Population Density Affects the Outcome of Competition in Co-cultures of Gardnerella Species Isolated from the Human Vaginal Microbiome.

ABSTRACT: Negative frequency-dependent selection is one possible mechanism for maintenance of rare species in communities, but the selective advantage of rare species may be checked at lower overall population densities where resources are abundant. Gardnerella spp. belonging to cpn60 subgroup D, are detected at low levels in vaginal microbiomes and are nutritional generalists relative to other more abundant Gardnerella spp., making them good candidates for negative frequency-dependent selection. The vaginal microbiome is a dynamic environment, and the resulting changes in density of the microbiota may explain why subgroup D never gains dominance. To test this, we co-cultured subgroup D isolates with isolates from the more common and abundant subgroup C. Deep amplicon sequencing of rpoB was used to

SUBMITTER: Khan S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8007170 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature