Examination of oestrus-dependent alterations of bovine cervico-vaginal mucus glycosylation for potential as optimum fertilisation indicators

Le Berre, Marie, Gerlach, Jared Q., Loughrey, Catherine, Creavin, Aileen, Pluta, Katarzyna, Gallagher, Mary,Carrington, Stephen D., Joshi, Lokesh, Kilcoyne, Michelle. (2021). Examination of oestrus-dependent alterations of bovine cervico-vaginal mucus glycosylation for potential as optimum fertilisation indicators. Molecular Omics, 17(2), 338-346. doi:10.1039/D0MO00193G

Abstract

Oestrus is the period in the sexual cycle of female mammals during which ovulation occurs, where they become most receptive to mating and are most fertile. Efficient detection of oestrus is a key component in successful reproductive livestock management programmes and a major factor in the efficiency and profitability of dairy farms. Oestrus detection in cattle is most often performed by visual observation of the primary signs of oestrus, such as mounting behaviour and standing heat, to facilitate more successful prediction of optimal time points for artificial insemination. This is a time-consuming method and requires a skilled, diligent observer. Biological measurements using easily accessible biomolecules in the cervico-vaginal mucus could provide an alternative strategy to physical methods of oestrus detection, which would provide an inexpensive means of rapidly and accurately assessing the onset of oestrus. In this study, glycosylation changes in cervico-vaginal mucus from three heifers following oestrus induction were investigated as a proof of concept to assess whether potential glycosylation-based trends could be useful for oestrus stage indication. Mucus collected at different time points following oestrus induction was immobilised in a microarray format and their glycosylation interrogated with a panel of fluorescently labelled lectins, carbohydrate-binding proteins with different specificities. Individual animal-specific glycosylation patterns were observed, however each pattern followed a similar trend around oestrus. This unique oestrus-associated glycosylation was identified by a combination of relative binding of the lectins SNA-I and WFA for each animal. This alteration in cervico-vaginal mucus glycosylation could potentially be exploited in future to more accurately identify optimal fertilisation intervention points compared to visual signs. More effective oestrus biomarkers will lead to more successful livestock reproductive programmes, decreasing costs and animal stress.

Funder

Science Foundation Ireland
Royal Society of Chemistry Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund
Health Research Board

Publisher

Royal Society of Chemistry

Rights

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Ireland

cbn

Collections

Microbiology (Scholarly Articles)