EQUIANFUN · Equidae Hindgut Anaerobic Fungi: A key unexplored taxa of central importance to dietary fibre degradation
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2016-09-01 → 2019-05-11
- EU contribution
- €177,599
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Equidae Hindgut Anaerobic Fungi: A key unexplored taxa of central importance to dietary fibre degradation
The diet of many equines is supplemented with energy-dense feeds in order to fulfil the animals’ energy requirements. However, this practice can affect the hindgut microbiome and increase the risk of gut-mediated diseases, which are a major health and welfare issue for Europe’s seven million domesticated equines. Within Europe, colic alone has been shown to affect 6% and 15% of horse and donkey populations, respectively. Gut-mediated diseases are also a major economic cost to the equine sector, which in the EU has an annual market value of over €100 billion. Therefore, novel approaches are needed to enable equines to harness more energy from the forages they have evolved to utilise, decreasing the need for the use of energy dense feeds. The hindgut microbiota of equines enables forage utilisation, as equines themselves lack the enzymatic ability to degrade this fibrous plant material. The equine hindgut microbiota includes bacteria, anaerobic fungi, archaea and protozoa. Of these, it is only bacteria and anaerobic fungi that are thought to be primarily involved in forage utilisation. The presence of lignin within forage restricts bacterial access to (hemi)cellulose and other plant nutrients. This is not an issue for anaerobic fungi, due to their combined use of invasive growth and a wide range of plant degrading enzymes. Anaerobic fungi can also indirectly improve feed particle degradation by increasing the surface area available for bacteria to colonise. Despite this, anaerobic fungi have been largely overlooked in equine gut microbiology studies to date. In order to inform future novel approaches to increase fibre degradation, an equine anaerobic fungal knowledge base was developed by: (i) determination of the anaerobic fungal taxa present in equines and (ii) assessment of how anaerobic fungi are affected by equine type, (iii) diet and (iv) hindgut region.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
EQUIANFUN is a strategic research and training alliance I have assembled to catalyse the development of my new career path in comparative herbivore gut microbiology, and addresses a major nutritional challenge facing the equine community. The hindgut microbiota of equines enables forage utilisation; however, the limited efficiency of this process currently requires that the diets of many equines are supplemented with energy-dense concentrates in order to meet their dietary energy requirements. This practice can disturb the equine hindgut microbiota, resulting in the development of gut-mediated diseases which are a major health and welfare issue and economic cost to the equine community. Despite the fact that anaerobic fungi (AF) are the most effective of the fibre-degrading gut microbes, they have been largely overlooked in equine gut microbiology studies to date. Therefore research into this under-explored area will significantly advance the ability to increase the efficiency of forage utilisation in equines, minimising the need for concentrate supplements. Drawing on my core skills base, and utilising internationally leading expertise and facilities in gut microbiomics and animal nutrition at Wageningen University, EQUIANFUN establishes new baseline knowledge of the phylogeny, community structure, physiology and nutritional impact of equine hindgut AF. In addition to generating top quality research findings of applied impact, EQUIANFUN deepens my skills and competencies whilst broadening my research expertise and network beyond its current rumen focus. Furthermore the integrated role of the two partner organisations, Utrecht University and the Donkey Sanctuary, widens the scope of EQUIANFUN to also include the health and welfare of all domesticated equids. In summary, EQUIANFUN is pivotal to the development of my new career path and ability to attain professional maturity as an internationally leading researcher in comparative herbivore gut microbiology.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY · WageningenCoordinatorNetherlands
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union