scholarly journals Interactions between multiple helminths and the gut microbiota in wild rodents

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1675) ◽  
pp. 20140295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakub Kreisinger ◽  
Géraldine Bastien ◽  
Heidi C Hauffe ◽  
Julian Marchesi ◽  
Sarah E Perkins
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Helminth Species ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Wild Rodents ◽  
Wild Mice ◽  
Gut Homeostasis ◽  
Microbiota Diversity

The gut microbiota is vital to host health and, as such, it is important to elucidate the mechanisms altering its composition and diversity. Intestinal helminths are host immunomodulators and have evolved both temporally and spatially in close association with the gut microbiota, resulting in potential mechanistic interplay. Host–helminth and host–microbiota interactions are comparatively well-examined, unlike microbiota–helminth relationships, which typically focus on experimental infection with a single helminth species in laboratory animals. Here, in addition to a review of the literature on helminth–microbiota interactions, we examined empirically the association between microbiota diversity and composition and natural infection of multiple helminth species in wild mice ( Apodemus flavicollis ), using 16S rRNA gene catalogues (metataxonomics). In general, helminth presence is linked with high microbiota diversity, which may confer health benefits to the host. Within our wild rodent system variation in the composition and abundance of gut microbial taxa associated with helminths was specific to each helminth species and occurred both up- and downstream of a given helminth's niche (gut position). The most pronounced helminth–microbiota association was between the presence of tapeworms in the small intestine and increased S24–7 (Bacteroidetes) family in the stomach. Helminths clearly have the potential to alter gut homeostasis. Free-living rodents with a diverse helminth community offer a useful model system that enables both correlative (this study) and manipulative inference to elucidate helminth–microbiota interactions.

The gut microbiota of wild rodents: Challenges and opportunities

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Viney
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Wild Animal ◽  
Critical Assessment ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Wild Rodents ◽  
Major Study ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Many

The gut microbiota can have important, wide-ranging effects on its host. To date, laboratory animals, particularly mice, have been the major study system for microbiota research. It is now becoming increasingly clear that laboratory animals often poorly model aspects of the biology of wild animals, and this concern extends to the study of the gut microbiota. Here, the relatively few studies of the microbiota of wild rodents are reviewed, including a critical assessment of how the gut microbiota differs between laboratory and wild rodents. Finally, the many potential advantages and opportunities of wild-animal systems for research into the gut microbiota are considered.

scholarly journals The effect of different drinking water in culture medium on feces microbiota diversity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Zhou ◽  
Weili Liu ◽  
Zhaoli Chen ◽  
Dong Yang ◽  
Zhigang Qiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Mineral Water ◽  
Culture Medium ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Brain Heart Infusion ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
16S Rrna Gene Analysis ◽  
Microbiota Diversity

Abstract The human gut harbors trillions of microbes, which are extremely important to the health of the host. However, the effect of drinking water on gut microbiota has been poorly understood. In this study, we explored the response of BALB/c mice gut bacterial community (feces) to the different types of drinking water, including commercial bottled mineral water (MW), natural water (NW), purified water (PW) and tap water (TW). Feces were cultured with Brain Heart Infusion Broth dissolved in four types of drinking water. 16S rRNA gene analysis was performed. Our results reveal that the microbiota composition is different among culturing with four types of drinking water. As the culture time increases, the number of OTUs significantly decreased, except under the aerobic condition of MW. Under aerobic conditions on the 5th day, the considerable differences of alpha diversity index are found between MW and three others, and there are the most unique taxa in MW group. Importantly, the LEfSe analysis discovers that the Bacteroidetes taxa dominate the differences between MW and the other water types. Our findings demonstrate that the mineral water as a culture medium may lead to a progressive increase of the gut microbiota diversity by providing the growth convenience to Bacteroidetes.

scholarly journals Higher Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acid Levels Are Associated with Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis, Obesity, Hypertension and Cardiometabolic Disease Risk Factors

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobo de la Cuesta-Zuluaga ◽  
Noel Mueller ◽  
Rafael Álvarez-Quintero ◽  
Eliana Velásquez-Mejía ◽  
Jelver Sierra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Short Chain ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Cardiometabolic Health ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Gut Permeability ◽  
Microbiota Diversity

