A rugged life: how host-microbiome adaptations associated with the semi-feral lifestyle of gayal (Bos frontalis)
5 affiliations
- 1Bio-X Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and School of Life Science & School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- 2College of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
- 3Gongshan Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nujiang, China
- 4Lanping Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nujiang, China
- 5State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models & Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
Abstract
The semi-domesticated gayal (Bos frontalis) is an endangered browsing ruminant inhabiting the rugged Eastern Himalayan foothills, and maintains an energy-intensive lifestyle on nutrient-poor, fiber-rich feed. However, the dietary, microbial, and host physiological features underlying this adaptation remain poorly understood. Here, we analyzed fecal metagenomes from ten bovine populations (n = 334) to characterize dietary composition. Then we profiled the four-chambered (FC) stomach microbiome in adult gayal (Bos frontalis), yak (Bos grunniens), and taurine cattle (Bos taurus). Host transcriptomes were profiled across the FC stomach in adult individuals from gayal, yak and cattle. Dietary analysis revealed a woody plant-dominated, bamboo-rich dietary pattern in gayal. Gastric metagenomes in gayal showed high population-level microbial diversity, pronounced individual-associated community structure, and functional potentials related to aromatic compound transformation, nitrogen metabolism, and metabolic flexibility. Transcriptomes revealed compartment-specific specialization in the gayal stomach, including rumen immune signatures and reticulum contractile/electrophysiological features. Exploratory compartment-level integration further suggested possible consistency between host transcriptomic features and microbial functional potential. Together, these multi-omics findings suggest a host-microbiome system potentially associated with the utilization of chemically complex, low-quality forage, providing a framework for understanding digestive features of browsing ruminants and for conserving host-associated gastrointestinal microbiomes.
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BibTeX
@article{chen2026rugged,
title = {{A rugged life: how host-microbiome adaptations associated with the semi-feral lifestyle of gayal (Bos frontalis)}},
author = {Yuming Chen and Juntao Ma and Zhifan Guo and Junren Chen and Xiaonan Wang and Jian Xiao and Dexiang Hu and Jifan Yan and Weidong Deng and Zhizhong Nu and Husheng He and Wenliang He and Jing Luo and Ya-Ping Zhang and Yan Li},
journal = {NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41522-026-01095-4},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-026-01095-4},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A rugged life: how host-microbiome adaptations associated with the semi-feral lifestyle of gayal (Bos frontalis)
AU - Yuming Chen
AU - Juntao Ma
AU - Zhifan Guo
AU - Junren Chen
AU - Xiaonan Wang
AU - Jian Xiao
AU - Dexiang Hu
AU - Jifan Yan
AU - Weidong Deng
AU - Zhizhong Nu
AU - Husheng He
AU - Wenliang He
AU - Jing Luo
AU - Ya-Ping Zhang
AU - Yan Li
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/11
JO - NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes
DO - 10.1038/s41522-026-01095-4
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-026-01095-4
AB - The semi-domesticated gayal (Bos frontalis) is an endangered browsing ruminant inhabiting the rugged Eastern Himalayan foothills, and maintains an energy-intensive lifestyle on nutrient-poor, fiber-rich feed. However, the dietary, microbial, and host physiological features underlying this adaptation remain poorly understood. Here, we analyzed fecal metagenomes from ten bovine populations (n = 334) to characterize dietary composition. Then we profiled the four-chambered (FC) stomach microbiome in adult gayal (Bos frontalis), yak (Bos grunniens), and taurine cattle (Bos taurus). Host transcriptomes were profiled across the FC stomach in adult individuals from gayal, yak and cattle. Dietary analysis revealed a woody plant-dominated, bamboo-rich dietary pattern in gayal. Gastric metagenomes in gayal showed high population-level microbial diversity, pronounced individual-associated community structure, and functional potentials related to aromatic compound transformation, nitrogen metabolism, and metabolic flexibility. Transcriptomes revealed compartment-specific specialization in the gayal stomach, including rumen immune signatures and reticulum contractile/electrophysiological features. Exploratory compartment-level integration further suggested possible consistency between host transcriptomic features and microbial functional potential. Together, these multi-omics findings suggest a host-microbiome system potentially associated with the utilization of chemically complex, low-quality forage, providing a framework for understanding digestive features of browsing ruminants and for conserving host-associated gastrointestinal microbiomes.
SN - 2055-5008
ER -