Characterization of the Vaginal DNA Virome in Health and Dysbiosis

• Published in: Viruses Vol. 12; no. 10; p. 1143
• Main Authors: Jakobsen, Rasmus Riemer, Haahr, Thor, Humaidan, Peter, Jensen, Jørgen Skov, Kot, Witold Piotr, Castro-Mejia, Josue Leonardo, Deng, Ling, Leser, Thomas Dyrmann, Nielsen, Dennis Sandris
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 09.10.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Abundance; Adult; Bacteria; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacteria - virology; bacterial vaginosis; bacteriophages; Bacteriophages - genetics; Bacteriophages - isolation & purification; Community composition; Community structure; Cross-Sectional Studies; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA viruses; Dysbacteriosis; dysbiosis; Dysbiosis - microbiology; Female; Genomes; Humans; Infections; Infertility; Lactobacillus - isolation & purification; Metagenomics; Microbiota; Phages; Taxonomy; Vagina; Vagina - microbiology; vaginal microbiome; vaginal virome; Vaginosis; Vaginosis, Bacterial - microbiology; Virome - physiology; Virus-like particles; Viruses; Young Adult; United States > US; Germany; bacterial vaginosis; vaginal microbiome; bacteriophages; dysbiosis; vaginal virome
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v12101143

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is characterized by a reduction in spp. abundance and increased abundance of facultative anaerobes, such as spp. BV aetiology is not fully understood; however, bacteriophages could play a pivotal role in the perturbation of the vaginal bacterial community. We investigated the vaginal viral community, including bacteriophages and the association to the bacterial community and BV-status. Vaginal samples from 48 patients undergoing IVF treatment for non-female factor infertility were subjected to metagenomic sequencing of purified virus-like particles. The vaginal viral community was characterized and correlated with the BV-status by Nugent score, bacterial community, structure, and the presence of key vaginal bacterial species. The majority of identified vaginal viruses belonged to the class of double-stranded DNA bacteriophages, with eukaryotic viruses constituting 4% of the total reads. Clear links between the viral community composition and BV ( = 0.006, = 0.26) as well as the presence of ( = 0.001, = 0.43), , spp., and were found ( < 0.002, > 0.15). The eukaryotic viral community also correlated with BV-status ( = 0.018, = 0.20). In conclusion, the vaginal virome was clearly linked with bacterial community structure and BV-status.