Impact of oestrus synchronization devices on ewes vaginal microbiota and artificial insemination outcome (original) (raw)

Influence of the Ovine Genital Tract Microbiota on the Species Artificial Insemination Outcome. A Pilot Study in Commercial Sheep Farms

High-Throughput

To date, there is a lack of research into the vaginal and sperm microbiome and its bearing on artificial insemination (AI) success in the ovine species. Using hypervariable regions V3–V4 of the 16S rRNA, we describe, for the first time, the combined effect of the ovine microbiome of both females (50 ewes belonging to five herds) and males (five AI rams from an AI center) on AI outcome. Differences in microbiota abundance between pregnant and non-pregnant ewes and between ewes carrying progesterone-releasing intravaginal devices (PRID) with or without antibiotic were tested at different taxonomic levels. The antibiotic treatment applied with the PRID only altered Streptobacillus genus abundance, which was significantly lower in ewes carrying PRID with antibiotic. Mageebacillus, Histophilus, Actinobacilllus and Sneathia genera were significantly less abundant in pregnant ewes. In addition, these genera were more abundant in two farms with higher AI failure. Species of these genera suc...

Study of vaginal microbiota of Holstein cows submitted to an estrus synchronization protocol with the use of intravaginal progesterone device

Research in Veterinary Science, 2020

The characterization of vaginal microbiota will help to understand some of the reproductive problems and mechanisms to improve cattle reproduction. The objective of this study was to characterize the vaginal microbiota of cyclical Holstein cows with different parturition orders using 16S rDNA sequencing. Animals were submitted to an estrus synchronization protocol with the use of intravaginal progesterone (P4) implants and were treated or not with ceftiofur hydrochloride. DNA samples were extracted from vaginal swabs on day 0 and 10 of the synchronization, and sequenced with the Illumina MiSeq platform with an average coverage rate of 10.000 reads per samples using a Single-End library for fragments of 300 bp. The main bacterial phyla found in the vaginal tract of Holstein cows, were Firmicutes (37.61%), Tenericutes (29.45%), Proteobacteria (17.47%) and Bacteriodetes (13.73%), followed by Actinobacteria (0.82%) and Spirochaetae (0.45%). The use of intravaginal P4 devices has increased the relative abundance of the genera Family XIII AD3011 and Family XIII unclassified (p < .049). We have also observed an effect of the number of calving on the vaginal microbiota composition, showing that multiparous cows have a greater bacterial diversity than primiparous animals (p < .05). The use of ceftiofur hydrochloride was effective to reduce the vaginal bacteria proliferation. This study describes for the first time the vaginal microbiota of cows synchronized with intravaginal progesterone devices, different from the traditional methods such as microbiological culture and biochemical tests. We have identified a large number of microorganisms commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract of cows, colonizing the vaginal microbiota.

Characterization of the Vaginal Microbiota of Ewes and Cows Reveals a Unique Microbiota with Low Levels of Lactobacilli and Near-Neutral pH

Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2014

Although a number of common reproductive disorders in livestock involve bacterial infection, very little is known about their normal vaginal microbiota. Therefore, we sought to determine the species composition of sheep and cattle vaginal microbiota. Twenty Rambouillet ewes and twenty crossbred cows varying in age and reproductive status were sampled by ectocervicovaginal lavage. We amplified and sequenced the V3-V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) contents yielding a total of 907,667 high-quality reads. Good's Coverage estimates indicated that we obtained data on 98 ± 0.01% of the total microbial genera present in each sample. Cow and ewe vaginal microbiota displayed few differences. Cow microbiota exhibited greater (P ≤ 0.05) α-diversity compared to the ewe microbiota. Both livestock species differed (P ≤ 0.05) from all previously reported vaginal communities. While bacteria were numerically dominant, Archaea were detected in 95% of cow and ewe samples, mainly of the order Desulfurococcales. Both ewes and cows were predominately colonized by the bacterial phyla Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria, and Proteobacteria. The most abundant genera were Aggregatibacter spp., and Streptobacillus spp. Lactobacillus spp. were detected in 80% of ewe and 90% of cow samples, but only at very low abundances. Bacteria previously described from culture-based studies as common to the cow and ewe vaginal tract, except for Escherichia, were variably present, and only in low abundance. Ewe and cow pH differed (P ≤ 0.05), with means (±SD) of 6.7 ± 0.38 and 7.3 ± 0.63, respectively. In conclusion, 16S rRNA sequencing of cow and ewe vaginal ectocervicovaginal lavages showed that cow and ewe vaginal microbiota differ from culture-led results, revealing a microbiota distinct from previously described vaginal ecosystems.

