada;
| | - Collins N. Ateba
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Mafikeng Campus, North-West University, Private Bag X2046, Mmabatho 2735, South Africa; (E.W.B.); (C.N.A.)
| | - Kim Stanford
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4V6, Canada;
| | - Yan D. Niu
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Y. Wang
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada;
| | - Tim A. McAllister
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada;
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He ML, Stanford K, Dugan MER, Marquess L, McAllister TA. Association of leptin genotype with growth performance, adipocyte cellularity, meat quality, and fatty acid profile in beef steers fed flaxseed or high-oleate sunflower seed diets with or without triticale dried distiller's grains. J Anim Sci 2020; 98:skaa104. [PMID: 32277699 PMCID: PMC7185023 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skaa104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptin genotypes can be identified as homozygous normal (CC), homozygous mutant (TT), and heterozygous (CT) based on a single-nucleotide polymorphism in exon 2 of the leptin gene, which has been associated with feed intake and fat deposition in cattle. The experiment was designed as 2 × 2 × 2 factorial with three main factors: (1) genotype (CT or TT) and diets fed 2) with or without triticale dried distiller's grains with solubles (DDG), and 3) with either flaxseed (FS) or high-oleate sunflower seed (SS). Evaluations included growth performance, subcutaneous fat deposition, adipocyte cellularity, meat quality, and fatty acid (FA) profile of various depots. Beef steers (n = 40, 459 ± 31 kg) of either CT or TT genotypes were housed in individual pens with ad libitum access to one of the four diets: 75% steam-rolled barley + 10% barley silage with 10% FS or SS (non-DDG diets, NDG) and 46.5% barley + 10% barley silage + 30% DDG, with 8.5% FS or SS, all on a dry matter basis. Growth performance, ultrasound subcutaneous fat thickness, rib eye area (REA), and plasma FA were measured prior to and during the finishing period. At slaughter, samples of subcutaneous fat, perirenal fat, and Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle were collected for FA analysis and carcass and meat quality were measured. Compared with CT cattle, TT tended to have less (P = 0.06) C18:2-c9,t11 (rumenic acid) in plasma and subcutaneous fat and a greater proportion (P < 0.05) of C18:0 in subcutaneous, perirenal, and LT fat. Cattle with TT genotype also tended (P < 0.1) to have more total saturated and less unsaturated (USFA) and monounsaturated fats (MUFA) and had less (P = 0.04) linoleic acid in LT. Ultrasound fat thickness, REA, and average diameter of adipocytes in subcutaneous fat at 12 wk were not affected (P > 0.39) by genotype. Generally, carcass and meat quality were similar (P > 0.1) among diets, although adding FS tended to increase (P = 0.06) total USFA of subcutaneous fat including omega-3 FA (P < 0.001). For the high-fat diets evaluated, CT cattle would have more potential to produce beef with enhanced health benefits than would TT cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maolong L He
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Kim Stanford
- Agriculture Centre, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Michael E R Dugan
- Lacombe Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe, Canada
| | | | - Tim A McAllister
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Canada
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Sanderson H, Ortega-Polo R, Zaheer R, Goji N, Amoako KK, Brown RS, Majury A, Liss SN, McAllister TA. Comparative genomics of multidrug-resistant Enterococcus spp. isolated from wastewater treatment plants. BMC Microbiol 2020; 20:20. [PMID: 31980014 PMCID: PMC6982392 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-019-1683-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered hotspots for the environmental dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants. Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) are candidates for gauging the degree of AMR bacteria in wastewater. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are recognized indicators of fecal contamination in water. Comparative genomics of enterococci isolated from conventional activated sludge (CAS) and biological aerated filter (BAF) WWTPs was conducted. RESULTS VRE isolates, including E. faecalis (n = 24), E. faecium (n = 11), E. casseliflavus (n = 2) and E. gallinarum (n = 2) were selected for sequencing based on WWTP source, species and AMR phenotype. The pangenomes of E. faecium and E. faecalis were both open. The genomic fraction related to the mobilome was positively correlated with genome size in E. faecium (p < 0.001) and E. faecalis (p < 0.001) and with the number of AMR genes in E. faecium (p = 0.005). Genes conferring vancomycin resistance, including vanA and vanM (E. faecium), vanG (E. faecalis), and vanC (E. casseliflavus/E. gallinarum), were detected in 20 genomes. The most prominent functional AMR genes were efflux pumps and transporters. A minimum of 16, 6, 5 and 3 virulence genes were detected in E. faecium, E. faecalis, E. casseliflavus and E. gallinarum, respectively. Virulence genes were more common in E. faecalis and E. faecium, than E. casseliflavus and E. gallinarum. A number of mobile genetic elements were shared among species. Functional CRISPR/Cas arrays were detected in 13 E. faecalis genomes, with all but one also containing a prophage. The lack of a functional CRISPR/Cas arrays was associated with multi-drug resistance in E. faecium. