Bacterial burden and molecular characterization of Coxiella burnetii in shedding pregnant and postpartum ewes from Saint Kitts.

This study aimed to evaluate the bacterial burden and perform molecular characterization of Coxiella burnetii during shedding in pregnant (vaginal, mucus and feces) and postpartum (vaginal mucus, feces and milk) ewes from Saint Kitts. Positive IS1111 DNA (n=250) for C. burnetii samples from pregnant (n=87) and postpartum (n=74) Barbados Blackbelly ewes in a previous investigation were used for this study. Vaginal mucus (n=118), feces (n=100), and milk (n=32) positive IS1111 C. burnetii-DNA were analysed by real time qPCR (icd gene). For molecular characterization of C. burnetii, selected (n=10) IS1111 qPCR positive samples were sequenced for fragments of the IS1111 element and the 16 S rRNA gene. nBLAST, phylogenetic and haplotype analyses were performed. Vaginal mucus, feces and milk had estimated equal amounts of bacterial DNA (icd copies), and super spreaders were detected within the fecal samples. C. burnetii haplotypes had moderate to high diversity, were ubiquitous worldwide and similar to previously described in ruminants and ticks and humans.

Harnessing Vaginal Probiotics for Enhanced Management of Uterine Disease and Reproductive Performance in Dairy Cows: A Conceptual Review.

Uterine disease in cattle impairs reproductive performance and profitability and increases antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance. Thus, probiotics offer a promising alternative therapy. This review presents conceptual findings on the efficacy of probiotics in managing uterine diseases and fertility in cows. Probiotics containing Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. individually or as composite formulations are known to improve fertility. Strategic intravaginal administration of these formulations would likely enhance uterine immunity, particularly during the postpartum period. While current findings on the benefits to uterine health are encouraging, there is still significant knowledge missing, including a lack of empirical information from large-scale field trials. This review underscores the need for evidence-based guidelines for probiotics, such as genomic selection of formulations, targeted delivery, or potential synergy with other interventions. Future research should address these gaps to maximize the potential of probiotics in managing uterine diseases and enhancing the reproductive health of dairy cattle.

Coxiella burnetii shedding and serological status in pregnant and postpartum ewes.

This study aimed to evaluate the occurence C. burnetii-DNA shedding by pregnant (vaginal mucus and feces) and postpartum (vaginal mucus, feces and milk) meat breed ewes from Saint Kitts. Additionally, antibodies anti-C. burnetii were detected in serum, and milk. Barbados Blackbelly ewes (n=187) were sampled using stratified convenience cross-sectional sampling. There were two animal groups: pregnant (n=96) and postpartum (n=91). Vaginal mucus (n=187), feces (n=177) and milk (n=83) samples were subjected to a TaqMan real time qPCR assay for C. burnetii based on the IS1111 multi copy element. IgG antibodies against C. burnetii were tested in blood serum (n=187) and milk (n=61) samples, via indirect ELISA. McNemar and Fischer exact tests were used to compare occurrence between routes and between groups, respectively. Overall, 86.6% of all the animals (162/187) were shedding C. burnetti DNA through at least one route (vaginal and/or fecal and/or milk). The DNA shedding occurrence via vaginal (73% vs 51%, p-value=0.003) and fecal routes (64% vs 47%, p-value=0.001) was higher in the pregnant compared to the postpartum animals. There was no prevalent shedding route among vaginal, fecal or milk in all ewes. Overall, 38% of the ewes were seropositive for C. burnetii IgG and a total of 19.7% of the tested postpartum ewes had IgG antibodies in milk. The vaginal and fecal DNA shedding were not associated with the blood serology, nor was milk DNA shedding related to the milk serology status, thus there was no association between C. burnetii seropositivity and bacterial DNA shedding. In short, high occurrence of C. burnetii DNA shedding was observed within ewes in St. Kitts, and represents the first detection of the Q fever agent within the Caribbean islands. Bacterial shedding was more prevalent in pregnant ewes, highlighting the importance of gestating animals as a source of C. burnetii.

