Abstract
BackgroundTo date, information on healthy female urinary microbiota is available mostly at genus level and at one time point. However, profound species-level characterization of healthy urinary microbiome and its stability over time are essential for further correct interpretation of its role in healthy urogenital tract. In this study, we investigated female urogenital microbiome (FUM) at two timepoints (within 2.5-year interval) in young asymptomatic European women. We used culturomics with accurate isolates’ identification (MALDI-TOF MS and gene markers sequencing) to understand species stability within healthy FUM.ResultsExtended culturomics of voided midstream urine sample pairs revealed a mean Shannon diversity index of 1.25 and mean of 19 species/sample (range 5–39 species; total of 115 species; 1830 isolates). High overall species variability between individuals was captured by beta diversity and a variety of community structure types, with the largest cluster characterized by Lactobacillus crispatus, often in combination with Gardnerella vaginalis or Gardnerella genomospecies 3. Significant FUM composition differences, related to Finegoldia magna and Streptococcus anginosus, according to smoking status were found.A high species variability within individuals (Shannon index SD > 0.5 in 7 out of 10 sample pairs) with a mean of 29% of shared species (range 9.1–41.7%) was observed. Moreover, 4 out of 10 sample pairs clustered in the same community structure type. The stable FUM sample pairs presented high abundance of Lactobacillus crispatus, Streptococcus agalactiae or Lactobacillus paragasseri and Bifidobacterium spp.. Moreover, Gardnerella vaginalis, Gardnerella genomospecies 3 or Gardnerella swidsinskii were often maintained within individuals in high abundance.ConclusionsShift in species composition at two distant timepoints was frequently observed among urogenital microbiome of European asymptomatic women. This suggests possible interchange of particular species in healthy FUM and the existence of multiple health-associated FUM compositions in certain individuals.Additionally, we provided additional evidence on resilience of particular bacterial communities and identified certain species more prone to persist in urogenital tract.This study revealed important details on the FUM composition complexity relevant for studies aiming to understand microbiota role in the urogenital tract health and for identification of eubiotic and dysbiotic FUM.
Highlights
To date, information on healthy female urinary microbiota is available mostly at genus level and at one time point
The majority of available observations have been made in female urogenital microbiota (FUM) composition under disease state and, simultaneously, data originated from asymptomatic controls provided a broad overview at high taxonomic levels on healthy female urogenital microbiome (FUM) [2, 6, 9,10,11]
Some participants declared to have had urinary tract infection (UTI) in the past, none of them reported to suffer from recurrent UTIs
Summary
Information on healthy female urinary microbiota is available mostly at genus level and at one time point. A few studies indicated species such as Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus jensenii, Gardnerella vaginalis or Streptococcus anginosus, identified by MALDI-TOF MS analysis, as the most prevalent within healthy FUM [2, 12, 16, 17]. Since it is widely recognized in other body niches that microbiota dysbiosis, i.e., significant change in microbiota composition, may contribute to disease development [18, 19], it is important to assess the scale of microbiota compositional shifts occurring naturally in healthy urogenital tract and evaluate resilience of urogenital microbiota. Changes in urinary microbiota composition may occur daily and certain shifts are associated with particular physiological or lifestyle factors, such as increased detection of Streptococcus and Staphylococcus genus associated with vaginal intercourse, or increased detection of e.g., Corynebacterium and Actinomyces during menstruation [14]
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