Intestinal Microbial Diversity of Free-Range and Captive Yak in Qinghai Province

Background: The gut microbiome is a large and complex organic assemblage with subtle and close relationships with the host. This symbiotic mechanism is important for the health and adaptability of the host to the environment. Compared with other ruminants, there are few studies on yak intestinal microbes. The study of the gut microbiota of the yak will help us better understand the correlation between the microbiota and the environmental adaptability of the host. In this study, we adapted 16S rDNA sequencing technology to investigate the diversity and composition of the intestinal microbial community in free-range yaks and captive yaks living on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP). Results: Sequencing results showed that the intestinal microbial community diversity was significantly different between free-range yaks and captive yaks. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the dominant bacteria in both free-range and captive yaks. However, there were differences between the microbes of the two analyzed feeding styles in different classification levels. Compared with the captive type, free-range yaks had a higher abundance of Ruminococcaceae, Eubacteriaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, Elusimicrobium, and Oscillibacter, while the abundance of Succinivibrionaceae, Clostridiales, Lachnospiraceae, Prevotellaceae, Roseburia, and Barnesiella was relatively low. The feeding method may be the key factor for the formation of intestinal flora differences in yaks, while altitude did not significantly affect Qinghai yak. Conclusions: In this study, we used 16S rDNA sequencing technology to investigate the composition of intestinal flora in free-range and captive yaks living on the QTP. The exploration of dietary factors can provide a theoretical basis for scientifically and rationally breeding yaks and provides a new direction for the development of prebiotics and microecological agents.