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated differential clustering of isolates based on original source but not WWTP. Genes related to phage and CRISPR/Cas arrays could potentially serve as environmental biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS There was no discernible difference between enterococcal genomes from the CAS and BAF WWTPs. E. faecalis and E. faecium have smaller genomes and harbor more virulence, AMR, and mobile genetic elements than other Enterococcus spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley Sanderson
- Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Center, 5403 1 Avenue South, PO Box 3000, Lethbridge, T1J 4B1 Canada
- School of Environmental Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, K7L 3N6 Canada
| | - Rodrigo Ortega-Polo
- Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Center, 5403 1 Avenue South, PO Box 3000, Lethbridge, T1J 4B1 Canada
| | - Rahat Zaheer
- Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Center, 5403 1 Avenue South, PO Box 3000, Lethbridge, T1J 4B1 Canada
| | - Noriko Goji
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Animal Disease, Lethbridge Laboratory, Lethbridge, T1J 3Z4 Canada
| | - Kingsley K. Amoako
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Animal Disease, Lethbridge Laboratory, Lethbridge, T1J 3Z4 Canada
| | - R. Stephen Brown
- School of Environmental Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, K7L 3N6 Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Queen’s University, Kingston, K7L 3N6 Canada
| | - Anna Majury
- School of Environmental Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, K7L 3N6 Canada
- Public Health Ontario, Kingston, K7L 3K3 Canada
| | - Steven N. Liss
- School of Environmental Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, K7L 3N6 Canada
- Department of Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, M5B 2K3 Canada
| | - Tim A. McAllister
- Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Center, 5403 1 Avenue South, PO Box 3000, Lethbridge, T1J 4B1 Canada
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Waldner CL, Parker S, Campbell JR. Identifying performance benchmarks and determinants for reproductive performance and calf survival using a longitudinal field study of cow-calf herds in western Canada. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219901. [PMID: 31318920 PMCID: PMC6662034 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The cow-calf industry in North America is in a period of rapid consolidation with
corresponding increases in herd sizes and changes in management. The objectives
of this study were to examine longitudinal data on reproductive performance in
cow-calf herds and identify benchmarks for the most critical measures and
important sources of differences among herds. To address these questions, a
surveillance network was established in western Canada to collect data between
2013 to 2017 privately owned cow-calf herds during calving (n = 105 herds) and
at pregnancy testing (n = 94 herds). Data were summarized for a number of
indices of herd performance. However, the values considered to be most reliable
and accurate were the percentage of females not pregnant when tested by a
veterinarian, the percentage of calves dead within 24 hours of birth, and the
percentage of calves dead from 24 hours to weaning. The mean and variation
between herds for heifers, measured using standard deviation, was greater than
for cows for: non-pregnancy (cows 6.8% (mean)±3.4%(SD), heifers 9.7%±8.2%), calf
death from birth to 24 hours (cows 2.1%±1.6%, heifers 3.6%±4.5%), and calf death
from 24 hours to weaning (cows 2.5%±2.4%, heifers 2.9%±3.9%). Benchmarks or
performance targets derived from the 25th percentiles of these data for both
cows and heifers were <5% for non-pregnancy risk and <1% for calf loss
within 24 hours of birth. The suggested benchmark for calf loss from 24 hours to
weaning was <2% for cows and <1% for heifers. All outcomes consistently
displayed greater variation between herds as compared to year to year
differences within herds with the exception of calf loss before 24 hours in
cows. The timing of the start of breeding season was a consistent source of
variation in risks of non-pregnancy and calf losses. Cows bred in April or
earlier to start calving in late December or January were at increased risk of
low pregnancy percentages (p<0.001) and calf losses at birth (p<0.04), as
well as increased calf loss before weaning in both cows and heifers (p<0.02).
