**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** METRITIS IS AN INFLAMMATORY UTERINE DISEASE CAUSED BY ANAEROBIC BACTERIA AND AFFECTS ≥20% OF POSTPARTUM DAIRY COWS. THIS DISEASE DECREASES MILK YIELD AND FERTILITY AND INCREASES MANAGEMENT COSTS FOR DAIRY HERDS. OVER-GROWTH OF 3 SPECIFIC ANAEROBIC BACTERIA (FUSOBACTERIUM NECROPHORUM, BACTEROIDES PYOGENES, AND PORPHYROMONAS LEVII), WHICH ARE NORMALLY FOUND IN THE UTERUS OF HEALTHY DAIRY COWS, HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CAUSING METRITIS. HOWEVER, IT IS UNCLEAR WHY THEY INCREASE IN THE UTERUS AND BECOME HARMFUL. OUR HYPOTHESIS IS THAT THESE 3 BACTERIAL SPECIES PRODUCE METABOLITES, WHICH MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE BACTERIA TO MULTIPLY AND CAUSE INFLAMMATION. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO DEVELOP SOLUTIONS FOR MAINTAINING UTERINE HEALTH THROUGH THE REGULATION OF BACTERIAL PRODUCTS. AIM 1 WILL DETERMINE IF THESE 3 BACTERIAL SPECIES INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER FOR ENHANCING GROWTH AND VIRULENCE. AIM 2 WILL IDENTIFY BACTERIAL PRODUCTS CREATED BY THE 3 BACTERIAL SPECIES DURING INFECTION OF HOST CELLS. AIM 3 WILL INVESTIGATE HOW BACTERIAL INTERACTIONS AND THEIR BACTERIAL PRODUCTS AFFECT HOST CELLS. OUR APPROACH FOR STUDYING INTERACTIONS OF ANAEROBIC BACTERIA WITH THE HOST USING A 3-D TISSUE CULTURE OF BOVINE ENDOMETRIUM WILL ILLUMINATE HOW THESE 3 BACTERIAL SPECIES INCREASE IN THE UTERUS AND CAUSE METRITIS IN DAIRY COWS. WE ANTICIPATE FINDING BACTERIAL PRODUCTS THAT AFFECT BACTERIAL PROLIFERATION AND HOST IMMUNE RESPONSE, WHICH CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO THERAPIES FOR PREVENTING AND TREATING METRITIS.

Long Island University, Greenvale NY

Investigators