A. christensenii.
Additionally, we observed that there were 43 connector nodes in both networks. The common connectors in both groups includedL.crispatusL. 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).