Temporal shifts and cross-site relationships of oral, gut, and vaginal microbiota during the third trimester of pregnancy

作者：Lulu Meng, Haishan Xie, Xia Duan, Xinyuan Liang, Xiaomei Tang, Huijuan Luo, Xiaomin Xiao, Zhe Li · 发表于：Genomics · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.ygeno.2025.111123 · 被引用次数：2 · 研究领域：Gut microbiota and health、Reproductive tract infections research、Oral microbiology and periodontitis research

BACKGROUND: The maternal microbiome during pregnancy influences maternal and neonatal health, yet its dynamics and cross-site relationships in the third trimester remain unclear. METHODS: Oral, fecal, and vaginal samples were collected from 22 healthy pregnant women and analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. RESULTS: As pregnancy progressed, gut microbial richness significantly increased, while vaginal richness significantly declined. Source tracking showed that the majority of microbes originated from their respective niches, although low-level cross-site contributions were also observed. Correlation-based network analysis revealed complex associations among microbial communities across sites. The oral microbiome exhibited distinct relative contributions and network relationships to the gut and vaginal microbiomes. Moreover, some low-abundance genera (relative abundance <1 %) played a critical role in maintaining ecological balance compared to high-abundance genera. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates dynamic, site-specific microbial changes and highlights potential microbial connections across body sites during late pregnancy, offering new ecological insights relevant to maternal-fetal health.