Effect of lactation and location relative to the corpus luteum on the transcriptome of the bovine oviduct epithelium

Lactation and associated metabolic stresses during the post-partum period have been shown to impair fertility in dairy cows. The oviduct plays key roles in embryo development and the establishment of pregnancy in cattle. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of lactation and location relative to the corpus luteum (CL) on the transcriptome of the bovine oviduct epithelium. An original animal model was used. At 60 days post-partum, Holstein lactating (n=4) and non-lactating (i.e. never milked after calving; n=5) cows, as well as control nulliparous heifers (n=5), were slaughtered on Day 3 following induced œstrus, and epithelial samples from the ampulla and isthmus ipsilateral and contralateral to the corpus luteum (CL) were recovered for RNA sequencing. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between heifers compared with both postpartum groups.