The cervical microbiome of ewe breeds with known divergent fertility following artificial insemination with frozen-thawed semen.

ABSTRACT: The use of artificial insemination (AI) with frozen-thawed semen in sheep is limited internationally due to low pregnancy rates. An exception is Norway, where high success rates routinely occur following vaginal deposition of frozen-thawed semen during natural estrus. Previous research suggests that breed-specific differences in pregnancy rates may result from impaired cervical sperm transport. This study compared cervical microbiomes among sheep breeds with known differences in pregnancy rates after AI. Cervical samples were collected from Suffolk (low fertility) and Belclare (medium fertility) breeds in Ireland, and Norwegian white sheep (NWS) and Fur breeds (both high fertility) in Norway, during the follicular phase of both natural and synchronized estruses, and the luteal phase of syn

SUBMITTER: Norstebo SF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12033225 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature