Focusing the diversity of Gardnerella vaginalis through the lens of ecotypes.

ABSTRACT: Gardnerella vaginalis has long been associated with bacterial vaginosis, a condition that increases the risk of women to preterm birth, sexually transmitted infections, and other adverse sequelae. However, G. vaginalis is also commonly found in healthy asymptomatic women of all ages. This raises the question if genetic differences among strains might distinguish potentially pathogenic from commensal strains. To disentangle the diversity of G. vaginalis, we invoked the concept of ecotypes-lineages of genetically and ecologically distinct strains within a named species-to better understand their evolutionary history and identify functional characteristics. We compared the genomes of G. vaginalis to six species in the closely related Bifidobacterium genus an

SUBMITTER: Cornejo OE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5881158 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature