TY - JOUR

T1 - Rumen Virus Populations Technological Advances Enhancing Current Understanding

AU - Gilbert, Rosalind A

AU - Townsend, Eleanor M

AU - Crew, Kathleen S

AU - Hitch, Thomas C A

AU - Friedersdorff, Jessica C A

AU - Creevey, Christopher J

AU - Pope, Phillip B

AU - Ouwerkerk, Diane

AU - Jameson, Eleanor

N1 - Copyright © 2020 Gilbert, Townsend, Crew, Hitch, Friedersdorff, Creevey, Pope, Ouwerkerk and Jameson.

PY - 2020/3/26

Y1 - 2020/3/26

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

U2 - 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00450

DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00450

M3 - Review article

C2 - 32273870

VL - 11

SP - 450

JO - Frontiers in Microbiology

JF - Frontiers in Microbiology

SN - 1664-302X

ER -