Microbiome analysis of Brazilian women cervix reveals specific bacterial abundance correlation to RIG-like receptor gene expression

In this study we characterized the virome and bacteriome from 22 cervical samples of HPV infected (HPV positive) and uninfected (HPV negative) Brazilian women. The virome of circular DNA viruses was performed using rolling circle amplification (RCA) and sequenced in an Illumina MiSeq platform. The virome showed that HPV infection correlates to the presence of anellovirus (AV) and seven full length HPV genomes were assembled. In addition, the bacteriome was performed by 16S rRNA gene variable from V3 to V4 regions amplification and also sequenced in an Illumina MiSeq platform. Bacteriome results revealed that vaginal community state types (CST) distribution was independent of HPV or AV status, although bacterial phyla distribution differed between groups. The prevalence of particular anaerobic bacteria associated with the expression of innate immunity genes, also analyzed in this study, highlights the possibility that some of these genes are connected to bacterial dysbiosis.