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Researchers sequenced the genes of 149 bacterial strains from 77 women. While the microbiota (community of microorganisms) found in the bladder and vagina were similar, they were markedly distinct from the microbiota found in the gastrointestinal tract.
The microbiota of the bladder and vagina are similar, since the organs are connected by the urethra. It appears that bacteria travel between the bladder and the vagina, effectively creating one microbiota niche.
Urination provides an obvious way for bacteria to travel from the bladder to the vagina. But it’s a mystery how bacteria could travel from the vagina to the bladder, especially since most of the bacteria examined in the study lack features such as flagella (whip-like structures) or pili (grappling hooks) that would enable them to move.
The new study found that the microbial sharing between the vaginal and bladder microbiota includes pathogens such as E. coli and S. anginosus as well as beneficial bacteria such as L. iners and L. crispatus. Beneficial bacteria residing in both the bladder and vagina could provide protection against urinary infections.
The research, a collaboration between Loyola University Chicago and Wellcome Sanger Institute, involved a clinical microbiology laboratory and multiple scientific and medical disciplines, including microbiology, urogynecology and bioinformatics.
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