title: Archaeal abundance in post-mortem ruminal digesta may help predict methane emissions from beef cattle.
abstract: Methane produced from 35 Aberdeen-Angus and 33 Limousin cross steers was measured in respiration chambers. Each group was split to receive either a medium- or high-concentrate diet. Ruminal digesta samples were subsequently removed to investigate correlations between methane emissions and the rumen microbial community, as measured by qPCR of 16S or 18S rRNA genes. Diet had the greatest influence on methane emissions. The high-concentrate diet resulted in lower methane emissions (P < 0.001) than the medium-concentrate diet. Methane was correlated, irrespective of breed, with the abundance of archaea (R = 0.39), bacteria (-0.47), protozoa (0.45), Bacteroidetes (-0.37) and Clostridium Cluster XIVa (-0.35). The archaea:bacteria ratio provided a stronger correlation (0.49). A similar correlation was found with digesta samples taken 2-3 weeks later at slaughter. This finding could help enable greenhouse gas emissions of large animal cohorts to be predicted from samples taken conveniently in the abattoir.
authors: Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, UK.
authors: R John
authors: RJ
authors: Wallace
authors: SRUC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK.
authors: John A
authors: JA
authors: Rooke
authors: SRUC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK.
authors: Carol-Anne
authors: CA
authors: Duthie
authors: SRUC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK.
authors: Jimmy J
authors: JJ
authors: Hyslop
authors: SRUC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK.
authors: David W
authors: DW
authors: Ross
authors: Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, UK.
authors: Nest
authors: N
authors: McKain
authors: Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, UK.
authors: Shirley Motta
authors: SM
authors: de Souza
authors: Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, UK.
authors: Timothy J
authors: TJ
authors: Snelling
authors: SRUC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK.
authors: Anthony
authors: A
authors: Waterhouse
authors: SRUC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK.
authors: Rainer
authors: R
authors: Roehe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001105:Archaea / Q000502:physiology*; D041963:Bacteroidetes / Q000502:physiology; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D008297:Male; D008697:Methane / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D064307:Microbiota; D058889:Molecular Typing; D019642:RNA, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012417:Rumen / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D019642:RNA, Archaeal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D008697:Methane