scholarly journals Presence and Persistence of Putative Lytic and Temperate Bacteriophages in Vaginal Metagenomes from South African Adolescents

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2341
Author(s):  
Anna-Ursula Happel ◽  
Christina Balle ◽  
Brandon S. Maust ◽  
Iyaloo N. Konstantinus ◽  
Katherine Gill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Genomic Analysis ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Associated Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Microbiota ◽  
Metagenome Sequencing ◽  
And Function ◽  
Female Genital

The interaction between gut bacterial and viral microbiota is thought to be important in human health. While fluctuations in female genital tract (FGT) bacterial microbiota similarly determine sexual health, little is known about the presence, persistence, and function of vaginal bacteriophages. We conducted shotgun metagenome sequencing of cervicovaginal samples from South African adolescents collected longitudinally, who received no antibiotics. We annotated viral reads and circular bacteriophages, identified CRISPR loci and putative prophages, and assessed their diversity, persistence, and associations with bacterial microbiota composition. Siphoviridae was the most prevalent bacteriophage family, followed by Myoviridae, Podoviridae, Herelleviridae, and Inoviridae. Full-length siphoviruses targeting bacterial vaginosis (BV)-associated bacteria were identified, suggesting their presence in vivo. CRISPR loci and prophage-like elements were common, and genomic analysis suggested higher diversity among Gardnerella than Lactobacillus prophages. We found that some prophages were highly persistent within participants, and identical prophages were present in cervicovaginal secretions of multiple participants, suggesting that prophages, and thus bacterial strains, are shared between adolescents. The number of CRISPR loci and prophages were associated with vaginal microbiota stability and absence of BV. Our analysis suggests that (pro)phages are common in the FGT and vaginal bacteria and (pro)phages may interact.

Spectral variations of laser-induced tissue emission during in vivo detection of malignancies in the female genital tract

1997 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugenios Koumantakis ◽  
Alexios Vasileiou ◽  
Antonios Makrigiannakis ◽  
Eberhard Unsöld ◽  
Theodore G. Papazoglou
Keyword(s):  
Genital Tract ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
In Vivo Detection ◽  
Female Genital

scholarly journals Microbiome Composition and Function Drives Wound-Healing Impairment in the Female Genital Tract

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. e1005889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander S. Zevin ◽  
Irene Y. Xie ◽  
Kenzie Birse ◽  
Kelly Arnold ◽  
Laura Romas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wound Healing ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
And Function ◽  
Healing Impairment ◽  
Female Genital

scholarly journals Effects of Yeast and Bacterial Commensals and Pathogens of the Female Genital Tract on the Transepithelial Electrical Resistance of HeLa Cells

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vassiliki Tsata ◽  
Aristea Velegraki ◽  
Anastasios Ioannidis ◽  
Cornelia Poulopoulou ◽  
Pantelis Bagos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Resistance ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Transepithelial Electrical Resistance ◽  
Host Immune System ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogens ◽  
Selective Effect ◽  
Cell Monolayers ◽  
Female Genital

Commensals of the human body can shift to a pathogenic phase when the host immune system is impaired. This study aims to investigate the effect of seven yeast and two bacterial commensals and opportunistic pathogens isolated from blood and the female genital tract on the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) of human cervical epithelial cell cultures (HeLa). The pathogensCandida tropicalis,C. parapsilosis,C. glabrata, C. krusei, C. albicansandSaccharomyces cerevisiae, caused a significant decrease in TER as compared to the controls;Lactobacillusspp caused a significant increase in TERversusthe controls andEscherichia colihad no effect on the TER of the cell monolayers. The above data show thatCandidaspp.,S. cerevisiaeandLactobacillusspp. have a non-selective effect on the TER of HeLa cell monolayers. These results are consistent with thein vivonon-selective action of these microorganisms on the various human mucosal epithelia.

scholarly journals Dissecting the co-transcriptome landscape of plants and microbiota members

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuya Nobori ◽  
Yu Cao ◽  
Frederickson Entila ◽  
Eik Dahms ◽  
Yayoi Tsuda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Niche Separation ◽  
In Planta ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Transcriptional Responses ◽  
Associated Bacteria ◽  
Plant Microbiota ◽  
And Function

AbstractInteractions between plants and each neighboring microbial species are fundamental building blocks that collectively determine the structure and function of the plant microbiota, but the molecular basis of such interactions is poorly characterized. Here, we monocolonized Arabidopsis leaves with nine plant-associated bacteria from all major phyla of the plant microbiota and profiled co-transcriptomes of plants and bacteria. These strains elicited quantitatively different plant transcriptional responses including typical pattern-triggered immunity responses. Genes of non-pathogenic bacteria involved in general metabolism and energy production were commonly suppressed in planta in contrast to a virulent pathogen. Various nutrient acquisition pathways that are frequently encoded in the genomes of plant-associated bacteria were induced in planta in a strain-specific manner, shedding light on bacterial adaptation to the plant environment and identifying a potential driving force of niche separation. Integrative analyses of plant and bacterial transcriptomes suggested that the transcriptional reprogramming of plants is largely uncoupled from that of bacteria at an early stage of interactions. This study provides insights into how plants discriminate among bacterial strains and sets the foundation for in-depth mechanistic dissection of plant-microbiota interactions.

scholarly journals Immune Pathogenesis of Asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis Infections in the Female Genital Tract

1995 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 169-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven S. Witkin
Keyword(s):  
Chlamydia Trachomatis ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Pregnancy Loss ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Fallopian Tubes ◽  
Female Genital

