Methane yield phenotypes linked to differential gene expression in the sheep rumen microbiome

作者：Shi Weibing; Moon Christina D; Leahy Sinead C; Kang Dongwan; Froula Jeff; Kittelmann Sandra; Fan Christina; Deutsch Samuel; Gagic Dragana; Seedorf Henning; Kelly William J; Atua Renee; Sang Carrie; Soni Priya; Li Dong; Pinares Patino Cesar S; McEwan John C; Janssen Peter H; Chen Feng; Visel Axel; Wang Zhong; Attwood Graeme T; Rubin Edward M^*

来源：Genome Research, 2014, 24(9): 1517-1525.

DOI：10.1101/gr.168245.113

Ruminant livestock represent the single largest anthropogenic source of the potent greenhouse gas methane, which is generated by methanogenic archaea residing in ruminant digestive tracts. While differences between individual animals of the same breed in the amount of methane produced have been observed, the basis for this variation remains to be elucidated. To explore the mechanistic basis of this methane production, we measured methane yields from 22 sheep, which revealed that methane yields are a reproducible, quantitative trait. Deep metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing demonstrated a similar abundance of methanogens and methanogenesis pathway genes in high and low methane emitters. However, transcription of methanogenesis pathway genes was substantially increased in sheep with high methane yields. These results identify a discrete set of rumen methanogens whose methanogenesis pathway transcription profiles correlate with methane yields and provide new targets for CH4 mitigation at the levels of microbiota composition and transcriptional regulation.

• 出版日期2014-9