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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Animal Health Genomics » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #367292
Research Project: Genomic Intervention Strategies to Prevent and/or Treat Respiratory Diseases of Ruminants

Location: Animal Health Genomics

Title: The respiratory microbiome is altered in dairy calves fed milk-replacer with added probiotics

Author
item Chitko-Mckown, Carol
item McDaneld, Tara
item Eicher, Susan
item KRITCHEVSKY, JANICE - Purdue University
item BRYAN, KEITH - Chr Hansen Inc

Submitted to: Research Workers in Animal Diseases Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2019
Publication Date: 11/5/2019
Citation: Chitko-McKown, C.G., McDaneld, T.G., Eicher, S.D., Kritchevsky, J.E., Bryan, K.A. 2019. The respiratory microbiome is altered in dairy calves fed milk-replacer with added probiotics [abstract]. Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, November 2-5, 2019, Chicago, Illinois. Abstract #237.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Our aim was to determine if oral feeding of probiotics to neonatal dairy calves would affect composition of the microbiome in three areas of the respiratory tract: nares, tonsils, and lungs. Twenty dairy calves were assigned to one of two treatments: milk replacer with or without probiotics (0.5g/d Bovamine, Chr. Hansen, Inc.) beginning 2 days after birth (n = 10/treatment), and were weaned by d 52. Nasal and tonsil swabs were obtained on d 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, and 48, and lung lavages were performed on a subset of both treatment groups (n = 5/treatment) on d 52. Swabs were placed into buffered peptone water (BPW) and stored frozen at -80C until DNA extraction. The hypervariable regions 1 through 3 along the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene were amplified by PCR and sequenced utilizing the MiSeq Illumina Sequencer (Illumina, San Diego, CA) for identification of the bacterial taxa present. Operational taxonomic units (OTU) were identified and classification of sequence reads was performed against greengenes (v13_8_99). Data has thus far been generated from d 0, 7, 21 and 42 for the nares and tonsils, and d 52 for the lung lavage. Differences were noted between the control and probiotic-fed calves as well as between time points, and among respiratory tract locations sampled. For example, the Mycoplasma genus was evident in the nares on d 21 and 42, and the lungs on d 52, but was rare in time points prior to d 21 and tonsil samples. Additionally, the Mycoplasma generus was in greater abundance in the control fed calves as compared to the probiotic-fed calves on d 21 and 42. Our data indicate that in addition to contributing to gut health, probiotics also affect the microbiome composition of the respiratory tract, possibly by direct contact with the “common mucosal immune system”. Furthermore, we have found that feeding probiotics to neonatal dairy calves affects immune phenotype in both circulating blood and in the lungs. The addition of probiotics to the diets of cattle are a promising alternative to antibiotics for improving overall health and productivity.