Hertzberger Rosanne, Morselli Sara, Botschuijver Sara, Himschoot Lisa, Steenbergen Leon, Bruisten Sylvia, Lewis Warren, Cools Piet, Kort Remco
Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
Curr Microbiol. 2025 Sep 2;82(10):487. doi: 10.1007/s00284-025-04459-9.
This study investigates the degradation of resistant α-1,4-glucan by vaginal bacterial species, with a focus on Gardnerella spp., to elucidate its role in bacterial vaginosis (BV). The ability of Gardnerella vaginalis, Gardnerella swidsinskii, Gardnerella leopoldii, Gardnerella piotii, Lactobacillus iners, and Lactobacillus crispatus was assessed to metabolize an ungelatinized, labeled form of raw amylose, a degradation-resistant α-1,4-glucan. The enzymatic activity of these species was evaluated in vitro, and its association with BV was examined in vaginal swabs. Gardnerella vaginalis, G. swidsinskii, and G. leopoldii demonstrated the best ability to degrade resistant α-1,4-glucan in vitro. Unlike the cell-bound, S-layer-associated glycogen-degrading activity in L. crispatus, this α-glucosidase activity in Gardnerella was also extracellular, but not cell-bound and not repressed by glucose. Vaginal swabs showing high rates of resistant α-1,4-glucan degradation activity were associated with BV, particularly in the concurrent presence of G. leopoldii, G. swidsinskii, and G. vaginalis. These findings suggest a role of α-1,4-glucan degradation in BV pathogenesis mediated by Gardnerella species. The results indicate the potential of targeting bacterial amylase activity as therapeutic strategy for BV prevention and treatment.
本研究调查阴道细菌种类对耐药性α-1,4-葡聚糖的降解情况，重点关注加德纳菌属，以阐明其在细菌性阴道病（BV）中的作用。评估了阴道加德纳菌、斯氏加德纳菌、利奥波德加德纳菌、皮奥蒂加德纳菌、惰性乳杆菌和卷曲乳杆菌代谢未糊化、标记形式的生直链淀粉（一种抗降解的α-1,4-葡聚糖）的能力。在体外评估了这些菌种的酶活性，并在阴道拭子中检查了其与BV的关联。阴道加德纳菌、斯氏加德纳菌和利奥波德加德纳菌在体外表现出降解耐药性α-1,4-葡聚糖的最佳能力。与卷曲乳杆菌中与细胞结合的、S层相关的糖原降解活性不同，加德纳菌中的这种α-葡萄糖苷酶活性也是细胞外的，但不与细胞结合且不受葡萄糖抑制。显示出高耐药性α-1,4-葡聚糖降解活性的阴道拭子与BV相关，特别是在同时存在利奥波德加德纳菌、斯氏加德纳菌和阴道加德纳菌的情况下。这些发现表明α-1,4-葡聚糖降解在加德纳菌属介导的BV发病机制中起作用。结果表明，将细菌淀粉酶活性作为BV预防和治疗的治疗策略具有潜力。
