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1. Corynebacterium phoceense, resident member of the urogenital microbiota?

   https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.001068  

   Giannattasio-Ferraz, Silvia; Ene, Adriana; Maskeri, Laura; Oliveira, Andre Penido; Barbosa-Stancioli, Edel F.; Putonti, Catherine (July 2021, Microbiology)

   null (Ed.)

   Corynebacterium phoceense is a Gram-positive species previously isolated from human urine. Although other species from the same genus have been associated with urinary tract infections, C. phoceense is currently believed to be a non-pathogenic member of the urogenital microbiota. Prior to our study, only two isolates were described in the literature, and very little is known about the species. Here, we describe C. phoceense UFMG-H7, the first strain of this species isolated from the urine of healthy cattle. The genome for this isolate was produced and compared to the two other publicly available C. phoceense as well as other Corynebacterium genome assemblies. Our in-depth genomic analysis identified four additional publicly available genome assemblies that are representatives of the species, also isolated from the human urogenital tract. Although none of the strains have been associated with symptoms or disease, numerous genes associated with virulence factors are encoded. In contrast to related Corynebacterium species and Corynebacterium species from the bovine vaginal tract, all C. phoceense strains examined code for the SpaD-type pili suggesting adherence is essential for its persistence within the urinary tract. As the other C. phoceense strains analysed were isolated from the human urogenital tract, our results suggest that this species may be specific to this niche. 

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2. Impact of testosterone use on the vaginal microbiota of transgender men, including susceptibility to bacterial vaginosis: study protocol for a prospective, observational study

   https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073068  

   Muzny, Christina A; Van Gerwen, Olivia T; Schroeder, Julia A; Kay-Duncan, Emma Sophia; Siwakoti, Krishmita; Aaron, Kristal J; Eastlund, Isaac C; Graves, Keonte J; Elnaggar, Jacob H; Tamhane, Ashutosh; et al (March 2023, BMJ Open)

   Introduction The effect of testosterone (T) therapy on the vaginal microbiota of transgender men (TGM) is not well characterised, although one cross-sectional study comparing the vaginal microbiota of cisgender women to TGM on T≥1 year found that, in 71% of the TGM, the vaginal microbiota was less likely to be Lactobacillus -dominated and more likely to be enriched with >30 other bacterial species, many associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV). This prospective study aims to investigate changes in the composition of the vaginal microbiota over time in TGM who retain their natal genitalia (ie, vagina) and initiate T. In addition, we will identify changes in the vaginal microbiota preceding incident BV (iBV) in this cohort while investigating behavioural factors, along with hormonal shifts, which may be associated with iBV. Methods and analysis T-naïve TGM who have not undergone gender-affirming genital surgery with normal baseline vaginal microbiota (ie, no Amsel criteria, normal Nugent Score with no Gardnerella vaginalis morphotypes) will self-collect daily vaginal specimens for 7 days prior to initiating T and for 90 days thereafter. These specimens will be used for vaginal Gram stain, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun metagenomic sequencing to characterise shifts in the vaginal microbiota over time, including development of iBV. Participants will complete daily diaries on douching, menses and behavioural factors including sexual activity during the study. Ethics and dissemination This protocol is approved through the single Institutional Review Board mechanism by the University of Alabama at Birmingham. External relying sites are the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans Human Research Protection Program and the Indiana University Human Research Protection Program. Study findings will be presented at scientific conferences and peer-reviewed journals as well as shared with community advisory boards at participating gender health clinics and community-based organisations servicing transgender people. Registration details Protocol # IRB-300008073. 

