title: Antagonism and synergism in Gardnerella vaginalis strains isolated from women with bacterial vaginosis.
abstract: Antagonistic and synergistic substances are important for interactions between micro-organisms associated with human body surfaces, either in healthy or in diseased conditions. In the present study, such compounds produced by Gardnerella vaginalis strains isolated from women with bacterial vaginosis (BV) were detected in vitro and the antagonistic ones were partially characterized. Among 11 G. vaginalis strains tested, all showed antagonistic activity against at least one of the 22 indicator bacteria assayed. Interestingly, for some of these strains, antagonism reverted to synergism, favouring one of the indicator strains (Peptostreptococcus anaerobius) when the growth medium was changed. Partial characterization of antagonistic substances suggested a bacteriocin-like chemical nature. Depending on growth conditions, G. vaginalis isolated from women with BV produced antagonistic or synergistic compounds for other bacterial components of the vaginal ecosystem. This is the first report to our knowledge of the production of antagonistic and/or synergistic substances by G. vaginalis. This ability may be a pivotal factor in understanding BV and the ecological role of this bacterium in the vaginal environment.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: K L K
authors.initials: KLK
authors.lastname: Soares-Brandão
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: K M G R
authors.initials: KMGR
authors.lastname: Branco
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Fleury, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: J L M
authors.initials: JLM
authors.lastname: Sampaio
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: R M D
authors.initials: RMD
authors.lastname: Nardi
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mendonça
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Propedêutica Complementar, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: M A R
authors.initials: MAR
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Nicoli
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000898:Antibiosis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006194:Gardnerella vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001430:Bacteriocins; D003470:Culture Media