ORCID Profile
0000-0002-6177-0186
Current Organisations
CSIRO Queensland Bioscience Precinct
,
CSIRO
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 10-2013
Abstract: The growing interest in reducing methane (CH4) emissions from ruminants by dietary means is constrained by the complexity of the microbial community in the rumen of the adult animal. The aim of this work was to study whether intervention in early life of goat kids has an impact on methane emissions and the microbial ecosystem in the rumen and whether the effects persist postweaning. Sixteen doe goats giving birth to 2 kids each were randomly split into 2 experimental groups: 8 does were treated (D+) with bromochloromethane (BCM) after giving birth and over 2 mo, and the other 8 does were not treated (D-). In both groups of does, 1 kid per doe was treated with BCM (k+) for 3 mo, and the other was untreated (k-), resulting in 4 experimental groups: D+k+, D+k-, D-k+, and D-k-. Methane emissions were recorded, and ruminal s les were collected from kids at 2 mo of age (weaning, W) and 1 (W+1) and 4 (W+4) mo later. At W+1 mo, CH4 emissions by k+ kids were 52% and 59% less than untreated kids (in D+ and D- groups, respectively). However, at W+4 mo, only D+k+ kids remained lower (33%) emitters and exhibited greater daily BW gain (146 g/d) compared with the other 3 groups (121.8 g/d). The analysis of the archaeal community structure by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE)showed a strong effect of BCM treatment on does and kids that persisted only in D+k+ kids. The study showed that the application of BCM during early life of kids modified the archaeal population that colonized the rumen, which resulted in decreased CH4 emissions around weaning. The effect is influenced by the treatment applied to the doe and persisted 3 mo later in D+k+ kids.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 07-08-2018
Publisher: American Dairy Science Association
Date: 06-2014
Abstract: The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of feeding ethyl-3-nitrooxy propionate (E3NP) and 3-nitrooxypropanol (3 NP), 2 recently developed compounds with potential antimethanogenic activity, in vitro and in vivo in nonlactating sheep on ruminal methane production, fermentation pattern, the abundance of major microbial groups, and feed degradability. Three experiments were conducted, 1 in vitro and 2 in vivo. The in vitro batch culture trial (experiment 1) tested 2 doses of E3NP and 3 NP (40 and 80 μL/L), which showed a substantial reduction of methane production (up to 95%) without affecting concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA). The 2 in vivo trials were conducted over 16 d (experiment 2) and 30 d (experiment 3) to study their effects in sheep. In experiment 2, 6 adult nonpregnant sheep, with permanent rumen cannula and fed alfalfa hay and oats (60:40), were treated with E3NP at 2 doses (50 and 500 mg/animal per day). After 7, 14, and 15 d of treatment, methane emissions were recorded in respiration chambers and rumen fluid s les were collected for VFA analysis and quantification of bacterial, protozoal, and archaeal numbers by real-time PCR. Methane production decreased by 29% compared with the control with the higher dose of E3NP on d 14 to 15. A decrease in the acetate:propionate ratio was observed without detrimental effects on dry matter intake. In experiment 3, 9 adult nonpregnant sheep, with permanent rumen cannula and fed with alfalfa hay and oats (60:40), were treated with E3NP or 3 NP at one dose (100mg/animal per day) over 30 d. On d 14 and d 29 to 30, methane emissions were recorded in respiration chambers. Rumen fluid s les were collected on d 29 and 30 for VFA analysis and quantification of bacterial, protozoal, and archaeal numbers by real-time PCR. In addition, on d 22 and 23, s les of oats and alfalfa hay were incubated in the rumen of sheep to determine dry matter ruminal degradation over 24 and 48 h, respectively no effect was observed (78.6, 78.3, and 78.8% of alfalfa and 74.2, 74.0, and 70.6% of oats in control, E3NP, and 3 NP groups, respectively). A reduction in methane production was observed for both additives at d 14 and d 29 to 30. In both treatments, the acetate:propionate ratio was significantly decreased. Likewise, total concentrations of the analyzed microbial groups in the rumen showed no difference among treatments and doses for both experiments. Both tested compounds showed promise as methane inhibitors in the rumen, with no detrimental effects on fermentation or intake, which would need to be confirmed in lactating animals.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2013
DOI: 10.1111/JPN.12049
