Lactobacillus-Dominated Cervical Microbiota Revealed by Long-Read 16S rRNA Sequencing: A Greek Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Genomics
• Gynecology

Background:

• The vaginal microbiota is a dynamic ecosystem influenced by the female genital tract's environment.
• Alterations in cervical microbial composition are linked to gynecological disease risk.
• Understanding the cervical microbiota is crucial for host-microbe interaction and disease prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To perform in-depth genomic characterization of the cervical microbiota in Greek women.
• To identify dominant bacterial taxa and their functional roles in cervical homeostasis.
• To explore microbial pathways involved in immune modulation and disease susceptibility.

Main Methods:

• Genomic DNA isolation from 60 cervical samples.
• Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing using Nanopore MinION™ for high-resolution taxonomic and functional analysis.
• Screening for 14 HPV genotypes using real-time PCR.

Main Results:

• Cervical microbiota dominated by Lactobacillus iners, Lactobacillus crispatus, and Aerococcus christensenii (>75% abundance).
• Detection of diverse low-abundance taxa with potential niche-specific metabolic functions.
• No HPV genotypes were detected in the analyzed cervical samples.

Conclusions:

• The cervical microbiota is functionally dominated by Lactobacillus species.
• Low-abundance taxa contribute to metabolic cross-feeding, immune signaling, and epithelial barrier modulation.
• Future multi-omics studies are needed to validate microbial signatures as biomarkers or therapeutic targets for cervical health.