Sequence-based genome-wide association study reveals host genomic regions and candidate genes influencing the fecal microbiota of Holstein cows

ABSTRACT: In recent decades, the digestive tract microbiota of livestock has been extensively studied, revealing associations with host phenotypes, including production- and health-related traits. The effect of host genetics on gut microbes has been documented in several species; however, in dairy c...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: L. Brulin, M.-P. Sanchez, Z. Cai, S. Ducrocq, G. Even, S. Martel, S. Merlin, C. Audebert, J. Estellé, G. Sahana, P. Croiseau
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Journal of Dairy Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030225003613
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849304190894997504
author L. Brulin
M.-P. Sanchez
Z. Cai
S. Ducrocq
G. Even
S. Martel
S. Merlin
C. Audebert
J. Estellé
G. Sahana
P. Croiseau
author_facet L. Brulin
M.-P. Sanchez
Z. Cai
S. Ducrocq
G. Even
S. Martel
S. Merlin
C. Audebert
J. Estellé
G. Sahana
P. Croiseau
author_sort L. Brulin
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT: In recent decades, the digestive tract microbiota of livestock has been extensively studied, revealing associations with host phenotypes, including production- and health-related traits. The effect of host genetics on gut microbes has been documented in several species; however, in dairy cattle, the specific genomic regions that influence microbial communities remain relatively unexplored. This study aimed to conduct a sequence-based GWAS and a gene-based association study to identify the genomic regions and candidate genes affecting fecal microbiota diversity and composition in a population of 1,875 commercial Holstein cows. From the sequence-based GWAS conducted on 116 fecal microbiota taxonomic levels, 6 QTL were significantly associated with the abundances of Paeniclostridium, an unclassified genus from the Paludibacteraceae family, Sutterella, Turicibacter, and Akkermansia genera, as well as the associated family Akkermansiaceae. These QTL explained between 2.0% and 25.5% of the phenotypic variances of the taxa abundances. Conversely, no genomic variants were found significant for either the α- or the β-diversity of the fecal microbiota. A gene-based association study subsequently conducted on the sequence-based GWAS results revealed significant effects of 90 genes across the bovine genome, affecting the relative abundances of some fecal taxa. Many of these genes were located within the major histocompatibility complex and enriched in immune response pathways. By combining GWAS with gene-based association studies, we specifically identified an association between the ABO gene and the fecal abundance of Akkermansia and Akkermansiaceae. The study represents a significant step forward in understanding the genetic determinism of the complex interactions between the fecal microbiota and their host. It provides new insights into the biological mechanisms underlying host-microbiota interaction in dairy cattle and unveils strong associations between host genomic regions and fecal microbiota in a commercial population. This study holds promise for large-scale breeding strategies to shape the fecal microbiota in Holstein cows and benefit from the host-microbiota interactions.
format Article
id doaj-art-6f667b7cdafc42c7aeaefc97dab357f5
institution Kabale University
issn 0022-0302
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Journal of Dairy Science
spelling doaj-art-6f667b7cdafc42c7aeaefc97dab357f52025-08-20T03:55:48ZengElsevierJournal of Dairy Science0022-03022025-08-0110888666868410.3168/jds.2024-26203Sequence-based genome-wide association study reveals host genomic regions and candidate genes influencing the fecal microbiota of Holstein cowsL. Brulin0M.-P. Sanchez1Z. Cai2S. Ducrocq3G. Even4S. Martel5S. Merlin6C. Audebert7J. Estellé8G. Sahana9P. Croiseau10GD Biotech – Gènes Diffusion, Lille, 59000, France; Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Jouy-en-Josas, 78350, France; Corresponding authorUniversité Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Jouy-en-Josas, 78350, FranceCenter for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, DenmarkGD Biotech – Gènes Diffusion, Lille, 59000, France; PEGASE-Biosciences, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, 59019, FranceGD Biotech – Gènes Diffusion, Lille, 59000, France; PEGASE-Biosciences, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, 59019, FranceGD Biotech – Gènes Diffusion, Lille, 59000, France; PEGASE-Biosciences, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, 59019, FranceGD Biotech – Gènes Diffusion, Lille, 59000, France; PEGASE-Biosciences, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, 59019, FranceGD Biotech – Gènes Diffusion, Lille, 59000, France; PEGASE-Biosciences, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, 59019, FranceUniversité Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Jouy-en-Josas, 78350, FranceCenter for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, DenmarkUniversité Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Jouy-en-Josas, 78350, FranceABSTRACT: In recent decades, the digestive tract