Canine placental microbiome

Abstract

Placenta is a pregnancy-specific organ responsible for maintenance of gestation and offspring survival in utero. Similar to other immune-privileged sites, fetoplacental unit was considered sterile. However, there is now strong evidence in humans that placenta harbors a unique microbiome. Although this work is in its infancy in veterinary medicine, there are accumulating metagenetic data to support the role of maternal reproductive tract microbiome in pregnancy success and adverse outcomes via placenta. This paper will review and highlight the emerging field of metagenetics in canine reproductive medicine. It will summarize what is known in humans, as well as veterinary species, with an emphasis on future metagenetic characterization of a canine placental microbiome and its potential role in pregnancy outcomes.