The equine uterus is a complex microbial ecosystem that plays a crucial role in reproductive health and fertility. In recent years, metagenomics has emerged as a powerful tool in studying the microbial communities present in various environments, including the equine uterus. For this dissertation, we first explored the commensal virome in healthy mares and found that there is a diverse native virome in the equine uterus. The possible core uterine virome consists of Gammaretrovirus, Mamastrovirus, Sapovirus and Rosenblumvirus. Phage family, Microviridae (novel members of the Microviridae family with completed genomic sequences), Siphoviridae, Podoviridae, and their potential host bacteria were identified. Secondly, we compared the difference in the microbiomes between clinically asymptomatic mares and mares with chronic endometritis. We found that Burkholderia and Chlamydia were the most abundant genera in the endometrial microbiomes of both groups. However, they had significantly higher relative abundance in the chronically infected group than the healthy group. Finally, we cultured and used these local phages against the multi-resistant bacteria that were isolated from infected animals and verified the feasibility of their potential antibacterial use. Thereby, we provide a comprehensive overview of the equine uterine micro-environment and contribute to the development of targeted non-antibiotic treatment strategies.
Lulu Guo (Sat,) studied this question.