Sampling Guts of Live Moose to Understand How They Break Down Biomass
First-of-a-kind study advances understanding of microbial and viral communities involved in biomass breakdown.
The Science
Microbes in the gastrointestinal tract of moose and other ruminants help break down bark and other tough plant materials into carbon nutrients. But how do the microbes do this over the course of seasons when the moose diet changes? And what microbes are involved? Now, an international research team gained a more holistic view of a complex microbial food web that is responsible for carbon processing in that ecosystem. Their efforts deciphered community structure and metabolic handoffs underpinning this animal hosted-microbial ecosystem
The Impact
Microbes breaking down biomass play a vital role in a surprising number of processes. These processes determine, for example, if a useful biofuel or bioproduct can be formed. This research explains how microbes process woody material like twigs and bark in the guts of moose. Now, scientists can better predict how changes in the seasonal diet of these animals affects their ability to break down these woody materials. They can then extend this understanding to help biofuel, bioproduct, and chemical processing in industry.
Summary
While previous studies used hunter-killed animals, this study sampled live free-ranging Alaska moose grazing in the wild. By equipping these moose with rumen fistula, a port to their gut, the team could sample the animals as they digested a natural diet. The effort provided first-of-its-kind access to the microbial communities residing in the rumen of these animals as communities actively degraded woody plant biomass during spring, summer, and winter foraging months. A team of researchers took a deep look into microbial functioning in rumen. The team was from The Ohio State University, University of Alaska Anchorage, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Denmark’s University of Copenhagen, the United Kingdom’s Newcastle University, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The work made use of protein and metabolite data gathered using 600-MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy at EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, and genomic data obtained from JGI, the Joint Genome Institute. The user facilities were accessed through a Facilities Integrating Collaborations for User Science (FICUS) initiative, which allowed the team access to the expertise of the two Department of Energy Office of Science user facilities. Studying such rich data in combination with state-of-the-art enzymology gave researchers a glimpse into how microbes are specialized and how they coordinate their tasks to mediate the overall “flow” of carbon within the rumen. The analysis enabled metabolic insights into 180 genomes, most of which were previously unknown, and addressed the underappreciated influence that viruses exert in ruminant digestion. Their efforts deciphered community structure and metabolic handoffs underpinning this animal hosted-microbial ecosystem, with findings relevant to agriculture, human health, and biofuel production.
Contact
Biological and Environmental Research Program Manager (Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory)
Paul Bayer
Department of Energy, Office of Science
(301) 903-5324
Biological and Environmental Research Program Manager (Joint Genome Institute)
Ramana Madupu
Department of Energy, Office of Science
(301) 903-1398
Principal Investigators
Kelly C. Wrighton
The Ohio State University
[email protected]
Phillip B. Pope
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
[email protected]
Funding
This work was supported by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, including support of the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) and the Joint Genome Institute (JGI), both DOE Office of Science user facilities. A portion of the work was performed under the Facilities Integrating Collaborations for User Science (FICUS) initiative, using resources at both EMSL and JGI. The European Research Council provided additional support, as did an Early Career Award in Biological Science for Wrighton from the National Science Foundation.
Publications
L.M. Solden, A.E. Naas, S. Roux, R.A. Daly, W.B. Collins, C.D. Nicora, S.O. Purvine, D.W. Hoyt, J. Schückel, B. Jorgensen, W. Willats, D.E. Spalinger, J.L. Firkins, M.S. Lipton, M.B. Sullivan, P.B. Pope, and K.C. Wrighton, “Interspecies cross-feedings orchestrate carbon degradation in the rumen ecosystem.” Nature Microbiology 3, 1274 (2018). [DOI: 10.1038/s41564-018-0225-4]
Related Links
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory science highlight: Sampling Guts of Live Moose to Understand How They Break Down Biomass
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory website: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Highlight Categories
Performer: University , DOE Laboratory , SC User Facilities , BER User Facilities , EMSL , JGI
Additional: Collaborations , Non-DOE Interagency Collaboration , International Collaboration
