Dynamics and Diversity of Intrauterine Anaerobic Microbiota in Dairy Cows with Clinical and Subclinical Endometritis.

The aim of the study was to characterize the dynamics of anaerobic cultivable postpartum microbiota in the uterus of dairy cows. In total, 122 dairy cows were enrolled and sampled on day 0 (day of calving) and on days 3, 9, 15, 21, and 28 postpartum (pp). Samples were cultivated anaerobically and analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS. In total, 1858 isolates were recovered. The most prevalent facultative anaerobic genera were (27.8%), (25.4%), and (13.1%). The most prevalent obligate anaerobes were (9.3%), (3.3%), and (2.4%). The microbial communities were highly dynamic and diverse. On the animal level, on day 21 and 28 pp was associated with clinical endometritis, and on day 21 pp was associated with subclinical endometritis. The occurrence of on day 28 was related to uterine health. The presence of , , and was significantly associated with an increased risk for purulent vaginal discharge. Primiparous cows showed a higher prevalence of , , , and spp. than multiparous cows but were not more susceptible to uterine diseases. This study might provide a suitable basis for future co-cultivation studies to elucidate potential synergistic interactions between microbiota.