Characterization of rumen, fecal, and milk microbiota in lactating dairy cows.

Targeting the gastrointestinal microbiome for improvement of feed efficiency and reduction of production costs is a potential promising strategy. However little progress has been made in manipulation of the gut microbiomes in dairy cattle to improve milk yield and milk quality. Even less understood is the milk microbiome.

Utilizing the Gastrointestinal Microbiota to Modulate Cattle Health through the Microbiome-Gut-Organ Axes.

The microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of ruminants have a mutualistic relationship with the host that influences the efficiency and health of the ruminants. The GIT microbiota interacts with the host immune system to influence not only the GIT, but other organs in the body as well. The objective of this review is to highlight the importance of the role the gastrointestinal microbiota plays in modulating the health of a host through communication with different organs in the body through the microbiome-gut-organ axes.

Case Study: Misdiagnosis of Nonhemolytic Isolates from Cases of Bovine Mastitis as Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci.

is one of the most concerning mastitis-causing pathogens in dairy cattle. Using basic microbiological techniques, is typically identified by colony characteristics and hemolysis on blood agar where isolates without hemolysis are typically considered to be coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) isolates. Herein, we present a decade-long case study where suspected isolates from one Georgia dairy farm were further tested to confirm presumptive identification.

Correction: A model of chronic, transmissible Otitis Media in mice.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.

Development of macrolide resistance in Bordetella bronchiseptica is associated with the loss of virulence.

Background: Why resistance to specific antibiotics emerges and spreads rapidly in some bacteria confronting these drugs but not others remains a mystery. Resistance to erythromycin in the respiratory pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae emerged rapidly and increased problematically. However, resistance is uncommon amongst the classic Bordetella species despite infections being treated with this macrolide for decades.

Bordetella bronchiseptica exploits the complex life cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum as an amplifying transmission vector.

Multiple lines of evidence suggest that Bordetella species have a significant life stage outside of the mammalian respiratory tract that has yet to be defined. The Bordetella virulence gene (BvgAS) two-component system, a paradigm for a global virulence regulon, controls the expression of many "virulence factors" expressed in the Bvg positive (Bvg+) phase that are necessary for successful respiratory tract infection. A similarly large set of highly conserved genes are expressed under Bvg negative (Bvg-) phase growth conditions; however, these appear to be primarily expressed outside of the host and are thus hypothesized to be important in an undefined extrahost reservoir.

Apoptosis of Endothelial Cells by 13-HPODE Contributes to Impairment of Endothelial Barrier Integrity.

Inflammation is an essential host response during bacterial infections such as bovine mastitis. Endothelial cells are critical for an appropriate inflammatory response and loss of vascular barrier integrity is implicated in the pathogenesis of -induced mastitis. Previous studies suggested that accumulation of linoleic acid (LA) oxygenation products derived from 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LOX-1) metabolism could regulate vascular functions.

Role of endothelial cells in bovine mammary gland health and disease.

The bovine mammary gland is a dynamic and complex organ composed of various cell types that work together for the purpose of milk synthesis and secretion. A layer of endothelial cells establishes the blood-milk barrier, which exists to facilitate the exchange of solutes and macromolecules necessary for optimal milk production. During bacterial challenge, however, endothelial cells divert some of their lactation function to protect the underlying tissue from damage by initiating inflammation.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids influence differential biosynthesis of oxylipids and other lipid mediators during bovine coliform mastitis.

Coliform mastitis is a severe and sometimes fatal disease characterized by an unregulated inflammatory response. The initiation, progression, and resolution of inflammatory responses are regulated, in part, by potent oxylipid metabolites derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids. The purpose of this study was to characterize the biosynthesis and diversity of oxylipid metabolites during acute bovine coliform mastitis.