Abstract: Methane is the most important anthropogenic contribution to climate change after carbon dioxide and represents a loss of feed energy for the animal, mainly for herbivorous species. However, our knowledge about the ecology of Archaea, the microbial group responsible for methane synthesis in the gut, is very poor. Moreover, it is well known that hindgut fermentation differs from rumen fermentation. The composition of archaeal communities in fermentation compartments of goats and rabbits were investigated using DGGE to generate fingerprints of archaeal 16S rRNA gene. Ruminal contents and faeces from five Murciano-Granadina goats and caecal contents of five commercial White New Zealand rabbits were compared. Diversity profile of methanogenic archaea was carried out by PCR-DGGE. Quantification of methanogenic archaea and the abundance relative to bacteria was determined by real-time PCR. Methanogenic archaeal species were relatively constant across species. Dendrogram from DGGE of the methanogen community showed one cluster for goat s les with two sub-clusters by type of s le (ruminal and faeces). In a second cluster, s les from rabbit were grouped. No differences were found either in richness or Shannon index as ersity indexes. Although the primer sets used was developed to investigate rumen methanogenic archaeal community, primers specificity did not affect the assessment of rabbit methanogen community structure. Rumen content showed the highest number or methanogenic archaea (log₁₀ 9.36), followed by faeces (log₁₀ 8.52) and showing rabbit caecum the lower values (log₁₀ 5.52). DGGE profile showed that pre-gastric and hindgut fermenters hold a very different methanogen community. Rabbits hold a microbial community of similar complexity than that in ruminants but less abundant, which agrees with the type of fermentation profile.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 13-09-2023
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 30-04-2019
Publisher: Universitat Politecnica de Valencia
Date: 28-09-2017
Abstract: Epizootic Rabbit Enteropathy (ERE) is a disease of unknown aetiology that mainly affects post-weaning animals. Caecotrophs from animals in a farm affected by ERE were analysed to identify changes in the microbiological profile of growing rabbits. Does and kits at weaning (28 d) and the same rabbits ten days later (38 d) were used for a comparison using Roche 454 pyrosequencing of hypervariable V3-V5 regions of the 16S em rRNA /em genes. The caecal bacterial community was dominated by the Firmicutes phylum (about 80%), followed by Bacteroidetes (15%), although relative abundances changed according to animal age (among does and kits at 28 and 38 d) and health status (affected or not by ERE). Two dominant families were classified within the Firmicutes phylum: Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae (50 and 20% of the sequences, respectively). In kits affected by ERE, relative abundance of em Ruminococcus /em and em Bacteroides /em genera decreased and increased, respectively, compared to healthy kits at the same age (28 and 38 d). The principal coordinate analysis plot revealed that kits at 28 d of age cluster together and apart from the does and the healthy 38-d rabbit groups. When only growing rabbits are considered, kits that showed symptoms of ERE clustered separately. Results suggest a different caecal bacterial community of rabbits affected by ERE. These findings highlight the need to identify different stages of the disease.
Publisher: American Dairy Science Association
Date: 04-2012
Abstract: Several technologies have been tested to reduce enteric methanogenesis, but very few have been successfully used in practical conditions for livestock. Furthermore, the consequences of reduced rumen methane production on animal performance and milk quality are poorly understood. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of feeding bromochloromethane (BCM), a halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbon with potential antimethanogenic activity, to dairy goats on rumen methane production, fermentation pattern, the abundance of major microbial groups, and on animal performance and milk composition. Eighteen goats were allocated to 2 experimental groups of 9 animals each: treated (BCM+) or not (BCM-) with 0.30 g of BCM/100 kg of body weight per day. The BCM was administered per os in 2 equal doses per day from parturition to 2 wk postweaning (10 wk). After weaning, methane emissions were recorded over 2 consecutive days (d 57 and 58 on treatment) in polycarbonate chambers. On d 59, in idual rumen fluid s les were collected for volatile fatty acid (VFA) analysis and quantification of bacterial, protozoal, and archaeal numbers by real-time PCR. On d 69 and 70, daily milk production was recorded and s les were collected for determination of fat, protein, lactose, casein, and total solids concentration by infrared spectrophotometry, and fatty acid composition by gas chromatography. Treatment with BCM reduced methane production by 33% (21.6 vs. 14.4 L/kg of DMI) compared with nontreated animals, although it did not affect the abundance of rumen bacteria, protozoa, and total methanogenic archaea. The observed improvement in the efficiency of digestive processes was accompanied by a 36% increase in milk yield, probably due to the more propionic type of rumen fermentation and an increase in VFA production. The increase in milk yield was not accompanied by any changes in the concentrations or yields of fat, protein, or lactose. Despite the substantial decrease in methane production, only minor changes in milk fatty acid profile were observed, suggesting that ruminal biohydrogenation pathways were not affected. Compounds that influence terminal biochemical pathways for methane production deserve further development for future application in the dairy goat sector.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 19-07-2016
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 13-05-2021
DOI: 10.3390/MICROORGANISMS9051053
Abstract: We have found one inadvertent error in our paper published in Microorganisms [...]
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 15-07-2015
Abstract: Study of the efficacy of methanogenesis inhibitors in the rumen has given inconsistent results, mainly due to poorly understood effects on the key microbial groups involved in pathways for methane (CH4) synthesis. The experiment described in this report was designed to assess the effect of propyl propane thiosulfinate (PTS), diallyl disulfide (DDS) and bromochloromethane (BCM) on rumen fermentation, methane production and microbial populations in continuous culture fermenters. No effects on total volatile fatty acids (VFA) were observed with PTS or DDS, but VFA were decreased with BCM. Amylase activity increased with BCM as compared with the other treatments. A decrease in methane production was observed with PTS (48%) and BCM (94%) as compared with control values. The concentration of methanogenic archaea decreased with BCM from day 4 onward and with PTS on days 4 and 8. Pyrosequencing analysis revealed that PTS and BCM decreased the relative abundance of Methanomicrobiales and increased that of Methanobrevibacter and Methanosphaera. The total concentration of bacteria was not modified by any treatment, although treatment with BCM increased the relative abundance of Prevotella and decreased that of Ruminococcus. These results suggest that the inhibition of methane production in the rumen by PTS and BCM is associated with a shift in archaeal bio ersity and changes in the bacterial community with BCM.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 05-10-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-01-2016
DOI: 10.1038/SREP19175
Abstract: Ruminant livestock are important sources of human food and global greenhouse gas emissions. Feed degradation and methane formation by ruminants rely on metabolic interactions between rumen microbes and affect ruminant productivity. Rumen and camelid foregut microbial community composition was determined in 742 s les from 32 animal species and 35 countries, to estimate if this was influenced by diet, host species, or geography. Similar bacteria and archaea dominated in nearly all s les, while protozoal communities were more variable. The dominant bacteria are poorly characterised, but the methanogenic archaea are better known and highly conserved across the world. This universality and limited ersity could make it possible to mitigate methane emissions by developing strategies that target the few dominant methanogens. Differences in microbial community compositions were predominantly attributable to diet, with the host being less influential. There were few strong co-occurrence patterns between microbes, suggesting that major metabolic interactions are non-selective rather than specific.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 16-08-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2020
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1155/2016/5916067
Abstract: Host factors are regarded as important in shaping the archaeal community in the rumen but few controlled studies have been performed to demonstrate this across host species under the same environmental conditions. A study was designed to investigate the structure of the methanogen community in the rumen of two indigenous (yak and Tibetan sheep) and two introduced domestic ruminant (cattle and crossbred sheep) species raised and fed under similar conditions on the high altitude Tibetan Plateau. The methylotrophic Methanomassiliicoccaceae was the predominant archaeal group in all animals even though Methanobrevibacter are usually present in greater abundance in ruminants globally. Furthermore, within the Methanomassiliicoccaceae family members from Mmc. group 10 and Mmc. group 4 were dominant in Tibetan Plateau ruminants compared to Mmc. group 12 found to be highest in other ruminants studied. Small ruminants presented the highest number of sequences that belonged to Methanomassiliicoccaceae compared to the larger ruminants. Although the methanogen community structure was different among the ruminant species, there were striking similarities between the animals in this environment. This indicates that factors such as the extreme environmental conditions and diet on the Tibetan Plateau might have a greater impact on rumen methanogen community compared to host differences.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 08-10-2020
DOI: 10.3390/MICROORGANISMS8101550
Abstract: This study aimed to characterize the rumen microbiota structure of cattle grazing in tropical rangelands throughout seasons and their responses in rumen ecology and productivity to a N-based supplement during the dry season. Twenty pregnant heifers grazing during the dry season of northern Australia were allocated to either N-supplemented or un-supplemented diets and monitored through the seasons. Rumen fluid, blood, and feces were analyzed before supplementation (mid-dry season), after two months supplementation (late-dry season), and post supplementation (wet season). Supplementation increased average daily weight gain (ADWG), rumen NH3–N, branched fatty acids, butyrate and acetic:propionic ratio, and decreased plasma δ15N. The supplement promoted bacterial populations involved in hemicellulose and pectin degradation and ammonia assimilation: Bacteroidales BS11, Cyanobacteria, and Prevotella spp. During the dry season, fibrolytic populations were promoted: the bacteria Fibrobacter, Cyanobacteria and Kiritimatiellaeota groups the fungi Cyllamyces and the protozoa Ostracodinium. The wet season increased the abundances of rumen protozoa and fungi populations, with increases of bacterial families Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Muribaculaceae the protozoa Entodinium and Eudiplodinium the fungi Pecoramyces and the archaea Methanosphera. In conclusion, the rumen microbiota of cattle grazing in a tropical grassland is distinctive from published studies that mainly describe ruminants consuming better quality diets.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2013
