Spatial and temporal variations of the bacterial community in the bovine digestive tract.
OBJECTIVE
Improved knowledge of the bacterial community of the digestive tract is required to enhance the efficiency of digestion in herbivores. This work aimed to study spatial and temporal variations of the bacterial communities in the bovine digestive tract and their correlation with gut environmental parameters.


RESULTS
Rumen content and faeces of five cows were sampled for 3 weeks. In addition, reticulum content was sampled during the third week. Bacterial communities were assessed by studying capillary electrophoresis single-stranded conformation polymorphism (CE-SSCP) profiles of 16S rRNA genes. The bacterial community structure differed between the forestomach and faecal contents. The abundance of several operational taxonomic units changed from week to week. Bacterial community structure of the rumen was correlated to propionic acid and NH(3)-N concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
The bacterial community of the bovine digestive tract varied in space and time.


CONCLUSIONS
The study of the bacterial communities of the digestive tract in herbivores should be widened from the rumen to the large intestine. The amplitude and origin of the temporal variation of the ruminal bacterial community need to be better understood to improve the control of the fermentative activity in herbivores.
Michelland
R J
RJ
INRA, UMR1289 Tissus Animaux Nutrition Digestion Ecosystème et Métabolisme, Castanet-Tolosan, France.
Monteils
V
V
Zened
A
A
Combes
S
S
Cauquil
L
L
Gidenne
T
T
Hamelin
J
J
Fortun-Lamothe
L
L
D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D044822:Biodiversity; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D011422:Propionates / Q000032:analysis; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis*; D012159:Reticulum / Q000382:microbiology; D012417:Rumen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology
D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C522204:NH3 compound; D011422:Propionates; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; C029658:propionic acid