There was also an increase in the risk of non-pregnancy for cows and heifers
(p<0.001) where first exposure to breeding was not until July or August. In
contrast, the risks of calf loss within 24 hrs of birth (p<0.001) and from 24
hrs to weaning in cows (p<0.02) first exposed to breeding in July and August
were significantly lower than for herds that had earlier breeding seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl L. Waldner
- Department of Large Animal and Clinical Sciences, University
of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Sarah Parker
- Department of Large Animal and Clinical Sciences, University
of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - John R. Campbell
- Department of Large Animal and Clinical Sciences, University
of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Fonseca PADS, Id-Lahoucine S, Reverter A, Medrano JF, Fortes MS, Casellas J, Miglior F, Brito L, Carvalho MRS, Schenkel FS, Nguyen LT, Porto-Neto LR, Thomas MG, Cánovas A. Combining multi-OMICs information to identify key-regulator genes for pleiotropic effect on fertility and production traits in beef cattle. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205295. [PMID: 30335783 PMCID: PMC6193631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of biological processes related to the regulation of complex traits is a difficult task. Commonly, complex traits are regulated through a multitude of genes contributing each to a small part of the total genetic variance. Additionally, some loci can simultaneously regulate several complex traits, a phenomenon defined as pleiotropy. The lack of understanding on the biological processes responsible for the regulation of these traits results in the decrease of selection efficiency and the selection of undesirable hitchhiking effects. The identification of pleiotropic key-regulator genes can assist in developing important tools for investigating biological processes underlying complex traits. A multi-breed and multi-OMICs approach was applied to study the pleiotropic effects of key-regulator genes using three independent beef cattle populations evaluated for fertility traits. A pleiotropic map for 32 traits related to growth, feed efficiency, carcass and meat quality, and reproduction was used to identify genes shared among the different populations and breeds in pleiotropic regions. Furthermore, data-mining analyses were performed using the Cattle QTL database (CattleQTLdb) to identify the QTL category annotated in the regions around the genes shared among breeds. This approach allowed the identification of a main gene network (composed of 38 genes) shared among breeds. This gene network was significantly associated with thyroid activity, among other biological processes, and displayed a high regulatory potential. In addition, it was possible to identify genes with pleiotropic effects related to crucial biological processes that regulate economically relevant traits associated with fertility, production and health, such as MYC, PPARG, GSK3B, TG and IYD genes. These genes will be further investigated to better understand the biological processes involved in the expression of complex traits and assist in the identification of functional variants associated with undesirable phenotypes, such as decreased fertility, poor feed efficiency and negative energetic balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Augusto de Souza Fonseca
- University of Guelph, Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Samir Id-Lahoucine
- University of Guelph, Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Antonio Reverter
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Juan F. Medrano
- University of California-Davis, Department of Animal Science, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Marina S. Fortes
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Joaquim Casellas
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments, Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Filippo Miglior
- University of Guelph, Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Canadian Dairy Network, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Luiz Brito
- University of Guelph, Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maria Raquel S. Carvalho
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Flávio S. Schenkel
- University of Guelph, Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Loan T. Nguyen
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Laercio R. Porto-Neto
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Milton G. Thomas
- Colorado State University, Department of Animal Science, Fort-Colins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Angela Cánovas
- University of Guelph, Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Jones DR, Thomas D, Alger N, Ghavidel A, Inglis GD, Abbott DW. SACCHARIS: an automated pipeline to streamline discovery of carbohydrate active enzyme activities within polyspecific families and de novo sequence datasets. Biotechnol Biofuels 2018; 11:27. [PMID: 29441125 PMCID: PMC5798181 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-018-1027-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deposition of new genetic sequences in online databases is expanding at an unprecedented rate. As a result, sequence identification continues to outpace functional characterization of carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes). In this paradigm, the discovery of enzymes with novel functions is often hindered by high volumes of uncharacterized sequences particularly when the enzyme sequence belongs to a family that exhibits diverse functional specificities (i.e., polyspecificity). Therefore, to direct sequence-based discovery and characterization of new enzyme activities we have developed an automated in silico pipeline entitled: Sequence Analysis and Clustering of CarboHydrate Active enzymes for Rapid Informed prediction of Specificity (SACCHARIS). This pipeline streamlines the selection of uncharacterized sequences for discovery of new CAZyme or CBM specificity from families currently maintained on the CAZy website or within user-defined datasets. RESULTS SACCHARIS was used to generate a phylogenetic