Background: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is one of the most common bacterial vaginal disorders among women of reproductive age. The hallmark of BV is the presence of a multi-species biofilm, formed primarily by Gardnerella spp., in a minor part by Atopobium vaginae, and also other anaerobic species. While a few studies have demonstrated that some BV-related species establish synergistic interactions with Gardnerella spp. in vitro dual-species biofilms, little is known regarding bacterial interactions in triple- species BV-associated biofilms. We evaluated the interactions and spatial distribution of Gardnerella spp., A. vaginae and a third BV-associated species, such as Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus iners, Mobiluncus curtisii, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, Prevotella bivia, and Staphylococcus hominis, using two distinct in vitro biofilm formation models.This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) by the funded project PTDC/BIA-MIC/28271/2017, under the scope of COMPETE2020 (POCI-01-0145- FEDER-028271) and by the strategic funding of unit UID/BIO/04469/2019.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
