MICROBIAL ECOLOGY OF THE EQUINE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT

The long-term goal of our research is to better understand the role microorganisms play in health and dysbiosis of the equine uterus. The overall objective of this proposal is to characterize the dominant microorganisms that inhabit the uteri of healthy mares and to establish that a resident virome exists in the mammalian uterus. The central hypothesis of the research is that the equine uterus is the home to a thriving community of previously undescribed bacteria and viruses that play a crucial role in the maintenance of the reproductive health of a mare. This hypothesis rests on our preliminary data on microbiome profiles generated from horses across the world and from a few metagenomes generated from the same animals. The rationale that underlies the proposed research is that a comprehensive understanding of the microbial composition of a healthy uterus would help in understanding perturbations associated with dysbiosis and give us tools to mitigate the perturbations. The specific aims of the proposal are; Isolate, culture, and characterize the major resident species of bacteria inhabiting the equine uterus. The working hypothesis for this objective is that the core microbiome of a healthy mare consists of previously uncharacterized organisms belonging to known genera that also consist of established pathogens. Recent advances in culturomic techniques should enable us to cultivate and individually characterize the most predominant bacteria in the uterus. Establish the presence of a native virome in the equine uterus. The working hypothesis is that the equine uterus, like most other environments with a resident microbiome, has its own virome consisting of bacteriophages, etc. A limited metagenomic sequencing effort supports this hypothesis. We plan to methodically analyze the environment for the presence of viruses and partially characterize them. Determine the microbial dysbiosis of the endometriotic equine uterus, and the response of the microbiome to antibiotic therapy. The working hypothesis is that the normal microbiome of the uterus is significantly altered in endometritis and comparison of the diseased to normal microbiomes would facilitate the management and treatment of chronic endometritis.