Limosilactobacillus vaginalis

Limosilactobacillus vaginalis is a lactic acid bacterium that is a normal, but infrequent part of the vaginal microbiome.

Limosilactobacillus vaginalis
Scientific classification
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Bacillota
Class: Bacilli
Order: Lactobacillales
Family: Lactobacillaceae
Genus: Limosilactobacillus
Species:
L. vaginalis
Binomial name
Limosilactobacillus vaginalis
(Embley et al. 1989) Zheng et al. 2020
Synonyms
  • Lactobacillus vaginalis Embley et al. 1989

Discovery and taxonomy

The species was identified by Embley and his coworkers in the course of a vaccine development against trichomoniasis.[1] The vaginal secretions of women suffering from trichomoniasis were examined for the presence of certain proposed Lactobacillus strains exhibiting mutualistic behavior with Trichomonas vaginalis, facilitating sustainment of infection.[1] The isolates initially designated Limosilactobacillus fermentum were compared to the reference strains of a number of heterofermentative species using the DNA–DNA hybridization method, and have shown a maximal DNA homology of 35% with Limosilactobacillus reuteri, far below the standard threshold of 70% recommended for species delineation.[1] The new species L. vaginalis with type strain NCTC 12197 was proposed, and the description of its carbohydrate fermentation patterns as well as cellular fatty acid composition were provided.[1] Further taxonomic investigations relying on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis placed L. vaginalis in the L. reuteri phylogenetic group along with 14 other species, including L. fermentum.[2]

Description

Limosilactobacillus vaginalis is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, catalase negative bacterium.[1] These obligate heterofermentative lactobacilli produce both D and L isomers of lactic acid as the metabolic end-product of carbohydrate fermentation.[1] Similarly to most other vaginal Lactobacillus species, L. vaginalis does not directly metabolize glycogen, but rather its depolymerization products.[3] The bacterium occurs in less than 1% of healthy women.[4]

Use

Specific strains of L. vaginalis characterized by an insufficient protective efficacy against vaginal pathogens are used in lactobacillus vaccines, a therapy method of chronic vaginal infections that respond poorly to antibiotic treatment, available in German-speaking Europe.[5] L. vaginalis is not used as a probiotic, nor as a starter culture in the food industry. It is occasionally isolated from fermented dairy products, where it represents an unwanted contaminant.[6]

References
  1. Embley TM, Faquir N, Bossart W, Collins MD (July 1989). "Lactobacillus vaginalis sp. nov. from the human vagina". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 39 (3): 368–370. doi:10.1099/00207713-39-3-368.
  2. Salvetti E, Torriani S, Felis GE (December 2012). "The genus Lactobacillus: a taxonomic update". Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins. 4 (4): 217–226. doi:10.1007/s12602-012-9117-8. PMID 26782181.
  3. Nunn KL, Forney LJ (September 2016). "Unraveling the dynamics of the human vaginal microbiome". The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. 89 (3): 331–337. PMC 5045142. PMID 27698617.
  4. Antonio MA, Hawes SE, Hillier SL (December 1999). "The identification of vaginal Lactobacillus species and the demographic and microbiologic characteristics of women colonized by these species". The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 180 (6): 1950–1956. doi:10.1086/315109. PMID 10558952.
  5. Mendling W (1995). Vaginose, Vaginitis und Zervizitis. Mit Bildteil zu Vulvovaginalerkrankungen [Vaginosis, vaginitis, cervicitis. With image section of vulvovaginal diseases] (in German). Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-10739-3. ISBN 978-3-540-58553-4.
  6. Diaz M, del Rio B, Ladero V, Redruello B, Fernández M, Martin MC, Alvarez MA (September 2015). "Isolation and typification of histamine-producing Lactobacillus vaginalis strains from cheese". International Journal of Food Microbiology. 215: 117–123. doi:10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2015.08.026. hdl:10261/124859. PMID 26394683.
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