The fecal resistome of dairy cattle is associated with diet during nursing.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 31562300.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-019-12111-x and PMC identifier 6765000.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health concern, and livestock play a significant role in selecting for resistance and maintaining such reservoirs. Here we study the succession of dairy cattle resistome during early life using metagenomic sequencing, as well as the relationship between resistome, gut microbiota, and diet. In our dataset, the gut of dairy calves serves as a reservoir of 329 antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) presumably conferring resistance to 17 classes of antibiotics, and the abundance of ARGs declines gradually during nursing. ARGs appear to co-occur with antibacterial biocide or metal resistance genes. Colostrum is a potential source of ARGs observed in calves at day 2. The dynamic changes in the resistome are likely a result of gut microbiota assembly, which is closely associated with diet transition in dairy calves. Modifications in the resistome may be possible via early-life dietary interventions to reduce overall antimicrobial resistance.
Medical subject headings
- Animal Feed
- Diet
- Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
- Feces
- Gene Regulatory Networks
- Genes, Bacterial