Deep metagenomic characterization of the gut virome in pregnant women with preeclampsia

Abstract

Preeclampsia (PE), a pregnancy-specific syndrome, has been associated with the gut bacteriome. Here, to investigate the impact of the gut virome on the development of PE, we identified over 8,000 nonredundant viruses from the fecal metagenomes of 40 early-onset PE and 37 healthy pregnant women and profiled their abundances. Comparison and correlation analysis showed that PE-enriched viruses frequently connected to Blautia species enriched in PE. By contrast, bacteria linked to PE-depleted viruses were often the Bacteroidaceae members such as Bacteroides spp., Phocaeicola spp., Parabacteroides spp., and Alistipes shahii . In terms of viral function, PE-depleted viruses had auxiliary metabolic genes that participated in the metabolism of simple and complex polysaccharides, sulfur metabolism, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, and peptidoglycan biosynthesis, while PE-enriched viruses had a gene encoding cyclic pyranopterin monophosphate synthase, which seemed to be special, that participates in the biosynthesis of the molybdenum cofactor. Furthermore, the classification model based on gut viral signatures was developed to discriminate PE patients from healthy controls and showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.922 that was better than that of the bacterium-based model. This study opens up new avenues for further research, providing valuable insights into the PE gut virome and offering potential directions for future mechanistic and therapeutic investigations, with the ultimate goal of improving the diagnosis and management of PE. IMPORTANCE The importance of this study lies in its exploration of the previously overlooked but potentially critical role of the gut virome in preeclampsia (PE). While the association between PE and the gut bacteriome has been recognized, this research takes a pioneering step into understanding how the gut virome, represented by over 8,000 nonredundant viruses, contributes to this condition. The findings reveal intriguing connections between PE-enriched viruses and specific gut bacteria, such as the prevalence of Blautia species in individuals with PE, contrasting with bacteria linked to PE-depleted viruses, including members of the Bacteroidaceae family. These viral interactions and associations provide a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics at play in PE.