Global vaginal microbiome atlas ties host genetics and ancestry to microbial diversity

Researchers built the Global Vaginal Metagenome-Assembled Genomes (GVMG) catalog by integrating 10,665 Chinese metagenomes with 2,967 public datasets, recovering 65,055 genomes across bacteria, fungi and viruses and identifying 890 prokaryotic species. The study reveals substantial population-specific genomic variation and host–microbe associations, including seven host genetic loci (notably OPRK1) linked to vaginal microbes such as Ureaplasma urealyticum, and delineates 12 vaginal community state types, highlighting how host genetics and geography shape the vaginal microbiome. This work provides a comprehensive reference for future genotype–microbiome analyses and enables broader multi-kingdom insights into vaginal health.