Lactic acid from vaginal microbiota enhances cervicovaginal epithelial barrier integrity by promoting tight junction protein expression
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Date
2022-08-31
Authors
Delgado-Diaz, David J.
Jesaveluk, Brianna
Hayward, Joshua A.
Tyssen, David
Alisoltani, Arghavan
Potgieter, Matthys
Bell, Liam
Ross, Elizabeth
Iranzadeh, Arash
Allali, Imane
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Abstract
Abstract
Background
Women with a cervicovaginal microbiota dominated by Lactobacillus spp. are at reduced risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections including HIV, but the biological mechanisms involved remain poorly defined. Here, we performed metaproteomics on vaginal swab samples from young South African women (n = 113) and transcriptomics analysis of cervicovaginal epithelial cell cultures to examine the ability of lactic acid, a metabolite produced by cervicovaginal lactobacilli, to modulate genital epithelial barrier function.
Results
Compared to women with Lactobacillus-depleted microbiota, women dominated by vaginal lactobacilli exhibit higher abundance of bacterial lactate dehydrogenase, a key enzyme responsible for lactic acid production, which is independently associated with an increased abundance of epithelial barrier proteins. Physiological concentrations of lactic acid enhance epithelial cell culture barrier integrity and increase intercellular junctional molecule expression.
Conclusions
These findings reveal a novel ability of vaginal lactic acid to enhance genital epithelial barrier integrity that may help prevent invasion by sexually transmitted pathogens.
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Citation
Microbiome. 2022 Aug 31;10(1):141