Journal
MICROBIOME
Volume 6, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
BMC
DOI: 10.1186/s40168-018-0418-3
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) [APP1117748]
- NHMRC [APP1088564]
- National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health [U19AI084044, R01NR015495]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
In the cervicovaginal environment, the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) by vaginal Lactobacillus spp. is often mentioned as a critical factor to the in vivo vaginal microbiota antimicrobial properties. We present several lines of evidence that support the implausibility of H2O2 as an in vivo contributor to the cervicovaginal milieu antimicrobial properties. An alternative explanation is proposed, supported by previous reports ascribing protective and antimicrobial properties to other factors produced by Lactobacillus spp. capable of generating H2O2. Under this proposal, lactic acid rather than H2O2 plays an important role in the antimicrobial properties of protective vaginal Lactobacillus spp. We hope this commentary will help future research focus on more plausible mechanisms by which vaginal Lactobacillus spp. exert their antimicrobial and beneficial properties, and which have in vivo and translational relevance.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available