Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42675508›Full record

ArticleJournal of animal science and biotechnology2026

Rumen DNA virome plasticity and viral metabolic potential are associated with seasonal adaptation in grazing yak and cattle on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Wei Guo, Yinshu Yu, Weiwei Wang, Jiangkun Yu, Mi Zhou, Ruijun Long

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of animal science and biotechnology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Wei GuoKey Laboratory of Plateau Mountain Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China.
Yinshu YuKey Laboratory of Plateau Mountain Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China.
Weiwei WangKey Laboratory of Plateau Mountain Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China.
Jiangkun YuState Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650091, China.
Mi ZhouFaculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada. mimi.zhou@ubc.ca.
Ruijun LongState Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-Ecosystems, International Centre for Tibetan Plateau Ecosystem Management, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China. longrj@lzu.edu.cn.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 32402705Science and Technology Projects of Xizang Autonomous Region, China XZ202502ZY0058
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAs a diverse and abundant component of the rumen ecosystem, viruses interact with other microorganisms and are thought to influence microbial metabolism and host productivity. However, how the rumen virome responds to seasonal fluctuations in extreme environments remains poorly understood. Here, metagenomic analyses were used to investigate temporal dynamics of viral diversity, functional potential, and virus-host associations in the rumen virome of yak and cattle on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau across warm and cold seasons.

resultsRumen viral communities exhibited pronounced seasonal variation in both yaks and cattle, with higher alpha diversity observed during the cold season than in the warm season. Across seasons, the yak rumen virome showed greater alpha diversity and community stability than that of cattle. In total, 27,353 temperate and 31,976 virulent viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs) were identified, predominantly belonging to the class Caudoviricetes. These viruses were linked to microbial hosts spanning 24 bacterial and 8 archaeal phyla, with Bacteroidota and Bacillota representing the dominant lineages. Virus-host associations were more numerous in the cold season and showed distinct host-specific patterns between yaks and cattle. Cold-season virome exhibited reduced diversity of anti-defense genes and enrichment of auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) associated with fatty acid metabolism and hemicellulose degradation. Notably, greater divergence between yaks and cattle was observed during the cold season: the yak rumen virome was enriched in pathways related to amino acid, lipid, and energy metabolism, as well as cellulose-degrading CAZyme families, whereas the cattle rumen virome showed enrichment in general carbohydrate metabolism and replication and repair processes.

conclusionSeasonal plasticity of rumen DNA virome and pronounced interspecific divergence between yaks and cattle provide insight into their distinct microbial processes in the harsh environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. These findings suggest that the rumen DNA virome exhibits complex ecological and functional responses to seasonal variation and may be associated with host-microbiome interactions and nutrient utilization under environmental stress. This study highlights the ecological relevance of rumen viral genomes in understanding virus-microbiome interactions, microbial adaptation, and nutrient utilization in high-altitude ruminants.

Indexed as

Auxiliary metabolic genesCattleRumen DNA viromeSeasonal adaptationYak

Identifiers

PMID42675508
PMCPMC13531870

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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.