Distribution and Difference of Gastrointestinal Flora in Sheep with Different Body Mass Index

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Fat deposition capacity greatly impacts the production capacity of sheep. The production of high amounts of fat affects the economic benefits of animals. Gastrointestinal microorganisms play an important role in the characteristics of host fat deposition. This study compares differences in gastrointestinal microorganisms in sheep with different body mass indices. Results showed that there were different microflora compositions among different groups. This provides a new idea for the regulation of fat deposition traits in sheep. ABSTRACT: Fat deposition is the key factor affecting the efficiency of animal husbandry production. There are many factors affecting fat deposition, in which the gastrointestinal microbiota plays an important role. Therefore, the body mass index (BMI) was introduced into the evaluation of sheep fat deposition, and the different microbiota and functional pathways of the sheep gastrointestinal tract in different BMI groups were analyzed. We selected 5% of individuals with the highest and lowest BMI from a feed test population (357 in whole group). Microorganisms in 10 sites of the gastrointestinal tract in 36 individuals (18 in each group) were evaluated by 16S rRNA V3–V4 region sequencing. There were differences (p < 0.05) in fat deposition traits between different BMI groups. In the 10 parts of the gastrointestinal tract, the diversity and richness of cecal microflora in the high-BMI group were higher than those in low-BMI Hu sheep (p < 0.05). Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed that there was separation of the cecum between groups, and there were differences in the cecal microbial community. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) showed that most biomarkers were in the cecum. On the basis of an indepth study of cecal microorganisms, 26 different bacterial genera were obtained (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis between them and the characteristics of fat deposition in sheep showed that Colidextribacter, Alloprevotella, and Succenivibrio were positively correlated with fat deposition, while Lachnospiraceae_ND3007_Group was negatively correlated (p < 0.05). The above results show that the cecum may be an important part leading to the difference of BMI in sheep, and its microorganisms may affect the level of fat deposition.