Abstract
To determine whether different racial groups shared common types of vaginal microbiota, we characterized the composition and structure of vaginal bacterial communities in asymptomatic and apparently healthy Japanese women in Tokyo, Japan, and compared them with those of White and Black women from North America. The composition of vaginal communities was compared based on community profiles of terminal restriction fragments of 16S rRNA genes and phylogenetic analysis of cloned 16S rRNA gene sequences of the numerically dominant bacterial populations. The types of vaginal communities found in Japanese women were similar to those of Black and White women. As with White and Black women, most vaginal communities were dominated by lactobacilli, and only four species of Lactobacillus (Lactobacillus iners, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus jensenii, and Lactobacillus gasseri) were commonly found. Communities dominated by multiple species of lactobacilli were common in Japanese and White women, but rare in Black women. The incidence, in Japanese women, of vaginal communities with several non-Lactobacillus species at moderately high frequencies was intermediate between Black women and White women. The limited number of community types found among women in different ethnic groups suggests that host genetic factors, including the innate and adaptive immune systems, may be more important in determining the species composition of vaginal bacterial communities than are cultural and behavioral differences.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 169-181 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- 16S rRNA genes
- Bacterial communities
- Japanese women
- Vaginal microbiota
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology
- Immunology and Allergy
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology (medical)
- Microbiology
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
The vaginal bacterial communities of Japanese women resemble those of women in other racial groups. / Zhou, Xia; Hansmann, Melanie A.; Davis, Catherine C.; Suzuki, Haruo; Brown, Celeste J.; Schütte, Ursel; Pierson, Jacob D.; Forney, Larry J.
In: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology, Vol. 58, No. 2, 2010, p. 169-181.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The vaginal bacterial communities of Japanese women resemble those of women in other racial groups
AU - Zhou, Xia
AU - Hansmann, Melanie A.
AU - Davis, Catherine C.
AU - Suzuki, Haruo
AU - Brown, Celeste J.
AU - Schütte, Ursel
AU - Pierson, Jacob D.
AU - Forney, Larry J.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - To determine whether different racial groups shared common types of vaginal microbiota, we characterized the composition and structure of vaginal bacterial communities in asymptomatic and apparently healthy Japanese women in Tokyo, Japan, and compared them with those of White and Black women from North America. The composition of vaginal communities was compared based on community profiles of terminal restriction fragments of 16S rRNA genes and phylogenetic analysis of cloned 16S rRNA gene sequences of the numerically dominant bacterial populations. The types of vaginal communities found in Japanese women were similar to those of Black and White women. As with White and Black women, most vaginal communities were dominated by lactobacilli, and only four species of Lactobacillus (Lactobacillus iners, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus jensenii, and Lactobacillus gasseri) were commonly found. Communities dominated by multiple species of lactobacilli were common in Japanese and White women, but rare in Black women. The incidence, in Japanese women, of vaginal communities with several non-Lactobacillus species at moderately high frequencies was intermediate between Black women and White women. The limited number of community types found among women in different ethnic groups suggests that host genetic factors, including the innate and adaptive immune systems, may be more important in determining the species composition of vaginal bacterial communities than are cultural and behavioral differences.
AB - To determine whether different racial groups shared common types of vaginal microbiota, we characterized the composition and structure of vaginal bacterial communities in asymptomatic and apparently healthy Japanese women in Tokyo, Japan, and compared them with those of White and Black women from North America. The composition of vaginal communities was compared based on community profiles of terminal restriction fragments of 16S rRNA genes and phylogenetic analysis of cloned 16S rRNA gene sequences of the numerically dominant bacterial populations. The types of vaginal communities found in Japanese women were similar to those of Black and White women. As with White and Black women, most vaginal communities were dominated by lactobacilli, and only four species of Lactobacillus (Lactobacillus iners, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus jensenii, and Lactobacillus gasseri) were commonly found. Communities dominated by multiple species of lactobacilli were common in Japanese and White women, but rare in Black women. The incidence, in Japanese women, of vaginal communities with several non-Lactobacillus species at moderately high frequencies was intermediate between Black women and White women. The limited number of community types found among women in different ethnic groups suggests that host genetic factors, including the innate and adaptive immune systems, may be more important in determining the species composition of vaginal bacterial communities than are cultural and behavioral differences.
KW - 16S rRNA genes
KW - Bacterial communities
KW - Japanese women
KW - Vaginal microbiota
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=76349098429&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=76349098429&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1574-695X.2009.00618.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1574-695X.2009.00618.x
M3 - Article
VL - 58
SP - 169
EP - 181
JO - Pathogens and Disease
JF - Pathogens and Disease
SN - 2049-632X
IS - 2
ER -