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

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 Proteobacteria and increasing Fusobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes abundances. The greatest taxonomic compositional deviations in endometrial microbial communities between the metritis and health cows were detected between 7 and 10 DPP. There was high taxonomic similarity detected between postpartum endometrial microbiomes and the prepartum vaginal and fecal microbiomes suggesting that colonization through bacteria ascending from the rectum and vagina to the uterine cavity might play a major role in establishing the endometrial microbiome postpartum. A deeper understanding of the establishment and dynamics of postpartum endometrial microbial communities in cows will thus provide crucial basic knowledge to guide the development of genital microbiome manipulation strategies for preventing uterine disease and improving fertility in dairy cows.

The Endometrial Microbiota-16S rRNA Gene Sequence Signatures in Healthy, Pregnant and Endometritis Dairy Cows.

Endometritis is one of the most important causes of infertility in dairy cows, resulting in high economic losses in the dairy industry. Though the presence of a commensal uterine microbiota is now well established, the complex role of these bacteria in genital health, fertility, and susceptibility to uterine diseases remains unclear. In this study, we explore the endometrial microbiota through 16S rRNA gene profiling from cytobrush samples taken ex vivo from healthy, pregnant, and endometritis cows. There were no significant differences between healthy and pregnant cows, whose uterine microbiota were dominated by Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Fusobacterium, Lactococcus and Bacteroides. Compared to pregnant and clinically healthy cows, the uterine bacterial community of endometritis cows was significantly decreased in species diversity (p < 0.05), reflecting uneven community composition in different patterns with either dominance of Escherichia-Shigella, Histophilus, Bacteroides and Porphyromonas or Actinobacteria.

An analysis of governance factors influencing performance of selected smallholder dairy cooperatives in Zimbabwe.

Cooperatives are organisations owned and operated by individuals or groups that come together for mutual benefit including pooling of resources for the purchase of inputs and marketing of products. Marketing of milk is through dairy cooperatives where the milk collection centres are mandated to help integrating smallholder farmers into competitive markets. The study investigated governance structures of five smallholder dairy schemes purposively selected based on their agroecological regions in Zimbabwe. The aim of the study was to explore how the governing boards conduct their business, particularly marketing milk, and how this affects allocation of resources (milk production and deliveries to milk centres) by smallholder farmers. Qualitative data were collected using focus group discussions with 20 dairy cooperative members from each milk collection centre. Key informant interviews were conducted with chairpersons, management committee members, and dairy value chain stakeholders such as dairy associations and processors. The SWOT analysis technique was employed to identify governance structures highlighting major strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats as a gateway to isolating strategies for enhancing centre performance. An analysis of implications of the governance structures on resource allocation decision by farmers was also performed. So focus is on how boards are discharging mandate such as marketing on behalf of farmers, price setting and negotiations, trainings, and accountability to members. Such factors if executed well will see farmers increasing milk production and deliveries to MCC yielding positive results in income and profits. The study results show that poor governance mainly caused by incompetent boards and management committees was the major factor affecting performance. Other findings were that if good governance factors were in place, then cooperatives became proficient leading to their growth. Thus, cooperatives must adopt business models based on private sector partnerships to maximise on expertise and technical support. The schemes ought to take advantage of existing opportunities, especially policies that mitigate threats and improve product diversity, value addition, and effective pricing strategies. To achieve these milestones, capacity building roadmaps ought to identify competent and efficient boards.

A preliminary analysis of the variation in circulating 25-hydroxycholecalciferol concentrations in peri-partum spring-calving dairy cows.

