THE INTERFERON TAU-INDUCED MX1 PROTEIN MEDIATES SECRETION BY UTERINE EPITHELIAL CELLS

Project: Research project

Project Details

Description

Fertility has declined dramatically over the last 50 years in the dairy industry. This reduces the efficiency of milk production and costs the dairy industry approximately half a billion dollars a year. Low fertility also increases the impact of dairying on the environment by requiring more cows to produce the same amount of milk as fewer cows with higher fertility can produce. Research suggests that a major cause of low fertility is loss of embryos before day 30 of pregnancy and that the early embryo depends on nutrients produced and released by the uterus for survival. This research will define how the embryo and uterus communicate to ensure that these nutrients are available at the right time and in the right amounts to support embryo survival and growth. This research will not only determine how the uterus responds to the embryo, but will also define what nutrients are released to support the embryo. Because, the period studied in this research is when a large portion of embryos are lost, this information will be used to develop strategies to reduce these losses and improve overall pregnancy rate in dairy cows. The added benefit of this improved fertility is a reduction in the number of cows needed to produce milk and a reduction in the environmental impact of the dairy industry.

StatusFinished
Effective start/end date9/1/098/31/13

Funding

  • National Institute of Food and Agriculture: $325,000.00

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