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Effect of 17β-estradiol on a human vaginal Lactobacillus crispatus strain.

ABSTRACT: Lactobacilli and estrogens play essential roles in vaginal homeostasis. We investigated the potential direct effect of 17β-estradiol on a vaginal strain of Lactobacillus crispatus, the major bacterial species of the vaginal microbiota. 17β-estradiol (10^-6 to 10^-10 M) had no effect on L. crispatus growth, but markedly affected the membrane dynamics of this bacterium. This effect appeared consistent with a signal transduction process. The surface polarity and aggregation potential of the bacterium were unaffected by exposure to 17β-estradiol, but its mean size was significantly reduced. 17β-estradiol also promoted biosurfactant production by L. crispatus and adhesion to vaginal VK2/E6E7 cells, but had little effect on bacterial biofilm formation activity. Bioinformatic analysis of L. crispatus identified a membrane lipid raft-associated stomatin/prohibitin/flotillin/HflK domain containing protein as a potential 17β-estradiol binding site. Overall, our results reveal direct effects of 17β-estradiol on L. crispatus. These effects are of potential importance in the physiology of the vaginal environment, through the promotion of lactobacillus adhesion to the mucosa and protection against pathogens.

SUBMITTER: Clabaut M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8010061 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is characterized by low levels of lactobacilli and overgrowth of potential pathogens in the female genital tract. Current antibiotic treatments often fail to treat BV in a sustained manner, and > 50% of women experience recurrence within 6 months post-treatment. Recently, lactobacilli have shown promise for acting as probiotics by offering health benefits in BV. However, as with other active agents, probiotics often require intensive administration schedules incurring difficult user adherence. Three-dimensional (3D)-bioprinting enables fabrication of well-defined architectures with tunable release of active agents, including live mammalian cells, offering the potential for long-acting probiotic delivery. One promising bioink, gelatin alginate has been previously shown to provide structural stability, host compatibility, viable probiotic incorporation, and cellular nutrient diffusion. This study formulates and characterizes 3D-bioprinted Lactobacillus crispatus-containing gelatin alginate scaffolds for gynecologic applications. Different weight to volume (w/v) ratios of gelatin alginate were bioprinted to determine formulations with highest printing resolution, and different crosslinking reagents were evaluated for effect on scaffold integrity via mass loss and swelling measurements. Post-print viability, sustained-release, and vaginal keratinocyte cytotoxicity assays were conducted. A 10:2 (w/v) gelatin alginate formulation was selected based on line continuity and resolution, while degradation and swelling experiments demonstrated greatest structural stability with dual genipin and calcium crosslinking, showing minimal mass loss and swelling over 28 days. 3D-bioprinted L. crispatus-containing scaffolds demonstrated sustained release and proliferation of live bacteria over 28 days, without impacting viability of vaginal epithelial cells. This study provides in vitro evidence for 3D-bioprinted scaffolds as a novel strategy to sustain probiotic delivery with the ultimate goal of restoring vaginal lactobacilli following microbiological disturbances.

Project description:BackgroundLactobacillus crispatus is the dominant species in the vaginal microbiota associated with health and considered a homeostasis biomarker. Interestingly, some strains are even used as probiotics. However, the genetic mechanisms of L. crispatus involved in the control of the vaginal microbiome and protection against bacterial vaginosis (BV) are not entirely known. To further investigate these mechanisms, we sequenced and characterized the first four L. crispatus genomes from vaginal samples from Brazilian women and used genome-wide association study (GWAS) and comparative analyses to identify genetic mechanisms involved in healthy or BV conditions and selective pressures acting in the vaginal microbiome.MethodsThe four genomes were sequenced, assembled using ten different strategies and automatically annotated. The functional characterization was performed by bioinformatics tools comparing with known probiotic strains. Moreover, it was selected one representative strain (L. crispatus CRI4) for in vitro detection of phages by electron microscopy. Evolutionary analysis, including phylogeny, GWAS and positive selection were performed using 46 public genomes strains representing health and BV conditions.ResultsGenes involved in probiotic effects such as lactic acid production, hydrogen peroxide, bacteriocins, and adhesin were identified. Three hemolysins and putrescine production were predicted, although these features are also present in other probiotic strains. The four genomes presented no plasmids, but 14 known families insertion sequences and several prophages were detected. However, none of the mobile genetic elements contained antimicrobial resistance genes. The genomes harbor a CRISPR-Cas subtype II-A system that is probably inactivated due to fragmentation of the genes csn2 and cas9. No genomic feature was associated with a health condition, perhaps due to its multifactorial characteristic. Five genes were identified as under positive selection, but the selective pressure remains to be discovered. In conclusion, the Brazilian strains investigated in this study present potential protective properties, although in vitro and in vivo studies are required to confirm their efficacy and safety to be considered for human use.

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Effect of 17β-estradiol on a human vaginal Lactobacillus crispatus strain.

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