Seasonal and geographical impact on the Irish raw milk microbiota correlates with chemical composition and climatic variables
ABSTRACTSeason and location have previously been shown to be associated with differences in the microbiota of raw milk, especially in milk from pasture-based systems. Here, we further advance research in this area by examining differences in the raw milk microbiota from several locations across Irel...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2024-04-01
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| Series: | mSystems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.01290-23 |
| _version_ | 1797205202237915136 |
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| author | Min Yap Orla O'Sullivan Paul W. O'Toole Jeremiah J. Sheehan Mark A. Fenelon Paul D. Cotter |
| author_facet | Min Yap Orla O'Sullivan Paul W. O'Toole Jeremiah J. Sheehan Mark A. Fenelon Paul D. Cotter |
| author_sort | Min Yap |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACTSeason and location have previously been shown to be associated with differences in the microbiota of raw milk, especially in milk from pasture-based systems. Here, we further advance research in this area by examining differences in the raw milk microbiota from several locations across Ireland over 12 months, and by investigating microbiota associations with climatic variables and chemical composition. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to investigate the microbiota of raw milk collected from nine locations (n = 241). Concurrent chemical analysis of the protein, fat, lactose, total solids, nonprotein nitrogen contents, and titratable acidity (TA) of the same raw milk were performed. Although the raw milk microbiota was highly diverse, a core microbiota was found, with Pseudomonas_E, Lactococcus, Acinetobacter, and Leuconostoc present in all samples. Microbiota diversity significantly differed by season and location, with differences in seasonality and geography corresponding to 11.8% and 10.5% of the variation in the microbiota. Functional and antibiotic resistance profiles also varied across season and location. The analysis of other metadata revealed additional interactions, such as an association between mean daily air and grass temperatures with the abundance of spoilage taxa like Pseudomonas species. Correlations were identified between pathogenic, mastitis-related species, fat content, and the number of sun hours, suggesting a seasonal effect. Ultimately, this study expands our understanding of the interconnected nature of the microbiota, environment/climate variables, and chemical composition of raw milk and provides evidence of a season- and location-specific microbiota.IMPORTANCEThe microbiota of raw milk is influenced by many factors that encourage or prevent the introduction and growth of both beneficial and undesirable microorganisms. The seasonal and geographical impacts on the microbial communities of raw milk have been previously seen, but the relationships with environmental factors and the chemical composition has yet to be investigated. In this year-long study, we found that while raw milk is highly diverse, a core microbiota was detected for Irish raw milk, with strong evidence of seasonal and geographical influence. We also found associations between groups of microorganisms, environmental factors, and milk composition, which expand current knowledge on the relationships between microbial and chemical composition and the climate. These results provide evidence for the development of a tool to allow for the prediction of raw milk quality and safety. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T08:47:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3425e5d76e30465397bd7860e647de21 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2379-5077 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T08:47:22Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | mSystems |
| spelling | doaj.art-3425e5d76e30465397bd7860e647de212024-04-16T13:00:55ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologymSystems2379-50772024-04-019410.1128/msystems.01290-23Seasonal and geographical impact on the Irish raw milk microbiota correlates with chemical composition and climatic variablesMin Yap0Orla O'Sullivan1Paul W. O'Toole2Jeremiah J. Sheehan3Mark A. Fenelon4Paul D. Cotter5Teagasc Food Research Centre, Cork, IrelandTeagasc Food Research Centre, Cork, IrelandSchool of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandTeagasc Food Research Centre, Cork, IrelandTeagasc Food Research Centre, Cork, IrelandTeagasc Food Research Centre, Cork, IrelandABSTRACTSeason and location have previously been shown to be associated with differences in the microbiota of raw milk, especially in milk from pasture-based systems. Here, we further advance research in this area by examining differences in the raw milk microbiota from several locations across Ireland over 12 months, and by investigating microbiota associations with climatic variables and chemical composition. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to investigate the microbiota of raw milk collected from nine locations (n = 241). Concurrent chemical analysis of the protein, fat, lactose, total solids, nonprotein nitrogen contents, and titratable acidity (TA) of the same raw milk were performed. Although the raw milk microbiota was highly diverse, a core microbiota was found, with Pseudomonas_E, Lactococcus, Acinetobacter, and Leuconostoc present in all samples. Microbiota diversity significantly differed by season and location, with differences in seasonality and geography corresponding to 11.8% and 10.5% of the variation in the microbiota. Functional and antibiotic resistance profiles also varied across season and location. The analysis of other metadata revealed additional interactions, such as an association between mean daily air and grass temperatures with the abundance of spoilage taxa like Pseudomonas species. Correlations were identified between pathogenic, mastitis-related species, fat content, and the number of sun hours, suggesting a seasonal effect. Ultimately, this study expands our understanding of the interconnected nature of the microbiota, environment/climate variables, and chemical composition of raw milk and provides evidence of a season- and location-specific microbiota.IMPORTANCEThe microbiota of raw milk is influenced by many factors that encourage or prevent the introduction and growth of both beneficial and undesirable microorganisms. The seasonal and geographical impacts on the microbial communities of raw milk have been previously seen, but the relationships with environmental factors and the chemical composition has yet to be investigated. In this year-long study, we found that while raw milk is highly diverse, a core microbiota was detected for Irish raw milk, with strong evidence of seasonal and geographical influence. We also found associations between groups of microorganisms, environmental factors, and milk composition, which expand current knowledge on the relationships between microbial and chemical composition and the climate. These results provide evidence for the development of a tool to allow for the prediction of raw milk quality and safety.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.01290-23milk microbiotashotgun metagenomicsclimatemilk composition |
| spellingShingle | Min Yap Orla O'Sullivan Paul W. O'Toole Jeremiah J. Sheehan Mark A. Fenelon Paul D. Cotter Seasonal and geographical impact on the Irish raw milk microbiota correlates with chemical composition and climatic variables mSystems milk microbiota shotgun metagenomics climate milk composition |
| title | Seasonal and geographical impact on the Irish raw milk microbiota correlates with chemical composition and climatic variables |
| title_full | Seasonal and geographical impact on the Irish raw milk microbiota correlates with chemical composition and climatic variables |
| title_fullStr | Seasonal and geographical impact on the Irish raw milk microbiota correlates with chemical composition and climatic variables |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seasonal and geographical impact on the Irish raw milk microbiota correlates with chemical composition and climatic variables |
| title_short | Seasonal and geographical impact on the Irish raw milk microbiota correlates with chemical composition and climatic variables |
| title_sort | seasonal and geographical impact on the irish raw milk microbiota correlates with chemical composition and climatic variables |
| topic | milk microbiota shotgun metagenomics climate milk composition |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.01290-23 |
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