Vitamin D has a well-established role in regulating the intestinal absorption of minerals but its association with immunity has not been extensively explored in livestock. Although an optimal circulating concentration of 30 ng/ml 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH)D) is proposed for immune function, it is unknown if this vitamin D concentration is sufficient, particularly for cows under a pasture-based, spring-calving dairy production system. The objectives of this retrospective analysis were to assess circulating vitamin D concentrations in a total of 843 bio-banked serum samples from Holstein-Friesian dairy cows enrolled from 12 spring-calving, pasture-based dairy farms in Ireland. Mean 25(OH)D concentrations were 36.3 ng/ml at calving, 30.7 ng/ml at 7 days post-partum (DPP), and 38.3 ng/ml at 21 DPP. However, mean concentrations masked significant inter-farm and inter-individual variation (P < 0.05). In fact, the proportion of cows with vitamin D insufficiency of < 30 ng/ml was found to be 33.8%, 55.5% and 19.5% at each time point, respectively. In addition, 25(OH)D concentrations correlated positively with immune cell populations (monocytes and lymphocytes) and negatively with blood urea and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) at 7 DPP. This is the first report of 25(OH)D concentrations in pasture-based peripartum dairy cows and we show a high degree of variation across farms and between individual animals. Sub-optimal concentrations of vitamin D in some post-partum cows may predispose cattle to multiple metabolic or infectious diseases, and therefore further work is now warranted.

Role of Genital Tract Bacteria in Promoting Endometrial Health in Cattle.

Microbiota regulate endometrial health in cattle. It is important to know what a 'good' microbiome is, in order to understand pathogeneses of uterine disease. Given that microbial influx into the genital tract of cows at calving is unavoidable, exploring the involvement of genital tract bacteria in promoting endometrial health is warranted. The dysbiosis of endometrial microbiota is associated with benign and malign uterine diseases. The present review discusses current knowledge about the altered endometrial microbiome and the implications of this modulation on endometrial inflammation, ovarian activity, fecundation, pregnancy, and postpartum complications. Intravaginal administration of symbiotic microbes in cattle is a realistic alternative to antibiotic and hormone therapy to treat uterine disease. Genital microbial diversity can be modeled by nutrition, as the energy balance would improve the growth of specific microbial populations. It may be that probiotics that alter the endometrial microbiome could provide viable alternatives to existing therapies for uterine disease in cattle.

Epidemiology, prevention and control of gastrointestinal helminths of small ruminants in the Caribbean region-a scoping review.

This review gathered information from peer-reviewed publications on the epidemiology, prevention and control of gastrointestinal helminths (GIHs) parasites of small ruminants in the Caribbean region from 1990 to 2021. Literature search was performed on four electronic databases using a combination of search terms and Boolean operators. Results showed that gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) were the most common parasites, with seven genera documented across six reviewed countries. Haemonchus contortus was the most common species occurring in all six countries, and predominant in occasions where mixed infections were observed. Moniezia species were the only Platyhelminth species documented in Trinidad and Grenada. The overall prevalence of GIH infections was observed to be high in goats than in sheep. A high level of anthelminthic resistance (AR) with H. contortus was reported, whilst other nematodes showed to be effectively controlled by one or more anthelmintic drugs. FAMACHA© method was applied in the identification of anaemic animals for selective treatment, hence contributing to the decreased use of anthelmintic drugs. There is a need for national surveys of GIHs and AR in small ruminants in the Caribbean countries. Surveys, coupled with the use of molecular techniques to detect and identify species of GIHs present in the Caribbean region, as well as their epidemiology which will inform development of integrated control strategies is recommended. There is also a need to create awareness to small ruminant farmers in the region on the prevailing challenge of AR and limit wanton use of anthelminthics to reduce or prevent AR in small ruminants.

In Vivo Efficacy of Echinops spinosus Decoction as a Therapeutic for Cows at Risk of Clinical Endometritis.

