@article{3b3dd2424e3546528fe20a5b990dcc7e,
title = "Gardnerella Exposures Alter Bladder Gene Expression and Augment Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Urinary Tract Infection in Mice",
abstract = "The anaerobic actinobacterium Gardnerella was first isolated from the bladder by suprapubic aspiration more than 50 years ago. Since then, Gardnerella has been increasingly recognized as a common and often abundant member of the female urinary microbiome (urobiome). Some studies even suggest that the presence of Gardnerella is associated with urological disorders in women. We recently reported that inoculation of Gardnerella into the bladders of mice results in urothelial exfoliation. Here, we performed whole bladder RNA-seq in our mouse model to identify additional host pathways involved in the response to Gardnerella bladder exposure. The transcriptional response to Gardnerella reflected the urothelial turnover that is a consequence of exfoliation while also illustrating the activation of pathways involved in inflammation and immunity. Additional timed exposure experiments in mice provided further evidence of a potentially clinically relevant consequence of bladder exposure to Gardnerella—increased susceptibility to subsequent UTI caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Together, these data provide a broader picture of the bladder{\textquoteright}s response to Gardnerella and lay the groundwork for future studies examining the impact of Gardnerella on bladder health.",
keywords = "RNA-seq, bacterial vaginosis, bladder, dysbiosis, urinary tract infection, urobiome, urothelium",
author = "Gilbert, {Nicole M.} and O{\textquoteright}Brien, {Valerie P.} and Chevaughn Waller and Ekatherina Batourina and Mendelsohn, {Cathy Lee} and Lewis, {Amanda L.}",
note = "Funding Information: The authors thank Eric Tycksen at the Genome Technology Access Center (GTAC) for performing the RNA-seq data analysis and for helpful responses to our questions throughout the duration of the project and Greg Strout at the Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging (WUCCI) for assistance with scanning electron microscopy. We also thank David Hunstad for helpful discussions and critical reading of the manuscript. Funding Information: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health NIAID [R01 AI114635 to AL and R21 AI152049 to AL and NG] and NIDDK [R21 DK092586 to AL, K01 DK110225 to NG, and U54 DK104309 to CM], by the National Science Foundation [Graduate Research Fellowship to VO #DGE-1143954], by the American Heart Association [Postdoctoral Fellowship to NG], and by the Center for Women{\textquoteright}s Infectious Disease Research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis [Pilot Research Grant to NG]. This research used the resources of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Molecular Pathology Shared Resources, funded in part through Center Grant P30 CA013696. Some of the animal studies were performed in a facility supported by the NCRR [C06 RR015502]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2022 Gilbert, O{\textquoteright}Brien, Waller, Batourina, Mendelsohn and Lewis.",
year = "2022",
month = jun,
day = "16",
doi = "10.3389/fcimb.2022.909799",
language = "English",
volume = "12",
journal = "Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology",
issn = "2235-2988",
}