Multi-omics insights into key microorganisms and metabolites in Tibetan sheep’s high-altitude adaptation

Tibetan sheep gastrointestinal microbial communities and metabolites showed adaptive differences with altitude, but we do not know which flora or metabolites may play an important role in acclimatization to the altitude environment. Therefore, we systematically analyzed the microbial structure and m...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jing Wang, Jianbin Liu, Tingting Guo, Chen Zheng, Fan Wang, Ting Liu, Chao Yuan, Zengkui Lu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Microbiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1616555/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850118560290963456
author Jing Wang
Jing Wang
Jing Wang
Jianbin Liu
Jianbin Liu
Tingting Guo
Tingting Guo
Chen Zheng
Fan Wang
Ting Liu
Chao Yuan
Chao Yuan
Zengkui Lu
Zengkui Lu
author_facet Jing Wang
Jing Wang
Jing Wang
Jianbin Liu
Jianbin Liu
Tingting Guo
Tingting Guo
Chen Zheng
Fan Wang
Ting Liu
Chao Yuan
Chao Yuan
Zengkui Lu
Zengkui Lu
author_sort Jing Wang
collection DOAJ
description Tibetan sheep gastrointestinal microbial communities and metabolites showed adaptive differences with altitude, but we do not know which flora or metabolites may play an important role in acclimatization to the altitude environment. Therefore, we systematically analyzed the microbial structure and metabolites in the rumen and feces of Tibetan sheep at two altitudes (4,424 m and 2,364 m) using amplicon sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. The results showed that the bacterial communities differed greatly between the two groups, with high altitude Tibetan sheep having a higher forage fermentation capacity, and the abundance of some bacteria and fungi that were conducive to the decomposition of cellulose in rumen fluid increased significantly (especially Bacteroidota, Neocallimastigomycota, and Ascomycota), and the short chain fatty acids and NH3-N produced by metabolism also increased. There was also a significant increase in the abundance of Naganishia, which is prone to survive in extreme environments. In addition, the metabolite profiles in the rumen and feces of Tibetan sheep at two altitudes were also significantly different, and further correlation analysis showed that the differential bacteria in the rumen were mainly related to the products related to amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism, and the differential bacteria in the feces were mainly correlated with some metabolites related to antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and other disease treatment components. Collectively, these changes in microbiota and metabolites may have facilitated the adaptation of Tibetan sheep to the harsh plateau environment, contributing to their better survival and reproduction. This study provides a basis for research on the mechanisms of adaptation of Tibetan sheep to the plateau environment.
format Article
id doaj-art-4eb83b7ec3584c40a8c6f3abd04ec99c
institution OA Journals
issn 1664-302X
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Microbiology
spelling doaj-art-4eb83b7ec3584c40a8c6f3abd04ec99c2025-08-20T02:35:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2025-06-011610.3389/fmicb.2025.16165551616555Multi-omics insights into key microorganisms and metabolites in Tibetan sheep’s high-altitude adaptationJing Wang0Jing Wang1Jing Wang2Jianbin Liu3Jianbin Liu4Tingting Guo5Tingting Guo6Chen Zheng7Fan Wang8Ting Liu9Chao Yuan10Chao Yuan11Zengkui Lu12Zengkui Lu13Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaSheep Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaSheep Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaSheep Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, ChinaCollege of Life Science and Engineering, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaSheep Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaSheep Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaTibetan sheep gastrointestinal microbial communities and metabolites showed adaptive differences with altitude, but we do not know which flora or metabolites may play an important role in acclimatization to the altitude environment. Therefore, we systematically analyzed the microbial structure and metabolites in the rumen and feces of Tibetan sheep at two altitudes (4,424 m and 2,364 m) using amplicon sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. The results showed that the bacterial communities differed greatly between the two groups, with high altitude Tibetan sheep having a higher forage fermentation capacity, and the abundance of some bacteria and fungi that were conducive to the decomposition of cellulose in rumen fluid increased significantly (especially Bacteroidota, Neocallimastigomycota, and Ascomycota), and the short chain fatty acids and NH3-N produced by metabolism also increased. There was also a significant increase in the abundance of Naganishia, which is prone to survive in extreme environments. In addition, the metabolite profiles in the rumen and feces of Tibetan sheep at two altitudes were also significantly different, and further correlation analysis showed that the differential bacteria in the rumen were mainly related to the products related to amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism, and the differential bacteria in the feces were mainly correlated with some metabolites related to antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and other disease treatment components. Collectively, these changes in microbiota and metabolites may have facilitated the adaptation of Tibetan sheep to the harsh plateau environment, contributing to their better survival and reproduction. This study provides a basis for research on the mechanisms of adaptation of Tibetan sheep to the plateau environment.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1616555/fullTibetan sheepaltitudesmicroorganismsmetabolitesadaptability
spellingShingle Jing Wang
Jing Wang
Jing Wang
Jianbin Liu
Jianbin Liu
Tingting Guo
Tingting Guo
Chen Zheng
Fan Wang
Ting Liu
Chao Yuan
Chao Yuan
Zengkui Lu
Zengkui Lu
Multi-omics insights into key microorganisms and metabolites in Tibetan sheep’s high-altitude adaptation
Frontiers in Microbiology
Tibetan sheep
altitudes
microorganisms
metabolites
adaptability
title Multi-omics insights into key microorganisms and metabolites in Tibetan sheep’s high-altitude adaptation
title_full Multi-omics insights into key microorganisms and metabolites in Tibetan sheep’s high-altitude adaptation
title_fullStr Multi-omics insights into key microorganisms and metabolites in Tibetan sheep’s high-altitude adaptation
title_full_unstemmed Multi-omics insights into key microorganisms and metabolites in Tibetan sheep’s high-altitude adaptation
title_short Multi-omics insights into key microorganisms and metabolites in Tibetan sheep’s high-altitude adaptation
title_sort multi omics insights into key microorganisms and metabolites in tibetan sheep s high altitude adaptation
topic Tibetan sheep
altitudes
microorganisms
metabolites
adaptability
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1616555/full
work_keys_str_mv AT jingwang multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation
AT jingwang multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation
AT jingwang multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation
AT jianbinliu multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation
AT jianbinliu multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation
AT tingtingguo multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation
AT tingtingguo multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation
AT chenzheng multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation
AT fanwang multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation
AT tingliu multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation
AT chaoyuan multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation
AT chaoyuan multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation
AT zengkuilu multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation
AT zengkuilu multiomicsinsightsintokeymicroorganismsandmetabolitesintibetansheepshighaltitudeadaptation