Proteomic profiles of uterine fluids from health and repeat breeder Holstein cows

Abstract

Repeat breeding is considered to be one of the economically important reproductive disorders in cattle, as it results in an increased number of inseminations and associated costs, and an increase in the number of days open. The physiological cause of the repeat breeding syndrome is complex and multifactorial. Uterine luminal fluid from the health and repeat breeder groups was analyzed in a holistic proteomic approach using LC-MS/MS analysis combined with a label-free quantification approach. In total, 882 proteins were identified, of which 154 differed significantly in abundance between the two groups. Evaluation of this dataset using bioinformatic tools revealed an assignment of higher abundant proteins in repeat breeder group to several pathway processes, such as carbon metabolism, purine metabolism and biosynthesis of amino acids. We used proteomic methods based on gel mass spectrometry to characterize the changes of proteomic characteristics associated with uterine diseases. These findings provide valuable information towards the identification of critical biomarker proteins for repeat breeding syndrome in cattle.