Phylogenetic and Functional Diversity of Faecal Microbiome of Pack Animals

Abstract

The present chapter describes the microbial diversity of faecal microbiomes of pack animals. The sequencing data generated through ion semiconductor sequencing technology were analysed using EBI metagenomics and MG‐RAST server tools. Bacteria were the major domain in all the pack animals. At the phylogenetic level, Firmicutes was the major phylum. Clostridiales was the major order. Ruminococcus flavefaciens was the major species in camel, whereas the top‐most species existing in Equidae family was Streptococcus equinus. Among the 28 major functional categories, protein metabolism functionality was dominant in pack animals. The genes associated with protein processing and modification as well as for protein folding are higher in mules and in camel they are lowest. Central carbohydrate metabolism was the major functional group under carbohydrate metabolism in pack animals. Variation in the amino acids and its derivatives was seen in pack animals. Genes associated with proline and 4‐hydroxy prolines were present in Equidae family only. Clustering using ward with Bray‐Curtis distance matrix for the functional categories showed that donkey and mule are most closely related and clustered with the horse metagenome.