Clinical endometritis (CE) is a multifactorial disease of dairy animals. Retained fetal membranes (RFM) and metritis are the major risk factors of CE in dairy cows. Because uterine inflammation affects the profitability of the dairy industry, antibiotics and hormonal therapies are commonly used to mitigate against the disease. However, the One-Health concept aims to reduce antibiotic use in food animals to avoid the emergence of drug resistance or residues in milk or meat. Thus, phytotherapy may represent a good alternative to antibiotics in food animals. Echinops spinosus (E. spinosus) is a natural plant known to have therapeutic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and wound-healing properties in vitro. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of E. spinosus as a preventive strategy for CE in dairy cows with other postpartum complications. Holstein−Friesian cows (n = 36) diagnosed with RFM or metritis enrolled in the study were allocated into three groups. One group received antibiotic treatment. Another group received prostaglandin injection (PG). The experimental group received E. spinosus decoction orally. As a control group, eutocic cows (n = 36), without RFM and metritis were included in the study. The efficiency of the treatment was based on the occurrence of CE and improved reproductive outcomes. At 30 ± 2 DPP, CE was diagnosed in 25%, 58.34%, and 75% in antibiotic, PG, and E. spinosus groups, respectively (p < 0.05). There were no differences between the groups at 55 ± 5 DPP (16.67%, 33.44%, and 41.67% in antibiotic, PG and E. spinosus groups, respectively, p > 0.05). The E. spinosus group had the longest open days, lowest conception rate at 150 DPP, and highest number of services per conception. Oral E. spinosus extract is ineffective as a therapeutic for cows at risk of CE. These findings may pave the way for future innovative strategies employing E. spinosus to protect cattle against endometritis.

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

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 expand the knowledge about the nexus between the endometrial microbiome and fertility including being probiotic in different species.

Identification and Antimicrobial Resistance of Dermatophilus congolensis from Cattle in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Dermatophilosis is a form of dermatitis caused by the bacterium Dermatophilus congolensis. The disease usually presents as localized purulent dermatitis, crusty hair masses or widespread matting of the hair. This condition is most common in domestic ruminants; but it can also affect other wild animals and humans. Antimicrobial therapy is used in many regions to treat clinical dermatophilosis with varying results. In this study, we aimed to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility of D. congolensis isolates. Fifty-two isolates were obtained from animals showing clinical signs of the disease at farms in St. Kitts. The isolates were then confirmed as D. congolensis by phenotypic tests, PCR and MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry. Furthermore, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 16 antimicrobial agents were determined, using the broth microdilution method. Although most antimicrobials showed MICs in line with published values, the tetracycline results displayed a clear bimodal distribution over the tested range, with most isolates showing low MICs and 6 isolates much higher values (+/- 100-fold increase). These results indicate the presence of acquired tetracycline resistance in D. congolensis on the island of St. Kitts. Whether the current observation has implications for efficacy of treating the disease must be confirmed in further research.

Comprehensive Molecular Dissection of Dermatophilus congolensis Genome and First Observation of tet(Z) Tetracycline Resistance.

Dermatophilus congolensis is a bacterial pathogen mostly of ruminant livestock in the tropics/subtropics and certain temperate climate areas. It causes dermatophilosis, a skin disease that threatens food security by lowering animal productivity and compromising animal health and welfare. Since it is a prevalent infection in ruminants, dermatophilosis warrants more research. There is limited understanding of its pathogenicity, and as such, there is no registered vaccine against D. congolensis. To better understanding the genomics of D. congolensis, the primary aim of this work was to investigate this bacterium using whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. D. congolensis is a high GC member of the Actinobacteria and encodes approximately 2527 genes. It has an open pan-genome, contains many potential virulence factors, secondary metabolites and encodes at least 23 housekeeping genes associated with antimicrobial susceptibility mechanisms and some isolates have an acquired antimicrobial resistance gene. Our isolates contain a single CRISPR array Cas type IE with classical 8 Cas genes. Although the isolates originate from the same geographical location there is some genomic diversity among them. In conclusion, we present the first detailed genomic study on D. congolensis, including the first observation of tet(Z), a tetracycline resistance-conferring gene.

Draft Genome Sequences of 40 Dermatophilus congolensis Isolates from Bovine Dermatophilosis Cases in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Dermatophilus congolensis causes dermatophilosis in cattle, mainly in tropical climates. Despite the economic losses caused by this bacterium, its pathogenic factors are less well understood. We report draft genomes of D. congolensis strains isolated during a dermatophilosis outbreak in cattle in St. Kitts and Nevis. Some isolates contain tet(Z), which is responsible for resistance to tetracyclines.

Ante-Natal and Post-Natal Influences on Neonatal Immunity, Growth and Puberty of Calves-A Review.

