Microbiome-derived proline dipeptides underpin improved nitrogen utilization efficiency in dairy cattle

Dairy production is constrained by low nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE; milk N/intake N), leading to nitrogen losses and environmental pollution. Although the rumen microbiome is central to nitrogen turnover, the role of small peptides, a critical nitrogen pool, remains poorly understood. Here, we constructed a genome-resolved atlas of predicted small-peptide metabolism and integrated high-performance chemical isotope-labeling metabolomics with metagenomics in 30 dairy cows. Among 349 detected small peptides, proline-containing dipeptides were associated with higher NUE, together with an S15 peptidyl-peptidase with Xaa–Pro dipeptide-generating activity. In vitro rumen fermentation, metatranscriptomics and targeted quantification showed that proline-dipeptide accumulation coincided with transcriptional patterns consistent with nitrogen assimilation and amino acid biosynthesis. Bacterial incubation and heterologous expression confirmed that S15.001 hydrolyzed Xaa–Pro substrates. These findings identify a microbial proline-dipeptide axis associated with NUE and provide a basis for precision nutrition strategies targeting ruminal peptide metabolism. Here, they find that rumen microbes produce proline-containing peptides that underpin more efficient nitrogen use in dairy cows, revealing microbial targets for more sustainable milk production.