microbiota of livestock has been extensively studied, revealing associations with host phenotypes, including production- and health-related traits. The effect of host genetics on gut microbes has been documented in several species; however, in dairy cattle, the specific genomic regions that influence microbial communities remain relatively unexplored. This study aimed to conduct a sequence-based GWAS and a gene-based association study to identify the genomic regions and candidate genes affecting fecal microbiota diversity and composition in a population of 1,875 commercial Holstein cows. From the sequence-based GWAS conducted on 116 fecal microbiota taxonomic levels, 6 QTL were significantly associated with the abundances of Paeniclostridium, an unclassified genus from the Paludibacteraceae family, Sutterella, Turicibacter, and Akkermansia genera, as well as the associated family Akkermansiaceae. These QTL explained between 2.0% and 25.5% of the phenotypic variances of the taxa abundances. Conversely, no genomic variants were found significant for either the α- or the β-diversity of the fecal microbiota. A gene-based association study subsequently conducted on the sequence-based GWAS results revealed significant effects of 90 genes across the bovine genome, affecting the relative abundances of some fecal taxa. Many of these genes were located within the major histocompatibility complex and enriched in immune response pathways. By combining GWAS with gene-based association studies, we specifically identified an association between the ABO gene and the fecal abundance of Akkermansia and Akkermansiaceae. The study represents a significant step forward in understanding the genetic determinism of the complex interactions between the fecal microbiota and their host. It provides new insights into the biological mechanisms underlying host-microbiota interaction in dairy cattle and unveils strong associations between host genomic regions and fecal microbiota in a commercial population. This study holds promise for large-scale breeding strategies to shape the fecal microbiota in Holstein cows and benefit from the host-microbiota interactions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030225003613dairy cattlewhole genome-wide association study16S analysisfecal microbiota
spellingShingle L. Brulin
M.-P. Sanchez
Z. Cai
S. Ducrocq
G. Even
S. Martel
S. Merlin
C. Audebert
J. Estellé
G. Sahana
P. Croiseau
Sequence-based genome-wide association study reveals host genomic regions and candidate genes influencing the fecal microbiota of Holstein cows
Journal of Dairy Science
dairy cattle
whole genome-wide association study
16S analysis
fecal microbiota
title Sequence-based genome-wide association study reveals host genomic regions and candidate genes influencing the fecal microbiota of Holstein cows
title_full Sequence-based genome-wide association study reveals host genomic regions and candidate genes influencing the fecal microbiota of Holstein cows
title_fullStr Sequence-based genome-wide association study reveals host genomic regions and candidate genes influencing the fecal microbiota of Holstein cows
title_full_unstemmed Sequence-based genome-wide association study reveals host genomic regions and candidate genes influencing the fecal microbiota of Holstein cows
title_short Sequence-based genome-wide association study reveals host genomic regions and candidate genes influencing the fecal microbiota of Holstein cows
title_sort sequence based genome wide association study reveals host genomic regions and candidate genes influencing the fecal microbiota of holstein cows
topic dairy cattle
whole genome-wide association study
16S analysis
fecal microbiota
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030225003613
work_keys_str_mv AT lbrulin sequencebasedgenomewideassociationstudyrevealshostgenomicregionsandcandidategenesinfluencingthefecalmicrobiotaofholsteincows
AT mpsanchez sequencebasedgenomewideassociationstudyrevealshostgenomicregionsandcandidategenesinfluencingthefecalmicrobiotaofholsteincows
AT zcai sequencebasedgenomewideassociationstudyrevealshostgenomicregionsandcandidategenesinfluencingthefecalmicrobiotaofholsteincows
AT sducrocq sequencebasedgenomewideassociationstudyrevealshostgenomicregionsandcandidategenesinfluencingthefecalmicrobiotaofholsteincows
AT geven sequencebasedgenomewideassociationstudyrevealshostgenomicregionsandcandidategenesinfluencingthefecalmicrobiotaofholsteincows
AT smartel sequencebasedgenomewideassociationstudyrevealshostgenomicregionsandcandidategenesinfluencingthefecalmicrobiotaofholsteincows
AT smerlin sequencebasedgenomewideassociationstudyrevealshostgenomicregionsandcandidategenesinfluencingthefecalmicrobiotaofholsteincows
AT caudebert sequencebasedgenomewideassociationstudyrevealshostgenomicregionsandcandidategenesinfluencingthefecalmicrobiotaofholsteincows
AT jestelle sequencebasedgenomewideassociationstudyrevealshostgenomicregionsandcandidategenesinfluencingthefecalmicrobiotaofholsteincows
AT gsahana sequencebasedgenomewideassociationstudyrevealshostgenomicregionsandcandidategenesinfluencingthefecalmicrobiotaofholsteincows
AT pcroiseau sequencebasedgenomewideassociationstudyrevealshostgenomicregionsandcandidategenesinfluencingthefecalmicrobiotaofholsteincows