학술논문
Lactic acid from vaginal microbiota enhances cervicovaginal epithelial barrier integrity by promoting tight junction protein expression
Document Type
article
Author
David Jose Delgado-Diaz; Brianna Jesaveluk; Joshua A. Hayward; David Tyssen; Arghavan Alisoltani; Matthys Potgieter; Liam Bell; Elizabeth Ross; Arash Iranzadeh; Imane Allali; Smritee Dabee; Shaun Barnabas; Hoyam Gamieldien; Jonathan M. Blackburn; Nicola Mulder; Steven B. Smith; Vonetta L. Edwards; Adam D. Burgener; Linda-Gail Bekker; Jacques Ravel; Jo-Ann S. Passmore; Lindi Masson; Anna C. Hearps; Gilda Tachedjian
Source
Microbiome, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 1-16 (2022)
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
2049-2618
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. Video abstract