Vaginal Microbiome Characterization of Nellore Cattle Using Metagenomic Analysis

PloS one, 2015

Understanding of microbial communities inhabiting cattle vaginal tract may lead to a better comprehension of bovine physiology and reproductive health being of great economic interest. Up to date, studies involving cattle microbiota are focused on the gastrointestinal tract, and little is known about the vaginal microbiota. This study aimed to investigate the vaginal microbiome in Nellore cattle, heifers and cows, pregnant and non-pregnant, using a culture independent approach. The main bacterial phyla found were Firmicutes (~40-50%), Bacteroidetes (~15-25%) and Proteobacteria (~5-25%), in addition to ~10-20% of non-classified bacteria. 45-55% of the samples were represented by only ten OTUs: Aeribacillus, Bacteroides, Clostridium, Ruminococcus, Rikenella, Alistipes, Bacillus, Eubacterium, Prevotella and non-classified bacteria. Interestingly, microbiota from all 20 animals could be grouped according to the respiratory metabolism of the main OTUs found, creating three groups of vagi...

Adaptive sampling during sequencing reveals the origins of the bovine reproductive tract microbiome across reproductive stages and sexes

Scientific Reports

Cattle enterprises are one of the major livestock production systems globally and are forecasted to have stable growth in the next decade. To facilitate sustainable live weight production, optimal reproductive performance is essential. Microbial colonisation in the reproductive tract has been demonstrated as one of the factors contributing to bovine reproductive performance. Studies also implied that reproductive metagenomes are different at each stage of the estrous cycle. This study applied Oxford Nanopore Technologies’ adaptive long-read sequencing to profile the bovine reproductive microbiome collected from tropical cattle in northern Queensland, Australia. The microbiome samples were collected from cattle of different sexes, reproductive status and locations to provide a comprehensive view of the bovine reproductive microbiome in northern Australian cattle. Ascomycota, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were abundant phyla identified in the bovine reproductive metagenomes of Austral...

Qualitative analysis of the vaginal microbiota of healthy cattle and cattle with genital-tract disease

Genetics and Molecular Research, 2015

The microbial community of the reproductive apparatus, when known, can provide information about the health of the host. Metagenomics has been used to characterize and obtain genetic information about microbial communities in various environments and can relate certain diseases with changes in this community composition. In this study, samples of vaginal surface mucosal secretions were collected from five healthy cows and five cows that showed symptoms of reproductive disorders. Following high-throughput sequencing of the isolated microbial DNA, data were processed using the Mothur software to remove low-quality sequences and chimeras, and released to the Ribosomal Database Project for classification of operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Local BLASTn was performed and results were Vaginal microbiota diversity of healthy and diseased cattle ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 14 (2): 6518-6528 (2015) loaded into the MEGAN program for viewing profiles and taxonomic microbial attributes. The control profile comprised a total of 15 taxa, with Bacteroides, Enterobacteriaceae, and Victivallis comprising the highest representation of OTUs; the reproductive disorder-positive profile comprised 68 taxa, with Bacteroides, Enterobacteriaceae, Histophilus, Victivallis, Alistipes, and Coriobacteriaceae being the taxa with the most OTU representation. A change was observed in both the community composition as well as in the microbial attributes of the profiles, suggesting that a relationship might exist between the pathogen and representative taxa, reflecting the production of metabolites to disease progression.

