A Microbial Piñata: Bacterial Endosymbionts of Trichomonas vaginalis Come in Different Flavors
ABSTRACT The protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis causes trichomoniasis, a prevalent human urogenital infection with significant morbidity that is commonly associated with vaginal dysbiosis. Exacerbation of T. vaginalis pathogenicity has been related to endosymbionts, including mycoplasma, and t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2022-08-01
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| Series: | mBio |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.01323-22 |
| _version_ | 1797999667978436608 |
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| author | Marina Ferrari de Aquino Augusto Simoes-Barbosa |
| author_facet | Marina Ferrari de Aquino Augusto Simoes-Barbosa |
| author_sort | Marina Ferrari de Aquino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT The protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis causes trichomoniasis, a prevalent human urogenital infection with significant morbidity that is commonly associated with vaginal dysbiosis. Exacerbation of T. vaginalis pathogenicity has been related to endosymbionts, including mycoplasma, and thought for a while to be solely attributable to Mycoplasma hominis. In a recent publication, Margarita and colleagues (https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.00918-22) showed that endosymbiosis extends to a second species of mycoplasma known as “Candidatus Mycoplasma girerdii.” Those authors confirmed the strong association of T. vaginalis with both species of mycoplasma by reassessing clinical samples. Additionally, they showed that in vitro symbiosis of protozoa and bacteria resulted in the modulation of gene expression of T. vaginalis and enhancement of parasite cytoadhesion and hemolytic activity in culture assays. In this commentary, we portray T. vaginalis as a synergistically interacting multimicrobe organism—a “microbial piñata”—whose endosymbionts contribute significantly to the pathophysiology of this medically important protozoan parasite. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:08:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2c86149d40aa41c6bd099029e72ac2d2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-7511 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:08:19Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | mBio |
| spelling | doaj.art-2c86149d40aa41c6bd099029e72ac2d22022-12-22T04:28:05ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologymBio2150-75112022-08-0113410.1128/mbio.01323-22A Microbial Piñata: Bacterial Endosymbionts of Trichomonas vaginalis Come in Different FlavorsMarina Ferrari de Aquino0Augusto Simoes-Barbosa1School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New ZealandSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New ZealandABSTRACT The protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis causes trichomoniasis, a prevalent human urogenital infection with significant morbidity that is commonly associated with vaginal dysbiosis. Exacerbation of T. vaginalis pathogenicity has been related to endosymbionts, including mycoplasma, and thought for a while to be solely attributable to Mycoplasma hominis. In a recent publication, Margarita and colleagues (https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.00918-22) showed that endosymbiosis extends to a second species of mycoplasma known as “Candidatus Mycoplasma girerdii.” Those authors confirmed the strong association of T. vaginalis with both species of mycoplasma by reassessing clinical samples. Additionally, they showed that in vitro symbiosis of protozoa and bacteria resulted in the modulation of gene expression of T. vaginalis and enhancement of parasite cytoadhesion and hemolytic activity in culture assays. In this commentary, we portray T. vaginalis as a synergistically interacting multimicrobe organism—a “microbial piñata”—whose endosymbionts contribute significantly to the pathophysiology of this medically important protozoan parasite.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.01323-22Trichomonas vaginalismycoplasmasymbiosisendosymbiontvaginal microbiomesexually transmitted infections |
| spellingShingle | Marina Ferrari de Aquino Augusto Simoes-Barbosa A Microbial Piñata: Bacterial Endosymbionts of Trichomonas vaginalis Come in Different Flavors mBio Trichomonas vaginalis mycoplasma symbiosis endosymbiont vaginal microbiome sexually transmitted infections |
| title | A Microbial Piñata: Bacterial Endosymbionts of Trichomonas vaginalis Come in Different Flavors |
| title_full | A Microbial Piñata: Bacterial Endosymbionts of Trichomonas vaginalis Come in Different Flavors |
| title_fullStr | A Microbial Piñata: Bacterial Endosymbionts of Trichomonas vaginalis Come in Different Flavors |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Microbial Piñata: Bacterial Endosymbionts of Trichomonas vaginalis Come in Different Flavors |
| title_short | A Microbial Piñata: Bacterial Endosymbionts of Trichomonas vaginalis Come in Different Flavors |
| title_sort | microbial pinata bacterial endosymbionts of trichomonas vaginalis come in different flavors |
| topic | Trichomonas vaginalis mycoplasma symbiosis endosymbiont vaginal microbiome sexually transmitted infections |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.01323-22 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marinaferrarideaquino amicrobialpinatabacterialendosymbiontsoftrichomonasvaginaliscomeindifferentflavors AT augustosimoesbarbosa amicrobialpinatabacterialendosymbiontsoftrichomonasvaginaliscomeindifferentflavors AT marinaferrarideaquino microbialpinatabacterialendosymbiontsoftrichomonasvaginaliscomeindifferentflavors AT augustosimoesbarbosa microbialpinatabacterialendosymbiontsoftrichomonasvaginaliscomeindifferentflavors |