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections of the female genital tract, although frequently asymptomatic, are a major cause of fallopian-tube occlusion and infertility. Early stage pregnancy loss may also be due to an unsuspected and undetected CT infection. In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that this organism can persist in the female genital tract in a form undetectable by culture. The mechanism of tubal damage as well as the rejection of an embryo may involve an initial immune sensitization to the CT 60 kD heat shock protein (HSP), followed by a reactivation of HSP-sensitized lymphocytes in response to the human HSP and the subsequent release of inflammatory cytokines. The periodic induction of human HSP expression by various microorganisms or by noninfectious mechanisms in the fallopian tubes of women sensitized to the CT HSP may eventually result in tubal scarring and occlusion. Similarly, an immune response to human HSP expression during the early stages of pregnancy may interfere with the immune regulatory mechanisms required for the maintenance of a semiallogeneic embryo.

scholarly journals Insights into the cultured bacterial fraction of corals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Sweet ◽  
Helena Villela ◽  
Tina Keller-Costa ◽  
Rodrigo Costa ◽  
Stefano Romano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genomic Analysis ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Associated Bacteria ◽  
Reef Restoration ◽  
Coral Holobiont ◽  
Metabolic Interactions ◽  
And Function

Abstract Bacteria associated with coral hosts are diverse and abundant, with recent studies suggesting involvement of these symbionts in host resilience to anthropogenic stress. Despite the putative importance of bacteria, the work dedicated to culturing coral-associated bacteria has received little attention. Combining published and unpublished data, here we report a comprehensive overview of the diversity and function of culturable, coral-associated bacteria. A total of 3055 isolates from 52 studies were considered by our meta-survey. Of these, 1045 had full length 16S rRNA gene sequences, spanning 138 formally described and 12 putatively novel bacterial genera across the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria phyla. We performed comparative genomic analysis using the available genomes of 74 strains and identified potential signatures of beneficial bacterial-coral symbioses among them. Our analysis revealed >400 biosynthetic gene clusters that underlie the biosynthesis of antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and other secondary metabolites. Moreover, we uncovered genomic features - not previously described for coral-bacterial symbioses - involved in host colonization and host-symbiont recognition, antiviral defence mechanisms, and/or integrated metabolic interactions, which we suggest as novel targets for the screening of coral probiotics. Our results highlight the importance of bacterial cultures to elucidate coral holobiont functioning, and guide the selection of probiotic candidates to promote coral resilience and improve reef restoration efforts.

scholarly journals Rabbit semen fertility after heterospermic insemination with spermatozoa of different capacitation time

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
P. YPSILANTIS (Π. ΥΨΗΛΑΝΤΗΣ) ◽  
Ph. SARATSIS (Φ. ΣΑΡΑΤΣΗΣ) ◽  
S. SAMOUILIDIS (Σ. ΣΑΜΟΥΗΛΙΔΗΣ)
Keyword(s):  
Litter Size ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Sperm Capacitation ◽  
Group 4 ◽  
Female Genital

The influence of mixing heterogeneous sperm populations in rabbit semen fertility was studied. Eighty female rabbits which were divided in 4 groups (1,2,3 and 4) in = 20.) and 3 males of proven fertility were employed. The animals of group 1,2 and 3 were inseminated with semen from male A j, A2 and A3, respectively, while those of group 4 were inseminated with a mixture containing equal number of progressively motile spermatozoa from each of the above mentioned males ( A 1 + 2 + 3 ) (heterospermic insemination). Animals of each group were divided into 4 subgroups according to the insemination time (15,10, 5 and 0 hours prior the expected ovulation). In each group, differences were observed (P<0.05) between subgroups at the percentage of animals that delivered, indicating differences between males at the time and the duration of sperm capacitation in vivo. Based on the percentage of the animals that delivered and the litter size, semen fertility was improved after the application of heterospermic insemination, at all insemination times. This improvement was attributed to the extension of the time during which capacitated spermatozoa were present in the female genital tract due to the mixture of heterogeneous sperm populations of different capacitation time.

scholarly journals Sperm migration in the genital tract - in silico experiments identify key factors for reproductive success

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorin Diemer ◽  
Jens Hahn ◽  
Björn Goldenbogen ◽  
Karin Müller ◽  
Edda Klipp
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Male Gametes ◽  
Sperm Migration ◽  
Sperm Motion ◽  
Female Genital

Sperm migration in the female genital tract controls sperm selection and, therefore, reproductive success as male gametes are conditioned for fertilization while their number is dramatically reduced. Mechanisms underlying sperm migration are mostly unknown, since in vivo investigations are mostly unfeasible for ethical or practical reasons. By presenting a spatio-temporal model of the mammalian female genital tract combined with agent-based description of sperm motion and interaction as well as parameterizing it with bovine data, we offer an alternative possibility for studying sperm migration in silico. The model incorporates genital tract geometry as well as biophysical principles of sperm motion observed in vitro such as positive rheotaxis and thigmotaxis. This model for sperm migration from vagina to oviducts was successfully tested against in vivo data from literature. We found that physical sperm characteristics such as velocity and directional stability as well as sperm-fluid interactions and wall alignment are critical for success, i.e. sperms reaching the oviducts. Therefore, we propose that these identified sperm parameters should be considered in detail for conditioning sperm in artificial selection procedures since the natural processes are normally bypassed in reproductive in vitro technologies. The tremendous impact of mucus flow to support sperm accumulation in the oviduct highlights the importance of a species-specific optimum time window for artificial insemination regarding ovulation. Predictions from our extendable in silico experimental system will improve assisted reproduction in humans, endangered species, and livestock.

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