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 13-10-2015
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 09-10-2018
Publisher: Wageningen Academic Publishers
Date: 09-09-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-10-2015
DOI: 10.1038/SREP14567
Abstract: Ruminant livestock are important sources of human food and global greenhouse gas emissions. Feed degradation and methane formation by ruminants rely on metabolic interactions between rumen microbes and affect ruminant productivity. Rumen and camelid foregut microbial community composition was determined in 742 s les from 32 animal species and 35 countries, to estimate if this was influenced by diet, host species, or geography. Similar bacteria and archaea dominated in nearly all s les, while protozoal communities were more variable. The dominant bacteria are poorly characterised, but the methanogenic archaea are better known and highly conserved across the world. This universality and limited ersity could make it possible to mitigate methane emissions by developing strategies that target the few dominant methanogens. Differences in microbial community compositions were predominantly attributable to diet, with the host being less influential. There were few strong co-occurrence patterns between microbes, suggesting that major metabolic interactions are non-selective rather than specific.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.ANAEROBE.2013.11.012
Abstract: The objective of this work was to compare the biomass and community structure of bacteria, protozoa and archaea communities in s les of rumen and faeces of goats and to what extent the diet (alfalfa hay with or without supplemented oats) offered to them exert an influence. Four cannulated adult goats fistulated in the rumen were used in a cross over design experiment in two experimental periods of 26 days, consisting in 14 days of adaptation, 7 days of s ling rumen contents and 5 days of digestibility measurement. Bacterial, protozoa and archaeal biomass and the communities' structure was assessed by real time PCR (qPCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), respectively. The numbers of archaea and bacteria in both rumen and faeces were higher and lower, respectively, in animals fed AH diet (P < 0.005). Contrary, protozoal numbers were not affected by the diet but were lower (P < 0.001) in faeces than in rumen. The analysis of the community structure revealed a consistently different population in structure in rumen and faeces for the three studied microbial groups and that supplementing alfalfa hay with oats led to a decrease in the similarity between sites in the rumen and faeces: similarity indexes for bacteria (57 and 27%), archaea (26 and 9%) and protozoa (62 and 22%) in animals fed AH and AHO diets, respectively.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1155/2014/841463
Abstract: The aim of this work was to study whether feeding a methanogen inhibitor from birth of goat kids and their does has an impact on the archaeal population colonizing the rumen and to what extent the impact persists later in life. Sixteen goats giving birth to two kids were used. Eight does were treated (D+) with bromochloromethane after giving birth and over 2 months. The other 8 goats were not treated (D−). One kid per doe in both groups was treated with bromochloromethane (k+) for 3 months while the other was untreated (k−), resulting in four experimental groups: D+/k+, D+/k−, D−/k+, and D−/k−. Rumen s les were collected from kids at weaning and 1 and 4 months after (3 and 6 months after birth) and from does at the end of the treating period (2 months). Pyrosequencing analyses showed a modified archaeal community composition colonizing the rumen of kids, although such effect did not persist entirely 4 months after however, some less abundant groups remained different in treated and control animals. The different response on the archaeal community composition observed between offspring and adult goats suggests that the competition occurring in the developing rumen to occupy different niches offer potential for intervention.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1071/AN14337
Abstract: The aim of this work was to study the colonisation of the rumen by the three main microbial groups over the first 4 weeks of life and to assess to what extent the type of feeding management (natural with the mother, NAT, or artificial with milk replacer, ART) exerts an effect. Thirty pregnant goats carrying two fetuses were selected. At birth, one kid was taken immediately away from the doe and fed milk replacer (ART), while the other kid remained with the mother (NAT). Groups of four kids (from ART and NAT experimental groups) were slaughtered at 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of life, resulting in seven s ling times. On the s ling day, after slaughtering, the rumen was weighed full and empty and the content s led and pH measured. Aliquots of rumen digesta were immediately frozen for DNA and volatile fatty acid (VFA) analyses. The weight of the rumen was higher in NAT kids from Day 21 onward, while no difference was observed for rumen content volume. The three microbial groups (bacteria, archaea and protozoa) were detected from Day 1 in both experimental groups. The concentration of bacteria was higher in the rumen of NAT kids on Days 3, 5, 7 and 14 and of protozoa from Day 3 onward. This was reflected in greater VFA concentrations and lower pH in the rumen of NAT kids from Day 3. Our results confirmed substantial microbial colonisation from the first day of life in the undeveloped rumen. The feeding management (natural vs artificial) before weaning had an effect on microbial colonisation and rumen fermentation and, therefore, it should be considered when designing nutritional intervention strategies in early life.
Location: Australia
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Gonzalo Martinez Fernandez.