<i>Prevotella timonensis</i> degrades the vaginal epithelial glycocalyx through high fucosidase and sialidase activities

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common vaginal infection that affects a significant proportion of women and is associated with reduced fertility and increased risk of secondary infections. <i>Gardnerella vaginalis</i> is the most well-known BV-associated bacterium, but <i>Prevotella</i> species including <i>P. timonensis</i> and <i>P. bivia</i> may also play an important role. We showed that, similar to <i>G. vaginalis</i>, <i>P. timonensis</i> adhered well to the vaginal epithelium, suggesting that both bacteria could be important in the first stage of infection. Compared to the other bacteria, <i>P. timonensis</i> was unique in efficiently removing the protective mucin sugars that cover the vaginal epithelium. These results underscore that vaginal bacteria play different roles in the initiation and development of BV.