The Effect of Oral Bacteria on Vaginal Microbiome
- Bacteria are normally present in healthy vaginas.
- Imbalances of the various types of bacteria in the vagina can lead to an infection called bacterial vaginosis (BV).
- Women with BV are more likely to be populated by possible pathogens which includes Fusobacterium nucleatum.
- Fusobacterium nucleatum is an oral commensal pathogen linked with a wide range of human diseases.
- Fusobacterium nucleatum plays a role in periodontal disease and also linked with intrauterine infection and preterm birth.
- However, the conditions and mechanisms supporting pathogen colonization during microbial imbalances of the vagina remain unclear.
- Sialidases are group of enzymes which mainly catalyses the splitting of terminal sialic acids from complex carbohydrates on glycoproteins or glycolipids.
- The study demonstrates that sialidase activity promoted F. nucleatum food obtaining and growth on mammalian sialoglycans.
- Sialoglycans is a nutrient resource that was otherwise not accessible because of the lack of endogenous F. nucleatum sialidase.
- In mice with sialidase-producing vaginal microbes, mutant F. nucleatum unable to consume sialic acids was weakened in vaginal colonization.
- The experiments in mice also discovered that F. nucleatum may also help back to the community by fortifying sialidase activity which is a biochemical feature of human dysbiosis.
- Using human vaginal microbiome, the study show that F. nucleatum assisted strong outgrowth of Gardnerella vaginalis.
- Gardnerella vaginalis is a major sialidase producer and one of the most plentiful organisms in BV.
- The results explain that mutually beneficial relationships between vaginal bacteria support pathogen colonization and may help maintain features of microbial imbalances.
- The findings challenge the dogma that the absence of healthy lactobacilli is the sole mechanism that creates an allowable environment for pathogens during microbial imbalances of the vagina.
- Given that F. nucleatum are common in the human mouth, the study also suggests a possible mechanism underlying links between microbial imbalances of the vagina and oral sex.
Sources:
Agarwal K, Robinson LS, Aggarwal S, Foster LR, Hernandez-Leyva A, Lin H, et al. (2020) Glycan cross-feeding supports mutualism between Fusobacterium and the vaginal microbiota. PLoS Biol 18(8): e3000788. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000788
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4323942/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4747158/
Related Links
Research Summary: The Impact of Oral Health on Taste Ability in Acutely Hospitalized Elderly
ABSTRACT Objective To investigate to what extent various oral health variables are associated with taste ability in acutely hospitalized elderly. Background Impaired taste may contribute to weight loss in elderly. Many frail elderly have poor oral health characterized by caries, poor oral hygiene, and dry mouth. However, the possible influence of such factors on taste … Continue reading
Research Summary: The Lung Microbiome in Moderate and Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
ABSTRACT Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disorder characterized by incompletely reversible airflow obstruction. Bacterial infection of the lower respiratory tract contributes to approximately 50% of COPD exacerbations. Even during periods of stable lung function, the lung harbors a community of bacteria, termed the microbiome. The role of the lung microbiome in the … Continue reading
ABSTRACT Komodo dragons, the world’s largest lizard, dispatch their large ungulate prey by biting and tearing flesh. If a prey escapes, oral bacteria inoculated into the wound reputedly induce a sepsis that augments later prey capture by the same or other lizards. However, the ecological and evolutionary basis of sepsis in Komodo prey acquisition is … Continue reading
Post-translational Modifications in Oral Bacteria and Their Functional Impact. Ma Q, Zhang Q, Chen Y, Yu S, Huang J, Liu Y, Gong T, Li Y, Zou J.
Oral bacteria affect the gut microbiome and intestinal immunity. Kobayashi R, Ogawa Y, Hashizume-Takizawa T, Kurita-Ochiai T.
