Project description:The human cervical-vaginal area contains proteins derived from microorganisms that may prevent or predispose women to gynecological conditions. The liquid Pap test fixative is an unexplored resource for analysis of microbial communities and the microbe-host interaction. Previously, we showed that the residual cell-free fixative from discarded Pap tests of healthy women could be used for mass spectrometry (MS) based proteomic identification of cervical-vaginal proteins. In this study, we reprocessed these MS raw data files for metaproteomic analysis to characterize the microbial community composition and function of microbial proteins in the cervical-vaginal region. This was accomplished by developing a customized protein sequence database encompassing microbes likely present in the vagina. High-mass accuracy data were searched against the protein FASTA database using a two-step search method within the Galaxy for proteomics platform. Data was analyzed by MEGAN6 (MetaGenomeAnalyzer) for phylogenetic and functional characterization. We identified over 300 unique peptides from a variety of bacterial phyla and Candida. Peptides corresponding to proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism, oxidation-reduction, and transport were identified. By identifying microbial peptides in Pap test supernatants it may be possible to acquire a functional signature of these microbes, as well as detect specific proteins associated with cervical health and disease.
Project description:This study investigates the dynamic alterations in high vaginal fluid (HVF) proteome and its correlation with physiological changes during progression of term pregnancy. The HVF samples were collected at three time points as defined as V1 (6-12 weeks), V2 (18-20 weeks) and V3 (26-28 weeks) and SWATH-MS strategy were applied to profile changes in protein expression at early and middle stage of pregnancy. Using in-house generated HVF-specific protein library, 61 proteins (>1.5 fold at V2/V1 or V3/V1, q-value <0.05) changed as a function of gestational age. The stage-specific expression pattern of these proteins was mainly associated with the biology of cervical remolding, fetal development and microbial defense.
Project description:This study investigates the dynamic alterations in high vaginal fluid (HVF) proteome and its correlation with physiological changes during progression of term pregnancy. The HVF samples were collected at three time points as defined as V1 (6-12 weeks), V2 (18-20 weeks) and V3 (26-28 weeks) and SWATH-MS strategy were applied to profile changes in protein expression at early and middle stage of pregnancy. Using in-house generated HVF-specific protein library, 61 proteins (>1.5 fold at V2/V1 or V3/V1, q-value <0.05) changed as a function of gestational age. The stage-specific expression pattern of these proteins was mainly associated with the biology of cervical remolding, fetal development and microbial defense.
Project description:Samples of oil and production water were collected from five wells of the Qinghai Oilfield, China, and subjected to GeoChip hybridization experiments for microbial functional diversity profiling. Unexpectedly, a remarkable microbial diversity in oil samples, which was higher than that in the corresponding water samples, was observed, thus challenging previously believed assumptions about the microbial diversity in this ecosystem. Hierarchical clustering separated oil and water samples, thereby indicating distinct functional structures in the samples. Genes involved in the degradation of hydrocarbons, organic remediation, stress response, and carbon cycling were significantly abundant in crude oil, which is consistent with their important roles in residing in oil. Association analysis with environmental variables suggested that oil components comprising aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and a polar fraction with nitrogen-, sulfur-, and oxygen-containing compounds were mainly influential on the structure of the microbial community. Furthermore, a comparison of microbial communities in oil samples indicated that the structures were depth/temperature-dependent. To our knowledge, this is the first thorough study to profile microbial functional diversity in crude oil samples.
Project description:Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide and screening pro-grams increase detection rate and survivability. Molecular screening of presence of human papil-loma viruses (HPV) as alternatives to physical examinations offers cost-efficient solutions and can be performed on self-collected samples. A persistent infection with HPV is necessary but not sufficient to develop cancer and additional biomarkers are needed to increase the precision. We have analyzed protein biomarkers found in self-collected dried cervico-vaginal fluid (CVF) from both controls and women with cervical cancer pre-stages.
2022-02-17 | PXD026064 | Pride
Project description:Studies of gut microbial diversity in cervical cancer patients
Project description:<p>The pregnancy vaginal microbiome contributes to risk of preterm birth, the primary cause of death in children under 5 years of age. Here we describe direct on-swab metabolic profiling by Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (DESI-MS) for sample preparation-free characterisation of the cervicovaginal metabolome in two independent pregnancy cohorts (VMET, n = 160; 455 swabs; VMET II, n = 205; 573 swabs). By integrating metataxonomics and immune profiling data from matched samples, we show that specific metabolome signatures can be used to robustly predict simultaneously both the composition of the vaginal microbiome and host inflammatory status. In these patients, vaginal microbiota instability and innate immune activation, as predicted using DESI-MS, associated with preterm birth, including in women receiving cervical cerclage for preterm birth prevention. These findings highlight direct on-swab metabolic profiling by DESI-MS as an innovative approach for preterm birth risk stratification through rapid assessment of vaginal microbiota-host dynamics.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Linked cross omic data sets:</strong></p><p>Meta-taxonomics data associated with this study are available in the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA): accession number <a href='https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJEB11895' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'>PRJEB11895</a>, <a href='https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJEB12577' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'>PRJEB12577</a> and <a href='https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJEB41427' rel='noopener noreferrer' target='_blank'>PRJEB41427</a>.</p>
Project description:The hormonal contraceptive medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is associated with increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), via incompletely understood mechanisms. Increased diversity in the vaginal microbiota modulates genital inflammation and is associated with increased HIV-1 acquisition. However, the effect of MPA on diversity of the vaginal microbiota is relatively unknown. In a cohort of female Kenyan sex workers, negative for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), with Nugent scores <7 (N=58 of 370 screened), MPA correlated with significantly increased diversity of the vaginal microbiota as assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. MPA was also significantly associated with decreased levels of estrogen in the plasma, and low vaginal glycogen and α-amylase, factors implicated in vaginal colonization by lactobacilli, bacteria that are believed to protect against STIs. In a humanized mouse model, MPA treatment was associated with low serum estrogen, low glycogen and enhanced HIV-1 susceptibility. The mechanism by which the MPA mediated changes in the vaginal microbiota may contribute to HIV-1 susceptibility in humans appears to be independent of inflammatory cytokines and/or activated T cells. Altogether, these results suggest MPA-induced hypo-estrogenism may alter key metabolic components that are necessary for vaginal colonization by certain bacterial species including lactobacilli, and allow for greater bacterial diversity in the vaginal microbiota.
Project description:Background: Offering self-sampling of cervico-vaginal material for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is an effective method to increase the coverage in cervical screening programmes. Molecular triage directly on HPV-positive self-samples for colposcopy referral opens the way to full molecular cervical screening. Here, we set out to identify a methylation classifier for detection of precancer (CIN3) or cancer, applicable to self-samples obtained by different devices. Findings: Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of HPV-positive self-samples revealed 12 methylation targets for CIN3 detection. Multiplex quantitative methylation-specific PCR of these targets yielded a 3-gene methylation classifier (ASCL1, LHX8 and ST6GALNAC5), showing a very good clinical performance for CIN3 detection in both lavage (AUC=0.88; sensitivity=74%; specificity=79%) and brush (AUC=0.90; sensitivity=88%; specificity=81%) self-samples in the validation set. All self-samples from women with cervical cancer scored methylation-positive. Conclusion: By genome-wide DNA methylation profiling on self-samples, we identified a highly effective 3-gene methylation classifier for direct triage on self-samples from HPV-positive women.