Study validates mRNA-seq for simultaneous host transcriptome and microbiome profiling in vulvar samples (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

• Validated that Poly(A)-enriched mRNA-seq can reconstruct microbial composition from complex samples
• Identified vulvar microbiome community state types associated with host transcriptional programs
• Enables retrospective analysis of host-microbe interactions from existing RNA-seq data

"Researchers developed a method to simultaneously analyze host gene expression and microbiome composition from a single mRNA-seq experiment, validated on a mock microbial community and applied to 30 vulvar swab samples from healthy individuals. Poly(A)-enriched RNA sequencing was shown to reliably reconstruct microbiota composition. The analysis revealed distinct microbial community state types in the vulvar ecosystem, with Lactobacillus crispatus-dominated communities linked to epithelial differentiation and barrier integrity, while dysbiotic communities associated with inflammatory signatures. The approach enables retrospective extraction of microbiome information from existing human RNA-seq datasets without additional sequencing, maximizing the value of archived transcriptomic data."