Rumen Virus Populations: Technological Advances Enhancing Current Understanding

Frontiers in Microbiology, vol. 11, pp. 450

Abstract

The rumen contains a multi-kingdom, commensal microbiome, including protozoa, bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses, which enables ruminant herbivores to ferment and utilize plant feedstuffs that would be otherwise indigestible. Within the rumen, virus populations are diverse and highly abundant, often out-numbering the microbial populations that they both predate on and co-exist with. To date the research effort devoted to understanding rumen-associated viral populations has been considerably less than that given to the other microbial populations, yet their contribution to maintaining microbial population balance, intra-ruminal microbial lysis, fiber breakdown, nutrient cycling and genetic transfer may be highly significant. This review follows the technological advances which have contributed to our current understanding of rumen viruses and drawing on knowledge from other environmental and animal-associated microbiomes, describes the known and potential roles and impacts viruses have on rumen function and speculates on the future directions of rumen viral research.

Authors 8

1. Rosalind Ann Gilbert corresponding

   The University of Queensland · Department of Primary Industries

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

   Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia

2. Kathleen S. Crew

   Department of Primary Industries

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

3. Thomas C. A. Hitch Aachen Functional Microbiome Research Group Institute of Medical Microbiology

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Functional Microbiome Research Group, Institute of Medical Microbiology, RWTH University Hospital, Aachen, Germany

4. Jessica C. A. Friedersdorff

   Aberystwyth University · Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom

5. Christopher J. Creevey

   Queen's University Belfast

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom

6. Phillip Byron Pope

   Norwegian University of Life Sciences

   Affiliation as printed

   Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway

   Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway

7. D. Ouwerkerk

   The University of Queensland · Department of Primary Industries

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

   Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia

8. Eleanor Jameson corresponding

   University of Warwick

   Affiliation as printed

   Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom