Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL; Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 2013 Dec;152 Suppl 57:119-34. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.22395. Epub 2013 Oct 28.
The primate body hosts trillions of microbes. Interactions between primate hosts and these microbes profoundly affect primate physiology, reproduction, health, survival, and ultimately, evolution. It is increasingly clear that primate health cannot be understood fully without knowledge of host-microbial interactions. Our goals here are to review what is known about microbiomes of the female reproductive tract and to explore several factors that influence variation within individuals, as well as within and between primate species. Much of our knowledge of microbial variation derives from studies of humans, and from microbes located in nonreproductive regions (e.g., the gut). We review work suggesting that the vaginal microbiota affects female health, fecundity, and pregnancy outcomes, demonstrating the selective potential for these agents. We explore the factors that correlate with microbial variation within species. Initial colonization by microbes depends on the manner of birth; most microbial variation is structured by estrogen levels that change with age (i.e., at puberty and menopause) and through the menstrual cycle. Microbial communities vary by location within the vagina and can depend on the sampling methods used (e.g., swab, lavage, or pap smear). Interindividual differences also exist, and while this variation is not completely understood, evidence points more to differences in estrogen levels, rather than differences in external physical environment. When comparing across species, reproductive-age humans show distinct microbial communities, generally dominated by Lactobacillus, unlike other primates. We develop evolutionary hypotheses to explain the marked differences in microbial communities. While much remains to be done to test these hypotheses, we argue that the ample variation in primate mating and reproductive behavior offers excellent opportunities to evaluate host-microbe coevolution and adaptation.
灵长类动物体内栖息着数万亿的微生物。灵长类动物宿主与这些微生物之间的相互作用深刻地影响着灵长类动物的生理学、繁殖、健康、生存，最终影响着它们的进化。越来越明显的是，如果不了解宿主与微生物的相互作用，就无法全面了解灵长类动物的健康状况。我们的目标是回顾女性生殖道微生物组的已知内容，并探讨影响个体内部以及个体之间和种间变异的几个因素。我们对微生物变异的大部分了解都来自于对人类和非生殖区域（例如肠道）中微生物的研究。我们回顾了一些表明阴道微生物群会影响女性健康、生育能力和妊娠结局的研究，这些研究证明了这些微生物具有选择性潜力。我们还探讨了与种内微生物变异相关的因素。微生物最初的定植取决于分娩方式；大多数微生物的变异是由雌激素水平决定的，而雌激素水平会随着年龄的变化（即青春期和绝经期）以及月经周期而变化。微生物群落会因阴道内的位置而有所不同，并且还取决于使用的采样方法（例如，拭子、冲洗或巴氏涂片）。个体间也存在差异，虽然这种变异尚不完全清楚，但有证据表明，差异主要在于雌激素水平，而不是外部物理环境的差异。在比较不同物种时，生殖期的人类表现出独特的微生物群落，通常以乳杆菌为主，这与其他灵长类动物不同。我们提出了进化假说来解释微生物群落的显著差异。虽然还有很多工作要做来验证这些假说，但我们认为灵长类动物交配和生殖行为的丰富变化为评估宿主-微生物协同进化和适应提供了极好的机会。