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3. Genome-scale metabolic network reconstruction analysis identifies bacterial vaginosis-associated metabolic interactions

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59965-y  

   Dillard, Lillian_R; Glass, Emma_M; Kolling, Glynis_L; Thomas-White, Krystal; Wever, Fiorella; Markowitz, Robert; Lyttle, David; Papin, Jason_A (May 2025, Nature Communications)

   Abstract Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most prevalent vaginal condition among reproductive-age women presenting with vaginal complaints. Despite its significant impact on women’s health, limited knowledge exists regarding the microbial community composition and metabolic interactions associated with BV. In this study, we analyze metagenomic data obtained from human vaginal swabs to generate in silico predictions of BV-associated bacterial metabolic interactions via genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions (GENREs). While most efforts to characterize symptomatic BV (and thus guide therapeutic intervention by identifying responders and non-responders to treatment) are based on genomic profiling, our in silico simulations reveal functional metabolic relatedness between species as quite distinct from genetic relatedness. We grow several of the most common co-occurring bacteria (Prevotella amnii, Prevotella buccalis, Hoylesella timonensis, Lactobacillus iners, Fannyhessea vaginae, andAerrococcus christenssii) on the spent media ofGardnerellaspecies and perform metabolomics to identify potential mechanisms of metabolic interaction. Through these analyses, we identify BV-associated bacteria that produce caffeate, a compound implicated in estrogen receptor binding, when grown in the spent media of other BV-associated bacteria. These findings underscore the complex and diverse nature of BV-associated bacterial community structures and several of these mechanisms are of potential significance in understanding host-microbiome relationships. 

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4. Characterization of Vaginal Microbial Community Dynamics in the Pathogenesis of Incident Bacterial Vaginosis, a Pilot Study

   https://doi.org/10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001821  

   Elnaggar, Jacob H.; Lammons, John W.; Taylor, Christopher M.; Toh, Evelyn; Ardizzone, Caleb M.; Dong, Amy; Aaron, Kristal J.; Luo, Meng; Tamhane, Ashutosh; Lefkowitz, Elliot J.; et al (January 2023, Sexually Transmitted Diseases)

   Background Despite more than 60 years of research, the etiology of bacterial vaginosis (BV) remains controversial. In this pilot study, we used shotgun metagenomic sequencing to characterize vaginal microbial community changes before the development of incident BV (iBV). Methods A cohort of African American women with a baseline healthy vaginal microbiome (no Amsel criteria, Nugent score 0–3 with no Gardnerella vaginalis morphotypes) were followed for 90 days with daily self-collected vaginal specimens for iBV (≥2 consecutive days of a Nugent score of 7–10). Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was performed on select vaginal specimens from 4 women, every other day for 12 days before iBV diagnosis. Sequencing data were analyzed through Kraken2 and bioBakery 3 workflows, and specimens were classified into community state types. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to compare the correlation of read counts with bacterial abundance. Results Common BV-associated bacteria such as G. vaginalis , Prevotella bivia , and Fannyhessea vaginae were increasingly identified in the participants before iBV. Linear modeling indicated significant increases in G. vaginalis and F . vaginae relative abundance before iBV, whereas the relative abundance of Lactobacillus species declined over time. The Lactobacillus species decline correlated with the presence of Lactobacillus phages. We observed enrichment in bacterial adhesion factor genes on days before iBV. There were also significant correlations between bacterial read counts and abundances measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Conclusions This pilot study characterizes vaginal community dynamics before iBV and identifies key bacterial taxa and mechanisms potentially involved in the pathogenesis of iBV. 

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5. Draft Genome Sequences of Pseudomonas Isolates Derived from Glyphosate-Treated Sediments

   https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.01147-22  

   Cadavillo, Sabryna C.; Stroud, Morgan P.; Newman, Madison; Zigic, Jovan; Roman, Samuel D.; Connors, Bernadette J. (April 2023, Microbiology Resource Announcements)

   Maresca, Julia A. (Ed.)

   ABSTRACT Reported here are the genome sequences of Pseudomonas isolates that were derived from glyphosate-treated sediment microcosms. Genomes were assembled using workflows available through the Bacterial and Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center (BV-BRC). The genomes of eight Pseudomonas isolates were sequenced, with genomes ranging from 5.9 to 6.3 Mb. 

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