Lactobacillus crispatus is a commonly found species in the urogenital tract(UGT)of healthy females and can also colonize other niches,such as the gastrointestinal tract(GIT).Although its potential protective role in c...Lactobacillus crispatus is a commonly found species in the urogenital tract(UGT)of healthy females and can also colonize other niches,such as the gastrointestinal tract(GIT).Although its potential protective role in cervical cancer has been reported,the anticancer mechanisms involved are still unclear.In this study,we sequenced and characterized the complete genomes of two L.crispatus strains(Lc31 and Lc83)isolated from the UGT of healthy women of reproductive age.Phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses of these two strains and 15 other L.crispatus strains with complete genome sequences revealed that strains from the UGT and GIT clustered separately.UGT strains had a larger genome size,higher GC contents,and more protein-coding sequences and insertion sequence(Is)elements,indicating the likelihood of active horizontal gene transfer in this niche.We found a universal presence of genes encoding bacteriocins and the absence of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes in UGT strains,suggesting the potential of L.crispatus as a urogenital probiotic.Comparative genomic analysis identified an ula gene cluster responsible for L-ascorbate catabolism exclusively in UGT strains,and carbohydrate fermentation experiments confirmed that this substrate supported the growth of L.crispatus Lc31 and Lc83.Our findings improve the understanding of how the genome determines niche adaptation by L.crispatus,providing a foundation for investigating the mechanisms by which urogenital-derived L.crispatus promotes female health.展开更多
基金supported by grants from the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province(grant number 2208085MH253)the National Natural Science Foundation(grant number 81702560)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(grant number WK9110000110),People's Republic of China.
文摘Lactobacillus crispatus is a commonly found species in the urogenital tract(UGT)of healthy females and can also colonize other niches,such as the gastrointestinal tract(GIT).Although its potential protective role in cervical cancer has been reported,the anticancer mechanisms involved are still unclear.In this study,we sequenced and characterized the complete genomes of two L.crispatus strains(Lc31 and Lc83)isolated from the UGT of healthy women of reproductive age.Phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses of these two strains and 15 other L.crispatus strains with complete genome sequences revealed that strains from the UGT and GIT clustered separately.UGT strains had a larger genome size,higher GC contents,and more protein-coding sequences and insertion sequence(Is)elements,indicating the likelihood of active horizontal gene transfer in this niche.We found a universal presence of genes encoding bacteriocins and the absence of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes in UGT strains,suggesting the potential of L.crispatus as a urogenital probiotic.Comparative genomic analysis identified an ula gene cluster responsible for L-ascorbate catabolism exclusively in UGT strains,and carbohydrate fermentation experiments confirmed that this substrate supported the growth of L.crispatus Lc31 and Lc83.Our findings improve the understanding of how the genome determines niche adaptation by L.crispatus,providing a foundation for investigating the mechanisms by which urogenital-derived L.crispatus promotes female health.
