Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40238748›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Metagenomic and proteomic analyses reveal similar reproductive microbial profiles and shared functional pathways in uterine immune regulation in mares and jennies.

Eva da Silva-Álvarez, Vanessa Gómez-Arrones, Florencia Correa-Fiz, Francisco Eduardo Martín-Cano, Gemma Gaitskell-Phillips, Juan Jesús Carrasco, Joaquín Rey, Inés María Aparicio, Fernando Juan Peña, Juan Manuel Alonso and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Eva da Silva-ÁlvarezDepartment of Animal Medicine, Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
Vanessa Gómez-ArronesCentro de Selección y Reproducción animal de Extremadura. Junta de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain.
Florencia Correa-FizCentre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain.
Francisco Eduardo Martín-CanoDepartment of Animal Medicine, Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-4971-4883
Gemma Gaitskell-PhillipsDepartment of Animal Medicine, Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-4308-7903
Juan Jesús CarrascoCentro de Selección y Reproducción animal de Extremadura. Junta de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain.
Joaquín ReyDepartment of Animal Health, Unit of Infectious Diseases, University of Extremadura, Caceres, Spain.
Inés María AparicioDepartment of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Nursery and Occupational Therapy, University of Extremadura, Caceres, Spain.
Fernando Juan PeñaDepartment of Animal Medicine, Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-1311-2947
Juan Manuel AlonsoDepartment of Animal Health, Unit of Infectious Diseases, University of Extremadura, Caceres, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-1817-9227
Cristina Ortega-FerrusolaDepartment of Animal Medicine, Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-7698-8735

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study aims to unveil potential differences in the vaginal and uterine microbiomes in mares and jennies, and to identify possible mechanisms involved in uterine immune homeostasis. The microbiota was characterized using 16S rRNA sequencing, and the uterine proteome was analyzed using UHPLC/MS/MS in 18 samples from healthy mares and 14 from jennies. While taxonomic analysis revealed high interspecies similarities, β-diversity analysis showed distinct clustering, with only two vaginal taxa and five uterine taxa differing between species. Despite compositional differences, PICRUSt analysis suggested minimal variations in predicted functional pathways across species. Comparing vaginal and uterine microbiota within the same species revealed overlapping bacterial taxa, but significant differences in α- and β-diversity and functional pathways. The uterine microbiota of both species was dominated by Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, with abundant taxa like Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Corynebacterium, and Staphylococcus, many of which are frequently associated with endometritis. The presence of Lactobacillus in the equine reproductive tract was minimal or non-existent. KEGG functional pathway analysis predicted that uterine microbiota of both species utilize metabolic pathways with potential immunomodulatory effects. Proteomic enrichment analysis showed that numerous overexpressed uterine proteins in both species are linked to adaptive and innate immune regulation and defense mechanisms against symbionts. Gene enrichment analysis identified several enriched Gene Ontology terms, including response to bacterial stimuli, humoral immune regulation, and TGF-beta receptor signaling, underscoring microbial-host interactions. The uterine microbiota may play a vital role in maintaining immune balance. Further research is required to confirm its interaction with the uterine immune system and clarify the mechanisms involved.

Indexed as

MetagenomicsMicrobiotaUterusAnimalsBacteriaFemaleHorsesProteomeProteomicsRNA, Ribosomal, 16SVaginaProteomeRNA, Ribosomal, 16S

Identifiers

PMID40238748
PMCPMC12002498

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.