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Thanks to the use of more sensitive techniques (compared to the very first Isala phase), we now also find this bacterium in vaginal samples. At the start of our vitamin study, we found nine women in whom this bacterium was dominant in their vagina. That is approximately 5% of all VIAB2L participants.
What does this bacterium look like?
Lactobacillus mulieris is a rod of approximately 1 to 3 micrometres in size. That is small when you consider that 1,000 micrometres fit into one millimetre.
The current name of this bacterium comes from the Latin “mulieris”, which means “from a woman”. This refers to the origin of this bacterium. It was for the first time isolated in 2020 from a urine sample from a woman of reproductive age.
What does science already know about this bacterium?
Not much yet. This bacterium was first discovered in March 2020, around the time our Isala project was launched. Lactobacillus mulieris is closely related to Lactobacillus jensenii. In March 2020, the Lactobacillus jensenii species was further subdivided into two species: Lactobacillus jensenii and Lactobacillus mulieris. What makes the two species different is, for example, the use of different sugars for their growth, such as trehalose. However, science is advancing rapidly. Who knows, this bacterium may soon be given a new name or be further subdivided.
In the literature, Lactobacillus crispatus has so far been mainly associated with a healthy vagina, but we suspect that Lactobacillus mulieris could actually be just as healthy. We are on our way to learn much more about this bacterium. We already know that this bacterium has a fairly small genome of about 1.6 million base pairs on average, with approximately 1,500 genes. This means that this bacterium can produce more than 1,500 different substances.
What is this bacterium doing in my vagina?
Since this species was only recently discovered in 2020, not much is known about its specific characteristics yet. In our first Isala phase, which was also launched that year, we were unable to distinguish between Lactobacillus jensenii and Lactobacillus mulieris based on what we knew at that time. We do know that Lactobacillus mulieris, like other lactobacilli, can also produce lactic acid. This helps to lower the acidity in the vagina. In this way, Lactobacillus mulieris protects against vaginal infections or pathogenic bacteria and fungi. There is still a lot to discover about this promising bacterium, and our research team is keen to contribute to this!
Does this bacterium occur elsewhere?
Lactobacillus mulieris is a relatively new species, so knowledge about its “habitats” is still quite limited. We know that it was originally isolated from the urine of a healthy woman and that it occurs in the vagina. Little is known about other places where it might thrive. Who knows, we may encounter this bacterium somewhere else in the coming years.