Exploiting 16S rRNA-based metagenomics to reveal neglected microorganisms associated with infertility in breeding bulls in Spanish extensive herds

• DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.04.019
• Publication Date: 2022-07-02T01:01:05Z
• Authors: Coral Polo; Marta Hernández; Teresa García-Seco; Víctor Fernández; Victor Briones; Alberto Diez-Guer...; David Abad; David Rodríguez-L...; Lucas Domínguez; Marta Pérez-Sancho
• Keywords: Hypervariable region; Bacterial phyla

Bovine infectious infertility represents a problem due to the high impact on animal production and, in many cases, public health. A lack of information characteristics bacterial population bovine reproductive system can hamper comprehensive understanding pathologies and role that microbiome could play. metagenomic study based V3-V4 hypervariable region 16S rRNA gene was performed 1029 preputial samples from bulls raised an extensive regimen Spain (944 herds with low fertility rates -case group-, 85 reproductively healthy -control group-). The most representative phyla as well 10 abundant families their abundance did not show significant differences both case control groups. Similarly, (alpha beta) diversity populations similar type herds: Shannon Simpson indices species, while Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index relevant communities. deeper analysis operational taxonomic units showed presence one genera, Mycoplasma spp. significantly associated problems. Our highlights promising potential application sequencing techniques (e.g. rRNA-based metagenomics) possesses examining infertility, they are able reveal different pathogens go unnoticed using diagnostic approaches for only main known pathogens.