Composition and diversity of the seminal microbiota in bulls and its association with semen parameters

Koziol, Jennifer; Sheets, Tessa R.; Wickware, Carmen L.; Johnson, Timothy A.

doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.01.029

Cited by 28 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…At the genus level, Fusobacterium (26%) and Porphyromonas (20%) were the most relatively abundant genera in the seminal microbiota of yearling bulls. Contrary to our study, Escherichia (27%) and Bacteroides (20%) have been reported as the most relatively abundant genera in bovine semen [21]. Differences in the microbial composition of bovine seminal microbiota between our bulls and those used by Koziol and colleagues may be due to factors such as bull age, breed, feeding regimen, and housing environment.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…The seminal microbiota was dominated by members of the Fusobacteriota, Bacteroidota, Firmicutes and Actinobacteriota phyla. Similar to our study, these four phyla have been reported to be among the dominant bacterial phyla detected in semen samples obtained from bulls that were 12 months to 6 years of age and comprised of 11 different breeds [21]. At the genus level, Fusobacterium (26%) and Porphyromonas (20%) were the most relatively abundant genera in the seminal microbiota of yearling bulls.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

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A longitudinal characterization of the seminal microbiota and antibiotic resistance in yearling beef bulls subjected to different rate of gains using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and culturing

Webb

Holman

Schmidt

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Background: Increasing evidence supports the existence of a microbial community in bovine semen, and that this seminal microbiota may influence not only the male fertility but also female reproduction. In this study, we evaluated the seminal and fecal microbiota in yearling beef bulls fed a common diet to achieve moderate (1.13 kg/d) or high (1.80 kg/d) rates of weight gain. Semen samples were collected on days 0 and 112 of dietary intervention (n = 19/group) as well as post-breeding (n = 6/group) using electroejaculation and the microbiota was assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, qPCR, and culturing. The fecal microbiota was also evaluated and its similarity with seminal microbiota assessed. A subset of seminal bacterial isolates (n = 33) was screened for resistance against 28 antibiotics.Results: A complex and dynamic microbiota was detected in bovine semen, and the community structure was affected by sampling time (R2 = 0.16, P < 0.001). Microbial richness increased from d 0 (ASVs, 253 ± 12) to d 112 (293 ± 14) (P < 0.05). Microbial diversity did not change during pre-breeding but increased after breeding (P < 0.05). Fusobacteriota, Bacteroidota, Firmicutes and Actinobacteriota were dominant in the seminal microbiota, and their abundance changed over time and following breeding (P < 0.05). Seminal microbiota remained unaffected by the differential rate of gains, and its overall composition was distinct from fecal microbiota, with only 6% of the taxa shared between them. The fecal microbiota did not differ between the two dietary treatments at d 112 and post-breeding but changed over time from d 112 to post-breeding (P < 0.05). A total of 364 isolates from 49 different genera were recovered under aerobic and anaerobic culturing. Among these seminal isolates were pathogenic species associated with respiratory disease, liver abscesses and reproductive infections, as well as those resistant to several antibiotics. Conclusions: Our results suggest that bovine semen harbors a rich and complex microbiota which changes over time and in response to breeding activity but appears to be resilient to differential gains achieved via a common diet. Seminal microbiota is distinct from the fecal microbiota and harbors potentially pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacterial species.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

A longitudinal characterization of the seminal microbiota and antibiotic resistance in yearling beef bulls subjected to different rate of gains using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and culturing

Webb

Holman

Schmidt

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…Those bulls with a satisfactory sperm classification (based on spermiograms that evaluated morphology and motility) had a higher relative abundance of Escherichia coli and Streptococcus species compared with those with an unsatisfactory sperm classification. Conversely, bulls with an unsatisfactory sperm classification had a greater relative abundance of Enterococcus species and the uncultured bacterium, S5-A14a, compared to the satisfactory bulls (Koziol et al, 2022). During sample collection, the breeds, ages, and locations of these bulls were recorded to further understand the correlation between bacterial presence in semen and other factors.…”

Section: Bovine Seminal Microbiotamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, semen samples of bulls raised in some farms were found to have Lactobacillus species, which are commonly used as a probiotic. There was no significant difference in terms of alpha diversity and bacterial community structure of seminal microbiota between differing breeds or ages (Koziol et al, 2022). Strengths to this study include the categorization of samples according to breeding soundness exams performed on fresh sperm samples, as this is a frequently used indicator of bull fertility.…”

Section: Bovine Seminal Microbiotamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The interactions between the seminal microbiota and the microbial community and immune system of the female upper reproductive tract may influence endometrium receptivity and preimplantation embryo dynamics (Robertson and Sharkey, 2016), and thereby aid conception success (Koedooder et al, 2019a). In addition to its influence on female reproductive microbiome and fertility, emerging evidence derived from humans (Weng et al, 2014;Baud et al, 2019;Okwelogu et al, 2021), horses (Quiñones-Pérez et al, 2021), and cattle (Koziol et al, 2022) suggest that the seminal microbiota may also be important for sperm development and male fertility. Accordingly, the reproductive microbiome holds potential to offer novel opportunities for reducing the incidence of reproductive failures in cattle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seminal and vagino-uterine microbiome and their individual and interactive effects on cattle fertility

et al. 2022

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Reproductive failure is a major economical drain on cow-calf operations across the globe. It can occur in both males and females and stem from prenatal and postnatal influences. Therefore, the cattle industry has been making efforts to improve fertility and the pregnancy rate in cattle herds as an attempt to maintain sustainability and profitability of cattle production. Despite the advancements made in genetic selection, nutrition, and the implementation of various reproductive technologies, fertility rates have not significantly improved in the past 50 years. This signifies a missing factor or factors in current reproductive management practices that influence successful fertilization and pregnancy. Emerging lines of evidence derived from human and other animals including cattle suggest that the microbial continuum along the male and female reproductive tracts are associated with male and female fertility—that is, fertilization, implantation, and pregnancy success—highlighting the potential for harnessing the male and female reproductive microbiome to improve fertility in cattle. The objective of this narrative review is to provide an overview of the recent studies on the bovine seminal and vagino-uterine microbiome and discuss individual and interactive roles of these microbial communities in defining cattle fertility.

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Metagenomic identification of bull semen microbiota in different seasons

Cojkic,

Niazi,

Morrell

2024

Animal Reproduction Science

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Composition and diversity of the seminal microbiota in bulls and its association with semen parameters

Cited by 28 publications

References 40 publications

A longitudinal characterization of the seminal microbiota and antibiotic resistance in yearling beef bulls subjected to different rate of gains using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and culturing

A longitudinal characterization of the seminal microbiota and antibiotic resistance in yearling beef bulls subjected to different rate of gains using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and culturing

Seminal and vagino-uterine microbiome and their individual and interactive effects on cattle fertility

Metagenomic identification of bull semen microbiota in different seasons

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