Javier Piloni-Martini¹, Aurora Quintero-Lira¹*, María-Guadalupe Torres-Cardona¹, J Jesús-Germán Peralta-Ortiz¹, Mario-Antonio Cobos-Peralta² and Verónica-Azucéna Ibarra-Medina¹

¹Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Avenida Universidad #133, Col. San Miguel Huatengo, C.P. 43775, Santiago Tulan- tepec de Lugo Guerrero, Hidalgo, México
²Colegio de Posgraduados Campus Montecillo, Carretera México-Texcoco Km. 36.5, Montecillo, Texcoco, México

*Corresponding Author: Aurora Quintero Lira, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Avenida Universidad #133, Col. San Miguel Huatengo, C.P. 43775, Santiago Tulantepec de Lugo Guerrero, Hidalgo, México.

Received: August 29, 2026; Published: October 06, 20266

Abstract

Background: Viruses are abundant components of the rumen microbiome, but their diversity and ecological roles remain incompletely characterized.

Objective: This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the diversity, ecology, virus-host interactions, and potential functional roles of rumen bacteriophages, while distinguishing them from viruses that infect archaea.

Methodology: We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and bioRxiv for records published from 2001 through December 2025, using combinations of terms related to the rumen, bacteriophages, viromes, metagenomics, ecology, fermentation, methane, and production. We synthesized evidence qualitatively and classified findings as experimentally demonstrated, computationally predicted, or statistically associated.

Development: The Rumen Virome Database contains 397,180 species-level viral operational taxonomic units, most of which lack close homologs in existing databases. Recent studies also report large catalogs of rumen phage genomes and computationally inferred virus-host interactions. Bacteriophages may contribute to bacterial population regulation, microbial diversification, horizontal gene transfer, and metabolic processes, while auxiliary metabolic genes have been identified mainly through genomic annotation and computational analyses. Researchers have also reported associations between virome composition and feed efficiency, milk production, and methane emissions, but causality remains unresolved.

Conclusion: The rumen virome represents a substantial and diverse component of the rumen ecosystem. Current evidence is strongest for viral diversity and statistical or computational associations, whereas direct experimental evidence for specific ecological functions and effects on animal performance remains limited. Future work should prioritize controlled infection studies, functional validation of viral genes, and longitudinal experiments linking virome dynamics with rumen physiology and animal phenotypes.

Keywords: Bacteriophages; Rumen Virome; Metagenomics; Ruminal Fermentation; Auxiliary Metabolic Genes

Abbreviations: VFAs: Volatile Fatty Acids; AMGs: Auxiliary Metabolic Genes; HGT: Horizontal Gene Transfer; RVD: Rumen Virome Database; URPC: Unified Rumen Phage Catalog; SBSEC: Streptococcus bovis/Streptococcus equinus Complex

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Citation

Citation: Aurora Quintero-Lira., et al. “Bacteriophages in the Rumen Ecosystem: Diversity, Ecological Functions, and Implications for Ruminant Health and Production". Acta Scientific Veterinary Sciences 8.3 (2026): 12-22.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Aurora Quintero-Lira., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.