| Summary: | Studies over the past 30 years have confirmed the important role of metabolic hormones and metabolic substrates in reproductive function in female cattle. The emergence of metabolomics is providing a deeper understanding of the role of specific metabolites, and clusters of metabolites, in reproduction and also health and disease. Dairy cows undergo major fluctuations in metabolic health and metabolomics is helping to better understand the changes in metabolite profiles associated with negative energy balance and ketosis. New knowledge that emerges from this work should lead to improved nutritional management of dairy cows. In reproduction, it is now possible to gain a metabolomic signature of ovarian follicular fluid and of developing embryos. This should likewise lead to improvements in both natural and assisted reproduction in cattle. Systems biology integrates genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, and contributes to gaining an understanding of complex biological networks.Highlights Metabolic hormones and metabolic substrates have a major influence on reproduction in female cattle. Negative energy balance and ketosis are associated with changes in the systemic and liver metabolome in dairy cows. The metabolome of ovarian follicular fluid influences oocyte quality and embryo development. Systems biology integrates genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, and provides a deeper understanding of complex biological networks.
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