Calf immunity, growth and puberty are important factors affecting heifer productivity. The first four weeks of age are critical for reducing calf morbidity and mortality. It is well documented that colostrum is paramount to neonatal nutrition and passive immunity, however, adaptation to extra-uterine life starts early during embryonic development. Therefore, successful calf rearing strategies are underpinned by adequate maternal nutrition during gestation, and good colostrum management. A deeper understanding of these interactions paves the way for developing strategies to improve immune responses to environmental pathogens, optimal growth and timely attainment of puberty in calves. The literature reviewed here shows that there are opportunities to enhance the future performance of cattle paying attention to the interaction of nutrition and immunity at each developmental stage. Therefore, the objective of this review is to give the reader an overview of interactions between immunity, growth and puberty in dairy calves and highlight how these influence future performances.

Detection of Coxiella burnetii antibodies in sheep and cattle on a veterinary campus in St. Kitts: Implications for one health in the Caribbean region.

Coxiella burnetii is a ubiquitous zoonotic bacterium reported worldwide that causes Q-fever. Infections result in profound economic losses to livestock producers by causing abortions and low birth weights. Current information about the disease in the Caribbean region is scarce. With multiple small islands and territories, it is often considered that the bacterium is absent or circulates at a low prevalence. Our study aimed to determine whether sheep and cattle housed at a veterinary campus in St Kitts had previous exposure to C. burnetii. Blood samples were taken from cattle (n = 63; 72% of the herd) and sheep (n = 133; 71% of the flock). Antibodies to C. burnetii were detected by a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IDvet® ELISA) test. The seroprevalence was estimated at 26.3% (95% CI: 19.1-34.7%) in sheep and 0% (95% CI: 0-5.7%) in cattle. Sheep importation to St. Kitts is very rare, thus, these results suggest that C. burnetii is present on the island. The seronegativity of all the cattle highlights the absence of the bacterium on the veterinary campus. The high seroprevalence in sheep, however, has potentially important implications for animal health and public health as well as for wildlife conservation. Further investigation about animal seroprevalence and human exposure are warranted in St. Kitts and in the Caribbean region.

Qualitative and quantitative differences in endometrial inflammatory gene expression precede the development of bovine uterine disease.

The transcriptome of the endometrium early postpartum was profiled to determine if inflammatory gene expression was elevated in cows which subsequently developed uterine disease. Endometrial cytobrush samples were collected at 7 days postpartum (DPP) from 112 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows, from which 27 were retrospectively chosen for RNA-seq on the basis of disease classification [ten healthy and an additional 17 diagnosed with cytological endometritis (CYTO), or purulent vaginal discharge (PVD)] at 21 DPP. 297 genes were significantly differentially expressed between cows that remained healthy versus those that subsequently developed PVD, including IL1A and IL1B (adjusted p < 0.05). In contrast, only 3 genes were significantly differentially expressed in cows which subsequently developed CYTO. Accounting for the early physiological inflammatory status present in cows which do not develop disease enhanced the detection of differentially expressed genes associated with CYTO and further expression profiling in 51 additional cows showed upregulation of multiple immune genes, including IL1A, IL1B and TNFA. Despite the expected heterogeneity associated with natural infection, enhanced activation of the inflammatory response is likely a key contributory feature of both PVD and CYTO development. Prognostic biomarkers of uterine disease would be particularly valuable for seasonal-based dairy systems where any delay to conception undermines sustainability.

Characterization of metabolic and inflammatory profiles of transition dairy cows fed an energy-restricted diet.

