Association between Rumen Microbiota and Marbling Score in Korean Native Beef Cattle

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The ruminal microbiome affects various metabolic processes associated with animal development; however, few studies have focused on its correlation with marbling. Results of the present study show differences in ruminal microbiomes among Hanwoo Korean beef cattle, which have low or high marbling scores. By elucidating the effect of the ruminal microbiome on the marbling of Hanwoo, differentially abundant microbial taxa, ruminal taxonomic drivers of lipid metabolism, and the correlation with meat quality indices, the present study provides insights into the potential effects of microbial factors on marbling in beef cattle. ABSTRACT: This study demonstrated the potential effects of the rumen microbiota on the deposition of intramuscular fat, known as marbling. Previous studies on fatty acid metabolism in beef cattle have mostly focused on biohydrogenating rumen bacteria, whereas those on the overall rumen microbiota—to understand their roles in marbling—have not been systematically performed. The rumen microbiota of 14 Korean beef cattle (Hanwoo), which showed similar carcass characteristics and blood metabolites but different marbling scores, were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The rumen samples were grouped into two extreme marbling score groups of host animals as follows: LMS, marbling score≤ 4 or HMS, marbling score ≥7. Species richness tended to be higher in the HMS group, whereas the overall microbiota differed between LMS and HMS groups. RFP12, Verrucomicrobia, Oscillospira, Porphyromonadaceae, and Paludibacter were differentially abundant in the HMS group, whereas Olsenella was abundant in the LMS group. Some marbling-associated bacterial taxa also contributed to the enrichment of two lipid metabolic pathways including “alpha-linolenic acid metabolism” and “fatty acid biosynthesis” in the HMS microbiome. Taxonomic drivers of fatty acid biosynthesis, particularly in the rumen microbiome of high-marbled meat, could thus be further studied to increase the intramuscular fat content.