Methods of investigation of human microbiome in obstetrics and gynecology

Romanian Biotechnological Letters, 2019

Microbiota of the vaginal epithelium undergoes significant changes associated with hormonal status, each change being characterized by a specific prevalence of Lactobacillus species. Because the vaginal microbiome varies, a systemic analysis of its metagenomics combined with integrated multi'omics, will help to determine the microbial profile (including the uncultured microorganisms) associated with normal and pathological conditions. A plethora of bacterial species with proinflammatory characteristics can induce vaginosis, preterm birth and other adverse outcomes in pregnancy. In order to improve health by manipulating the microbiome, all the factors involved in its plasticity have to be known. New technologies allow to examine the microbiome, highlighting the interaction between its components and the host epithelium. Data brought by next generation sequencing technique will open new perspectives on the role of microorganisms in the pathology of the female genital tract, in association with host genetic factors and different physiological conditions.

Characterization And Diversity of The Uterine Microbiota In Simmental And Simbrah Cows By Sequencing The V4 Region of The Gen rRNA-16s During An FTAI Protocol

Research Square (Research Square), 2021

New generation sequencing techniques allow us to characterize the bacterial populations present in any organ or area. The knowledge of the uterine microbiota in bovines has grown in recent years as it has been shown that it in uences fertility, however, there are very few studies in beef cattle. This work aims to contribute by generating information in beef cows, characterizing the uterine microbiome, determined by the sequencing of the hypervariate regions of gen 16S rRNA in samples obtained by the cytobrush technique in open cows prior to and during a standard synchronization, using an intravaginal device of progesterone, plus benzoate of estradiol and prostaglandins. The relative abundance in group I and II were very similar; Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. Group III was Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Fusobacteria, and Group IV, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Fusobacteria. The taxonomic composition in utero decreases throughout the synchronization protocol. There are internal and external factors that alter bacterial populations such as health status, hormones, pregnancy, medication administration, among others. To establish whether bacterial abundance has an in uence on fertility, more robust studies are needed.

Interrogating the Diversity of Vaginal, Endometrial, and Fecal Microbiomes in Healthy and Metritis Dairy Cattle

Animals

The bovine genital tract harbors a dynamic microbiome. Genital tract microbial communities in healthy animals have been characterized using next-generation sequencing methods showing that microbe compositions differ between the vagina and uterus, more so during the postpartum period. Pre-calving fecal and vaginal, and endometrial swabs at the different postpartum intervals were collected from dairy cows. Microbiomes in these samples were determined based on bacterial 16S amplicon sequencing and compared between healthy (H; n = 10) control animals and cows that developed metritis (M; n = 10) within 21 days postpartum (DPP). Compared to healthy animals the pre-calving fecal and vaginal microbiomes of metritis animals were more abundant in sequences from the phylum Fusobacteria and the bacterial genera such as Escherichia-Shigella and Histophilus. In addition, compared to healthy animals, metritis cows harboured low microbial species diversity in the endometrium, as well as decreasing ...

A Review of the Diversity of the Genital Tract Microbiome and Implications for Fertility of Cattle

Animals

Cattle have a genital microbiome that is established early in life, even before calving. Microbial influx into the reproductive system of cows, during calving or mating, is unavoidable and is likely to alter the commensal microflora composition. It is now well established that a commensal endometrial flora is largely responsible for the overall fertility of cows. These microbes are important for maintenance of structural integrity of the genital mucosal barrier, immunomodulation, and protection against pathogens. Further, the genital microbiome functions in the semiochemical communication between a male and female. An optimal balance between the abundance and diversity of the microbiome is essential to promote female genital tract health. Disruption of this balance leads to dysbiosis and genital diseases and perturbed fertility. As part of the global strategy of One World, One Health, there is a need to reduce antibiotic use in animals. This area of research has the potential to exp...