Periparturient diseases of dairy cows are caused by disproportionate energy metabolism, mineral imbalance, and perturbed immune function. The aim of the present study was to characterize metabolism, innate immune endometrial gene expression, and uterine microbial populations of transition animals receiving normal or restricted energy diets. Pregnant multiparous Holstein cows (n = 14) were randomly assigned to one of the two dietary treatments from 20 d prepartum until 35 d postpartum (DPP). One group was fed a diet providing 100% energy requirements (NE), whereas the other received an energy-restricted diet providing 80% energy requirements (RE). Feed intake, milk yield, body weight, body condition score, temperature, respiratory, and pulse rate were recorded. After calving, blood was collected weekly to analyze nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs), ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and total cholesterol (TC). Endometrial cytobrushes were collected for gene expression analysis of inflammatory markers, microbial populations determination, and cytological evaluation. The restricted energy diet did not alter feed intake or milk yield but changed energy balance and metabolites levels (P < 0.05). In fact, RE animals had high NEFA and BHB levels, and low TC concentrations (P < 0.05). Moreover, RE animals had upregulated gene expression of serum amyloid A3 (SAA3) at 35 DPP (P < 0.05) and CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) at 14 DPP (P < 0.01). Interleukin (IL) 1 and IL8 genes were downregulated 14 DPP but upregulated 35 DPP in RE animals, whereas IL6 and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) genes were upregulated at 14 DPP (P ≤ 0.05). The most abundant phyla in RE animals (n = 3) were Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria, whereas Proteobacteria was the least abundant at both 14 and 35 DPP. In conclusion, it can be speculated that energy balance is one of the main drivers for uterine inflammation by affecting metabolism, immune function, and uterine microbiota. However, these findings should be validated in a larger sample size.

Characterization of circulating plasma proteins in dairy cows with cytological endometritis.

Early diagnosis of endometritis in dairy cattle is currently requires invasive techniques and specialist expertise. The goal of this study is to utilize a gel-free mass-spectrometry based proteomics approach to compare the plasma proteome of dairy cattle with cytological endometritis to those without. Blood samples were collected from cows (N = 112) seven days postpartum (DPP). Plasma samples from a cohort of 20 animals with cytological endometritis (n = 10) and without (n = 10) as classified 21 DPP were selected for proteomic analysis. Differential abundances of proteins between the two animal groups were determined using both fold change (≥1.5 fold change) and statistical significance threshold (p < .05). A total of 181 non-redundant proteins were quantified, and 25 proteins were found with differential abundance. These include 4 binding protein alpha and mannose binding lectin 2 involved in immune responses. Differentially abundant proteins between the animals were then processed using PANTHER for gene ontology. Gene ontology included associations with innate immune processes, acute phase responses and immune regulation. A potential marker for disease identified here is the "uncharacterized protein G5E513," a protein previously defined by RNA-transcripts. These proteins may form the basis for endometritis prognosis, the development of which is proceeded by systemic changes in immune function. SIGNIFICANCE: Endometritis is a costly reproductive disease of lactating dairy cows that warrants timely diagnosis. We utilized a gel-free mass-spectrometry based proteomics approach to compare the plasma proteome of dairy cattle with cytological endometritis to those without, for the characterization of changes in the proteomic profile associated with uterine disease postpartum. Furthermore, we compared the plasma proteome of healthy and affected cows in the same physiological status of production to better understand the relationship between changes in expression of circulating proteins and to unravel essential biological mechanisms involved in bovine cytological endometritis.

The ovine hepatic mitochondrial proteome: Understanding seasonal weight loss tolerance in two distinct breeds.

Seasonal weight loss (SWL) is a primary constraint for farmers in the Mediterranean and tropics. One cost-effective solution to SWL is utilizing breeds like the Damara sheep that have adapted to deal with nutritional stress. Previous studies concluded that one of the adaptation mechanisms of SWL is a specialized fatty acid metabolism. Accordingly, hepatic-mitochondrial proteomes were compared across two different breeds (24 sheep total, Merino, n = 12 and Damara, n = 12) and two different diets (restricted vs unrestricted diet, 6 per breed, per diet, 24 total). Mitochondrial-proteins were isolated and relatively quantified using Blue native PAGE / 2D-electrophoresis and then analyzed via mass spectrometry. The tool ReviGO summarized the proteomes' gene-ontology terms. A total of 50 proteins were identified with 7 changing significantly in abundance (ANOVA p-value<0.05). Specific abundance patterns of corticosteroid and inflammatory response-associated proteins such as annexin and glutamate dehydrogenase suggests that the Damara has an unusual inflammation response when subjected to SWL in addition to its unique metabolism. All significant proteins warrant further study; Annexin in particular shows promise as a potentially useful biomarker.