A. christensenii.
Additionally, we observed that there were 43 connector nodes in both
networks. The common connectors in both groups
includedL.crispatus ,L. gasseri , G. vaginalis and
several other Prevotella . Connectors that were unique to the PCOS
network, such as L. iners , P. timonensis , andA. vaginae , showed increased connectivity and may have had an
impact on the strength of the network structure (Figure
6c,6d).
Additionally, we identified other important nodes that drove network
shifts, which are indicated as larger red dots (Figure 7a). Mapping of
the annotated species results showed that L. crispatus andP. timonensis were the key bacteria species that were
involved in driving vaginal microbial interaction network changes in the
PCOS group (Figure 7b).
5. KEGG Functional Analysis
We
predicted the function of the vaginal microbiota using KO (Kyoto
Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) orthologous group) using the
high abundance of vaginal bacteria. Microbiota functional pathways were
particularly enriched the in metabolism of other amino acid in the
control group (Figure 8a). Microbial differential functional genes in
the lower reproductive tract of the PCOS patients were mainly enriched
in the biosynthesis of cofactors, membrane protein, biosynthesis of
secondary metabolites and cofactors, ABC transporters, biotin
metabolism, and fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism. The other 39
genes in the control group were enriched in peptide/nickel transport
system permease proteins, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan
biosynthesis , fructose and mannose metabolism, butanoate metabolism,
amino and nucleotide sugar metabolism (Figure 8b).