tree of a GH43, a CAZyme family with defined subfamily designations. This analysis confirmed that large datasets can be organized into sequence clusters of manageable sizes that possess related functions. Seeding this tree with a GH43 sequence from Bacteroides dorei DSM 17855 (BdGH43b, revealed it partitioned as a single sequence within the tree. This pattern was consistent with it possessing a unique enzyme activity for GH43 as BdGH43b is the first described α-glucanase described for this family. The capacity of SACCHARIS to extract and cluster characterized carbohydrate binding module sequences was demonstrated using family 6 CBMs (i.e., CBM6s). This CBM family displays a polyspecific ligand binding profile and contains many structurally determined members. Using SACCHARIS to identify a cluster of divergent sequences, a CBM6 sequence from a unique clade was demonstrated to bind yeast mannan, which represents the first description of an α-mannan binding CBM. Additionally, we have performed a CAZome analysis of an in-house sequenced bacterial genome and a comparative analysis of B. thetaiotaomicron VPI-5482 and B. thetaiotaomicron 7330, to demonstrate that SACCHARIS can generate "CAZome fingerprints", which differentiate between the saccharolytic potential of two related strains in silico. CONCLUSIONS Establishing sequence-function and sequence-structure relationships in polyspecific CAZyme families are promising approaches for streamlining enzyme discovery. SACCHARIS facilitates this process by embedding CAZyme and CBM family trees generated from biochemically to structurally characterized sequences, with protein sequences that have unknown functions. In addition, these trees can be integrated with user-defined datasets (e.g., genomics, metagenomics, and transcriptomics) to inform experimental characterization of new CAZymes or CBMs not currently curated, and for researchers to compare differential sequence patterns between entire CAZomes. In this light, SACCHARIS provides an in silico tool that can be tailored for enzyme bioprospecting in datasets of increasing complexity and for diverse applications in glycobiotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darryl R. Jones
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1 Canada
| | - Dallas Thomas
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1 Canada
| | - Nicholas Alger
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1 Canada
| | - Ata Ghavidel
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1 Canada
| | - G. Douglas Inglis
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1 Canada
| | - D. Wade Abbott
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1 Canada
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Montanholi YR, Haas LS, Swanson KC, Coomber BL, Yamashiro S, Miller SP. Liver morphometrics and metabolic blood profile across divergent phenotypes for feed efficiency in the bovine. Acta Vet Scand 2017; 59:24. [PMID: 28446193 PMCID: PMC5405500 DOI: 10.1186/s13028-017-0292-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Feed costs are a major expense in the production of beef cattle. Individual variation in the efficiency of feed utilization may be evident through feed efficiency-related phenotypes such as those related to major energetic sinks. Our objectives were to assess the relationships between feed efficiency with liver morphometry and metabolic blood profile in feedlot beef cattle. METHODS Two populations (A = 112 and B = 45) of steers were tested for feed efficiency. Blood from the 12 most (efficient) and 12 least feed inefficient (inefficient) steers from population A was sampled hourly over the circadian period. Blood plasma samples were submitted for analysis on albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase urea, cholesterol, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase, lipase, carbon dioxide, β-hydroxybutyrate, acetate and bile acids. Liver tissue was also harvested from 24 steers that were blood sampled from population A and the 10 steers with divergent feed efficiency in each tail of population B was sampled for microscopy at slaughter. Photomicroscopy images were taken using the portal triad and central vein as landmarks. Histological quantifications included cross-sectional hepatocyte perimeter and area, hepatocyte nuclear area and nuclei area as proportion of the hepatocyte area. The least square means comparison between efficient and inefficient steers for productive performance and liver morphometry and for blood analytes data were analyzed using general linear model and mixed model procedures of SAS, respectively. RESULTS No differences were observed for liver weight; however, efficient steers had larger hepatocyte (i.e. hepatocyte area at the porta triad 323.31 vs. 286.37 µm2) and nuclei dimensions at portal triad and central vein regions, compared with inefficient steers. The metabolic profile indicated efficient steers had lower albumin (36.18 vs. 37.65 g/l) and cholesterol (2.62 vs. 3.05 mmol/l) and higher creatinine (118.59 vs. 110.50 mmol/l) and carbon dioxide (24.36 vs. 23.65 mmol/l) than inefficient steers. CONCLUSIONS Improved feed efficiency is associated with increased metabolism by the liver (enlarged hepatocytes and no difference on organ size), muscle (higher creatinine) and whole body (higher carbon dioxide); additionally, efficient steers had reduced bloodstream pools of albumin and cholesterol. These metabolic discrepancies between feed efficient and inefficient cattle may be determinants of productive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Regis Montanholi
- Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, 58 River Road, Bible Hill, Truro, NS B2N 5E3 Canada
| | - Livia Sadocco Haas
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 91540-000 Brazil
| | - Kendall Carl Swanson
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58102 USA
| | - Brenda Lee Coomber
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Shigeto Yamashiro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Stephen Paul Miller
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 Canada
- Angus Genetics Inc, Saint Joseph, MO 64506 USA
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