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The Dysbiotic Vaginal Microbiome: Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Opportunities
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The Dysbiotic Vaginal Microbiome: Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Opportunities

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 26035

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jerome F. Strauss, III

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Interests: reproductive medicine; ovarian function; steroidogenesis; polycystic ovary syndrome; preterm birth; preeclampsia; vaginal microbiome; sperm motility
Dr. Kimberly K. Jefferson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
Interests: virulence factors and pathogenesis of bacteria associated with bacterial vaginosis and pregnancy complications including preterm birth; preterm premature rupture of membranes; amnionitis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The virulence capacity of pathogens in the vaginal microbiome is recently coming to light as DNA-based methods of identification have highlighted the most likely suspects. Pathogenic bacterial taxa that inhabit the female reproductive tract can alter the local immune status, they can cause damage, and they have been associated with a host of clinical complications, including preterm birth and other negative pregnancy outcomes, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and high-risk HPV-associated cervical dysplasia, and the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus and other sexually transmitted infections. The virulence factors expressed by these taxa and the ways in which they alter the local environment within the female reproductive tract are under mechanistic study, and the results of these studies hold the promise of unprecedented advances in the modalities of therapeutic intervention for these difficult-to-manage clinical problems. This Special Issue aims to highlight studies of the virulence attributes of vaginal bacterial taxa that contribute to gynecologic and obstetric pathologies.

Prof. Dr. Jerome F. Strauss, III
Dr. Kimberly K. Jefferson
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Vaginal microbiota
  • Contributions of vaginal dysbiosis to pregnancy complications
  • Pathogenic mechanisms underlying adverse pregnancy outcomes
  • Effect of environmental factors on the vaginal microbiome
  • Virulence factors in vaginal microbiota
  • Probiotics and the vaginal microbiome
  • Innate immunity and vaginal dysbiosis
  • Host genetic factors and the vaginal microbiome
  • Toxins made by vaginal bacteria
  • Sialidase enzymes made by vaginal bacteria

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 55676 KiB  
Article
De Novo Assembly and Annotation of the Vaginal Metatranscriptome Associated with Bacterial Vaginosis
by Won Kyong Cho, Yeonhwa Jo and Seri Jeong
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(3), 1621; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031621 - 30 Jan 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4075
Abstract
The vaginal microbiome plays an important role in women’s health and disease. Here we reanalyzed 40 vaginal transcriptomes from a previous study of de novo assembly (metaT-Assembly) followed by functional annotation. We identified 286,293 contigs and further assigned them to 25 phyla, 209 [...] Read more.
The vaginal microbiome plays an important role in women’s health and disease. Here we reanalyzed 40 vaginal transcriptomes from a previous study of de novo assembly (metaT-Assembly) followed by functional annotation. We identified 286,293 contigs and further assigned them to 25 phyla, 209 genera, and 339 species. Lactobacillus iners and Lactobacillus crispatus dominated the microbiome of non-bacterial vaginosis (BV) samples, while a complex of microbiota was identified from BV-associated samples. The metaT-Assembly identified a higher number of bacterial species than the 16S rRNA amplicon and metaT-Kraken methods. However, metaT-Assembly and metaT-Kraken exhibited similar major bacterial composition at the species level. Binning of metatranscriptome data resulted in 176 bins from major known bacteria and several unidentified bacteria in the vagina. Functional analyses based on Clusters of Orthologous Genes (COGs) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways suggested that a higher number of transcripts were expressed by the microbiome complex in the BV-associated samples than in non-BV-associated samples. The KEGG pathway analysis with an individual bacterial genome identified specific functions of the identified bacterial genome. Taken together, we demonstrated that the metaT-Assembly approach is an efficient tool to understand the dynamic microbial communities and their functional roles associated with the human vagina. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Dysbiotic Vaginal Microbiome: Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Opportunities)
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12 pages, 1856 KiB  
Article
The Two-Way Interaction between the Molecules That Cause Vaginal Malodour and Lactobacilli: An Opportunity for Probiotics
by Scarlett Puebla-Barragan, Polycronis Paul Akouris, Kait F. Al, Charles Carr, Britney Lamb, Mark Sumarah, Charlotte van der Veer, Remco Kort, Jeremy Burton and Gregor Reid
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(22), 12279; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222212279 - 13 Nov 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3214
Abstract
Vaginal malodour is a sign of dysbiosis. The biogenic amines (BAs) cadaverine, putrescine and tyramine are known to be causative compounds. Recent reports suggest these compounds produced by pathogens might have a role beyond causing malodour; namely inhibiting the growth of lactobacilli bacteria [...] Read more.
Vaginal malodour is a sign of dysbiosis. The biogenic amines (BAs) cadaverine, putrescine and tyramine are known to be causative compounds. Recent reports suggest these compounds produced by pathogens might have a role beyond causing malodour; namely inhibiting the growth of lactobacilli bacteria that are crucial in the maintenance of vaginal homeostasis. The aim of this study was to identify whether certain lactobacilli strains could reduce BAs and to evaluate how Lactobacillus species were affected by these compounds. Using LC–MS and HPLC-UV, five Lactobacillus crispatus strains were identified as being capable of significantly reducing BAs from the media under in vitro conditions. Through 16S rRNA gene sequencing of vaginal swabs exposed to Bas, cadaverine was found to reduce the relative abundance of lactobacilli. When L. crispatus was exposed to media supplemented with BAs with an HCl adjusted lower pH, its growth was enhanced, demonstrating the relevance of the maintenance of an acidic vaginal environment. If strains are to be developed for probiotic application to alleviate bacterial vaginosis and other conditions affecting large numbers of women worldwide, their ability to adapt to Bas and regulate pH should be part of the experimentation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Dysbiotic Vaginal Microbiome: Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Opportunities)
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Review

