Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40335895›Full record

ArticleBMC microbiology2025

Sex-specific microbiota associations with backfat thickness, eye muscle area, and rumen fermentation in Qinchuan cattle.

Yueting Pan, Gege Sun, Guo Li, Shuaicheng Chen, Haibing Liu, Huaxuan Li, Chugang Mei, Wucai Yang, Linsen Zan

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Yueting PanCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.
Gege SunCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.
Guo LiCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.
Shuaicheng ChenCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.
Haibing LiuCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.
Huaxuan LiCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.
Chugang MeiCollege of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.
Wucai YangCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.
Linsen ZanCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China. zanlinsen@163.com.

Funding

Key Project of "Two Chains" Integration of Livestock and Poultry Breeding in Western Shaanxi Province 2022 GD-TSLD-46-0102Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi Province 2022ZDLNY01-01National Beef and Yak Industrial Technology System CARS-37National Key Research and Development Program of China 2023YFD1300100Shenzhen Science and Technology Plan Project JCYJ20230807111502006Special Project for the Central Government to Guide Local Science and Technology Development 2060404-51301
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRuminant livestock are essential for global food production, and understanding sex-specific rumen fermentation and microbial differences is key to improving production efficiency and meat quality. This study explored sex-specific variations in backfat thickness, eye muscle area, rumen fermentation, and microbiota in Qinchuan cattle.

resultsThe results revealed that heifers exhibited higher backfat thickness, butyrate concentrations, and acetate/propionate ratio, whereas bulls had larger eye muscle areas and higher propionate concentrations. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) transport-related genes (CA4, DRA, and NHE1) were more highly expressed in bulls. Heifers showed greater microbial diversity with distinct sex-specific community structures. Bulls had a higher abundance of Prevotella, while butyrate-producing bacteria like Butyrivibrio and Pseudobutyrivibrio were more abundant in heifers. Functional predictions revealed that bulls were enriched in glycan biosynthesis and amino acid metabolism pathways, whereas heifers showed enhanced lipid metabolism pathways. Correlation analyses showed that backfat thickness was positively correlated with acetate and butyrate production, and acetate/propionate ratio, but negatively correlated with Veillonellaceae_UCG-001. Eye muscle area was negatively correlated with isobutyrate production and the abundance of Elusimicrobium and Anaeroplasma, but positively correlated with Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group. Redundancy analysis (RDA) identified propionate and butyrate as key drivers of microbial community differences. The Random Forest model identified key predictors for backfat thickness, including rumen fermentation parameters, microbial taxa, and metabolic pathways, explaining 28% of the variation. However, eye muscle area was not well predicted by the current parameters.

conclusionThese findings enhance our understanding of sex-specific microbial and metabolic profiles, offering potential strategies for optimizing livestock management and breeding programs.

Indexed as

Adipose TissueBacteriaGastrointestinal MicrobiomeMicrobiotaRumenAnimalsCattleFatty Acids, VolatileFemaleFermentationMaleSex FactorsFatty Acids, VolatileBackfat thicknessEye muscle areaQinchuan cattleRumen microbiotaSex differencesVFA

Identifiers

PMID40335895
PMCPMC12060573

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.