Puberty status influences bacterial communities of the boar urogenital tract

作者：Brooke E McAnally, Dallas R Soffa, Molly S Smith, Kyle J Hickman, Olivia J Ognibene, Jeffrey Wiegert, Rebecca K Poole · 发表于：Journal of Animal Science · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1093/jas/skaf336 · 被引用次数：2 · 研究领域：Sperm and Testicular Function、Reproductive tract infections research、Gut microbiota and health

Bacteria present in fresh extended boar semen may impair the fertility of artificial insemination doses in swine. To date, information regarding the presence or composition of bacterial communities within the boar's urogenital tract is lacking. These unexplored communities may contribute to the bacterial composition of semen and thereby influence boar fertility. Moreover, hormonal and anatomical changes that occur during puberty could also alter the urogenital tract bacterial communities. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate pre- and post-pubertal shifts in bacterial communities and diversity in boar urogenital tissues (i.e., testis, epididymis, seminal vesicle, prostate, bulbourethral gland, bladder, and preputial diverticulum) using 16S rRNA gene amplicon community sequencing. Crossbred boars were euthanized at 74 ± 2 days of age (pre-pubertal; n = 4) or 276 ± 3 days of age (post-pubertal; n = 6), and intact reproductive tracts were harvested. Sterile swab samples were collected from each tissue of interest for microbiota analysis, and plasma was collected to analyze circulating hormone concentrations of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Circulating testosterone was greater (P < 0.01) in post-pubertal boars compared to pre-pubertal boars (3.01 ± 0.26 vs. 0.96 ± 0.36 ng/mL) yet no differences were observed in dihydrotestosterone concentrations. The relative abundance of the phylum Firmicutes was elevated (P < 0.05) in the testis, epididymis, seminal ves...