Introducing Lu-1, a Novel Lactobacillus jensenii Phage Abundant in the Urogenital Tract

PLoS One. 2020 Jun 11;15(6):e0234159. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234159. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Bacteriophages (phages) play a key role in shaping microbial communities, including those of the human body. Phages are abundant members of the urogenital tract, most often persisting through the lysogenic life cycle as prophages integrated within the genomes of their bacterial hosts. While numerous studies of the urogenital microbiota have focused on the most abundant bacterial member of this niche-Lactobacillus species-very little is known about Lactobacillus phages. Focusing on Lactobacillus jensenii strains from the urinary tract, we identified numerous prophages related to the previously characterized Lv-1 phage from a vaginal L. jensenii strain. Furthermore, we identified a new L. jensenii phage, Lu-1. Evidence suggests that both phages are abundant within the urogenital tract. CRISPR spacer sequences matching to Lv-1 and Lu-1 prophages were identified. While first detected in urinary isolates, the Lu-1 phage was also discovered in L. jensenii isolates from vaginal and perineal swabs, and both phages were found in metagenomic data sets. The prevalence of these phages in the isolates suggests that both phages are active members of the urogenital microbiota.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Bacteriophages / genetics
  • Bacteriophages / isolation & purification*
  • Computational Biology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lactobacillus / virology*
  • Microbiota
  • Perineum / microbiology*
  • Vagina / microbiology*

Supplementary concepts

  • Lactobacillus jensenii

Grants and funding

TME is supported by Loyola University Chicago’s Carbon Research Fellowship. RM and LM are supported by Loyola University Chicago’s Mulcahy Research Fellowship. CP is supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant no. 1661357). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.