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21 pages, 1775 KiB  
Review
Virulence Factors of Candida spp. and Host Immune Response Important in the Pathogenesis of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis
by Paulina Czechowicz, Joanna Nowicka and Grażyna Gościniak
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(11), 5895; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23115895 - 24 May 2022
Cited by 56 | Viewed by 8493
Abstract
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is one of the most common types of vaginal infections in women around the world and is often underestimated by both patients and doctors. Research on the pathogenesis of fungal vaginal infections over the last 20 years has resulted in [...] Read more.
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is one of the most common types of vaginal infections in women around the world and is often underestimated by both patients and doctors. Research on the pathogenesis of fungal vaginal infections over the last 20 years has resulted in a closer understanding of the virulence factors involved in Candida epithelial invasion and their mechanisms of action. Recently, attention was drawn to the enormous complexity of the interaction between yeast-like fungi and host cells, as well as the level of complexity of the host’s response to infection and their impact on the course and treatment of VVC. Our work provides a broad description of already known and some new reports on Candida virulence factors (such as phenotypic switching or biofilm formation capacity) and their importance for tissue invasion in VVC. At the same time, we also focus on interactions with host cells and local innate immune mechanisms involved in the response to vaginal fungal invasion that are now considered equally important in this case. The presented review describes the most important aspects of the still unknown pathogenicity of Candida associated with vaginal infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Dysbiotic Vaginal Microbiome: Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Opportunities)
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17 pages, 349 KiB  
Review
The Endometrial Microbiome and Its Impact on Human Conception
by Bruno Toson, Carlos Simon and Inmaculada Moreno
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(1), 485; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23010485 - 1 Jan 2022
Cited by 71 | Viewed by 8990
Abstract
Changes in the female genital tract microbiome are consistently correlated to gynecological and obstetrical pathologies, and tract dysbiosis can impact reproductive outcomes during fertility treatment. Nonetheless, a consensus regarding the physiological microbiome core inside the uterine cavity has not been reached due to [...] Read more.
Changes in the female genital tract microbiome are consistently correlated to gynecological and obstetrical pathologies, and tract dysbiosis can impact reproductive outcomes during fertility treatment. Nonetheless, a consensus regarding the physiological microbiome core inside the uterine cavity has not been reached due to a myriad of study limitations, such as sample size and experimental design variations, and the influence of endometrial bacterial communities on human reproduction remains debated. Understanding the healthy endometrial microbiota and how changes in its composition affect fertility would potentially allow personalized treatment through microbiome management during assisted reproductive therapies, ultimately leading to improvement of clinical outcomes. Here, we review current knowledge regarding the uterine microbiota and how it relates to human conception. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Dysbiotic Vaginal Microbiome: Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Opportunities)
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