Multi-omics analysis elucidates the host-microbiome interplay in severe udder cleft dermatitis lesions in dairy cows

Udder cleft dermatitis is a skin disease in dairy cattle that is characterized by painful, large open wounds between the udder halves or at the front udder attachment. Its impact on animal welfare and production warrants an in-depth investigation of its pathogenesis. The present study delves into the pathophysiology of severe udder cleft dermatitis, employing a multi-omics approach by integrating transcriptomic and metagenomic data obtained from samples of severe udder cleft dermatitis lesions and healthy udder skin of dairy cattle. All dominant features selected from the virulence factor, taxonomic, and transcriptomic datasets, except for the facultative pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes, form a network that could be associated with the healthy udder skin. The severe udder cleft dermatitis–associated Streptococcus pyogenes exhibited a negative correlation with these virulence factors and genes, but was not correlated with the other commensal bacteria in the analysis. Examining the different components interacting with each other could advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of severe udder cleft dermatitis.