Abstract
BackgroundUterine infections in dairy cows lower profitability of dairy operations. Infections of the reproductive tract are related to the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria during the first three weeks after parturition. However, alterations in the vaginal microbiota composition in the first weeks after parturition remain poorly documented.ResultsIn this study, bacteria isolated from the vagina of healthy pregnant, and infected postpartum cows were characterised by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and partial 16S ribosomal RNA (rDNA) gene sequencing. Populations of bacilli and lactic acid bacteria of the genera Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus were present in both healthy and infected cows. Infected cows had a significant increase in the vaginal enteric bacteria population which consisted mainly of Escherichia coli. Three E. coli isolates harboured the gene coding for Shiga-like-toxin (SLT) I or II. Several isolates of the Pediococcus acidilactici were found to produce the bacteriocin pediocin AcH/PA-1. Quantitative PCR analyses of vaginal mucus samples collected from ten metritic cows before and after parturition confirmed the presence of the Lactobacillus group (Lactobacillus spp., Pediococcus spp., Leuconostoc spp., and Weissella spp.); Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli, and bacilli. The presence of the pediocin AcH/PA-1 structural gene and SLT genes were also confirmed with qPCR.ConclusionsIn conclusion, overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, particularly E. coli, after parturition likely contributes to the development of metritis. Our microbiota analysis extends the information related to the composition of commensal bacteria in the bovine female reproductive tract and may facilitate the development of novel intervention strategies for prevention of uterine infections in dairy cows.
Highlights
IntroductionInfections of the reproductive tract are related to the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria during the first three weeks after parturition
Uterine infections in dairy cows lower profitability of dairy operations
Clonal isolates were eliminated by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR analysis and isolates differing in their origin, RAPD profile, or colony morphology were identified on the basis of the sequence of approximately 1400 bp of the 16S rRNA genes
Summary
Infections of the reproductive tract are related to the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria during the first three weeks after parturition. Alterations in the vaginal microbiota composition in the first weeks after parturition remain poorly documented. Uterine infections in dairy cows are associated with predisposing factors including calving difficulty, retained placenta, compromised immune status and parity, along with the overgrowth of pathogenic microorganisms in the reproductive tract [4]. In a healthy female reproductive tract of humans, mice, or monkeys, lactobacilli are among the predominant organisms [9,10,11]. Alterations in the vaginal microbiota composition in the first weeks after parturition, i.e. the time during which metritis develops, remain poorly documented. The aim of our study is to characterize the vaginal microbiota of both healthy pregnant and infected post-partum cows by culturedependent analysis. Isolates were studied with regards to Shiga-like toxin and pediocin production
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