Microbiome Selection in Animal Breeding

Microbiome breeding is a new artificial selection technique aimed at altering the genetic composition of the microbiome to benefit the animal host. Recent experimental and theoretical analyzes suggest that, as long as the genetic factors encoded by the microbiome influence host traits (e.g., health), and the microbiome is transmitted with sufficient fidelity between hosts, as in natural microbiome transmission between social animal individuals during the process, breeding that includes microbiome information is possible. BioVenic's professional knowledge in animal genetics and breeding and rich experience in animal related research and development enable us to provide global customers with microbiome selection services in animal genetic breeding to better meet research needs.

Importance of Microbiome in Animal Breeding

The gastrointestinal tract of mammals is home to a variety of microbiota, providing various biological functions for the host. With the rapid development of molecular technology, intestinal microbiota has recently become the target of many research work, leading to a large influx of "omics" research. The importance of intestinal microbiota has been widely accepted. For example, microbial components contribute to gastrointestinal health through metabolites, postnatal development, short chain fatty acid degradation, and immune system stimulation. Intestinal microbiome constitutes a part of the whole genome and may affect many biological activities lacking in the host. Intestinal microbial diversity accounts for a large part of the phenotypic variation of any animal trait. Therefore, intestinal microbial diversity should be considered when evaluating the heritability of animals.

Microbiability and Prediction of Traits

From the perspective of quantitative genetics, the effect of the microbiome on a trait can be quantified by estimating the microbiability, which is the proportion of phenotypic variance of the trait that is explained by between-animal differences in the microbial community. Estimation of the microbiability requires a microbial relationship matrix between host animals. Similar to genome-wide association studies, microbial components can be considered as potential markers of selected complex traits. Some existing studies have emphasized the correlation between the variability of microbiome composition and the variability of traits, which indicates that future phenotypes can be predicted based on the predicted microbial values. In conclusion, combining host genome and microbiome information can better predict and manage phenotypic traits of interest, such as methane emission of cattle, growth traits, and immune status.

Our Services

BioVenic combines its professional knowledge and rich experience in animal breeding, genetics and modern biotechnology to explore the interaction between microbiome, host genetics and complex traits, and provides microbiome selection services for customers around the world. Our specific services include but are not limited to:

• The GBLUP model combined with microbiome information was used to predict the microbiability of target species.
• Combining microbiome data to estimate genomic prediction.
• Increased accuracy.
• The optimum microbiome selection model was designed to calculate the correlation between host gene, microbiome, and complex traits.

Our workflow mainly includes: (1) Sample collection: phenotype record, microbial sample collection; (2) Microbial community difference analysis; (3) Genotyping; (4) Phenotype analysis; (5) Data analysis.

Want to Learn More?

BioVenic is committed to providing customized animal breeding and genetic research services. Our team of scientists are prepared for designing effective solutions to support the effective operation of your project. If you are interested in our services, please contact us and tell us more about your project.

References

1. Aliakbari, A., et al. Microbiability and microbiome-wide association analyses of feed efficiency and performance traits in pigs. Genet Sel Evol. 2022, 54: 29.
2. Khanal, P., et al. Microbiability of meat quality and carcass composition traits in swine. Journal of animal breeding and genetics. 2021, 138(2): 223–236.