Interstrain Variability of Human Vaginal <i>Lactobacillus crispatus</i> for Metabolism of Biogenic Amines and Antimicrobial Activity against Urogenital Pathogens
Scarlett Puebla-Barragan,
Emiley Watson,
Charlotte van der Veer,
John A. Chmiel,
Charles Carr,
Jeremy P. Burton,
Mark Sumarah,
Remco Kort,
Gregor Reid
Affiliations
Scarlett Puebla-Barragan
Canadian Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics, Lawson Health Research Institute, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
Emiley Watson
Canadian Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics, Lawson Health Research Institute, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
Charlotte van der Veer
Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service (GGD), Nieuwe Achtergracht 100, 1018 WT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
John A. Chmiel
Canadian Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics, Lawson Health Research Institute, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
Charles Carr
Canadian Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics, Lawson Health Research Institute, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
Jeremy P. Burton
Canadian Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics, Lawson Health Research Institute, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
Mark Sumarah
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON N5V 4T3, Canada
Remco Kort
Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, O2 Lab Building, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Gregor Reid
Canadian Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics, Lawson Health Research Institute, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
Lactobacillus crispatus is the dominant species in the vagina of many women. With the potential for strains of this species to be used as a probiotic to help prevent and treat dysbiosis, we investigated isolates from vaginal swabs with Lactobacillus-dominated and a dysbiotic microbiota. A comparative genome analysis led to the identification of metabolic pathways for synthesis and degradation of three major biogenic amines in most strains. However, targeted metabolomic analysis of the production and degradation of biogenic amines showed that certain strains have either the ability to produce or to degrade these compounds. Notably, six strains produced cadaverine, one produced putrescine, and two produced tyramine. These biogenic amines are known to raise vaginal pH, cause malodour, and make the environment more favourable to vaginal pathogens. In vitro experiments confirmed that strains isolated from women with a dysbiotic vaginal microbiota have higher antimicrobial effects against the common urogenital pathogens Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecium. The results indicate that not all L. crispatus vaginal strains appear suitable for probiotic application and the basis for selection should not be only the overall composition of the vaginal microbiota of the host from which they came, but specific biochemical and genetic traits.
