Microbiomes Associated With Animals: Implications For Livestock And Animal Production

The Brazilian fauna is very diverse and domestic ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats, and buffalos) are particularly important to Brazil's economy. Ruminants have developed a symbiotic relationship with anaerobic microorganisms, being able to convert fibrous plant materials into food products useful for human consumption, such as meat and milk. Analysis of the animal gut microbiome using next-generation sequencing studies suggests that the diversity and composition of the microbial communities co-diversified with their hosts, being influenced by diet composition, host genetics, geographical location, and environmental factors. Here we present an overview of the microbiome studies performed in the ruminant livestock of Brazil and discuss how the symbiotic relationship between ruminants and their microbes can affect the host productivity.