Fiber fermentation by gut microbiota yields short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that are either absorbed by the gut or excreted in feces. Studies are conflicting as to whether SCFAs are beneficial or detrimental to cardiometabolic health, and how gut microbiota associated with SCFAs is unclear. In this study of 441 community-dwelling adults, we examined associations of fecal SCFAs, gut microbiota diversity and composition, gut permeability, and cardiometabolic outcomes, including obesity and hypertension. We assessed fecal microbiota by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and SCFA concentrations by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Fecal SCFA concentrations were inversely associated with microbiota diversity, and 70 unique microbial taxa were differentially associated with at least one SCFA (acetate, butyrate or propionate). Higher SCFA concentrations were associated with a measure of gut permeability, markers of metabolic dysregulation, obesity and hypertension. Microbial diversity showed association with these outcomes in the opposite direction. Associations were significant after adjusting for measured confounders. In conclusion, higher SCFA excretion was associated with evidence of gut dysbiosis, gut permeability, excess adiposity, and cardiometabolic risk factors. Studies assessing both fecal and circulating SCFAs are needed to test the hypothesis that the association of higher fecal SCFAs with obesity and cardiometabolic dysregulation is due to less efficient SCFA absorption.

scholarly journals Gut microbiota diversity and C-Reactive Protein are predictors of disease severity in COVID-19 patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Moreira-Rosário ◽  
Cláudia Marques ◽  
Hélder Pinheiro ◽  
João Ricardo Araújo ◽  
Pedro Ribeiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Clinical Severity ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
C Reactive Protein ◽  
Clinical Progression ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Microbiota Diversity

AbstractRisk factors for COVID-19 disease severity are still poorly understood. Considering the pivotal role of gut microbiota on host immune and inflammatory functions, we investigated the association between changes in gut microbiota composition and the clinical severity of COVID-19. We conducted a multicentre cross-sectional study prospectively enrolling 115 COVID-19 patients categorized according to: 1) WHO Clinical Progression Scale - mild 19 (16.5%), moderate 37 (32.2%) or severe 59 (51.3%); and 2) location of recovery from COVID-19 - ambulatory 14 (household isolation; 12.2%), hospitalized in ward 40 (34.8%) or intensive care unit 61 (53.0%). Gut microbiota analysis was performed through 16S rRNA gene sequencing and data obtained was further related with clinical parameters of COVID-19 patients. Risk factors for COVID-19 severity were identified by univariate and multivariable logistic regression models.In comparison with mild COVID-19 patients, the gut microbiota of moderate and severe patients has: a) lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, b) higher abundance of Proteobacteria; and c) lower abundance of beneficial butyrate-producing bacteria such as Roseburia and Lachnospira genera. Multivariable regression analysis showed that Shannon index diversity (odds ratio [OR] 2.85 [95% CI 1.09-7.41]; p=0.032) and C-Reactive Protein (OR 3.45 [95% CI 1.33-8.91]; p=0.011) were risk factors for COVID-19 severe disease (a score of 6 or higher in WHO clinical progression scale).In conclusion, our results demonstrated that hospitalised moderate and severe COVID-19 patients have microbial signatures of gut dysbiosis and for the first time, the gut microbiota diversity is pointed out as a prognostic biomarker for COVID-19 disease severity.

scholarly journals “Unraveling the Gut Microbiota Composition of the Genus Herichthys (Cichliformes:Pisces)”

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Mejía ◽  
Andrés Sánchez Quinto ◽  
Elizabeth S Gómez Acata ◽  
Fabian Pérez Miranda ◽  
Luisa I Falcón
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
As Species ◽  
Study Case ◽  
Microbiota Diversity ◽  
Potential Use ◽  
Gut Microbiota Composition

Abstract Background The coevolution between hosts and their gut microbiota arises as a promissory research program that could explain diversity patterns. The fishes of the cichlid family are an ideal model to evaluate coevolution due to their spectacular radiation. In particular, the neotropical genus Herichthys represents a great study case of study since it includes species with wide and narrow distributions, with several feeding habits as well as species that arose allopatrically and truly sympatrically. We used the hypervariable V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene from the 11 species of the genus Herichthys obtained from museum collections to evaluate the existence of phylosymbiosis between the fishes and their gut microbiota. Results The highest diversity values of gut microbiota diversity were found in the detritivorous species while the herbivorous, molluscivorous, and piscivorous showed the lowest diversity values. Differences in gut microbiota were found between species and trophic guilds, in particular for the sympatric species comparison. The phylosymbiosis test was significant showing that the evolution of the gut microbiota is different in species that arise in allopatric and sympatric conditions. Conclusions The most abundant phyla recovered from the gut microbiota were similar to those previously reported in other studies with cichlids supporting the idea that a gut microbial core is conserved in this group of fishes despite millions of years of evolution. Despite the caveats of working with museum specimens, our results provide evidence that gut microbiota divergence could occur even in sympatric conditions and reveals the potential use of museum collections in gut microbiota studies.

scholarly journals The Gut Microbiota Communities of Wild Arboreal and Ground-Feeding Tropical Primates Are Affected Differently by Habitat Disturbance

mSystems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Barelli ◽  
Davide Albanese ◽  
Rebecca M. Stumpf ◽  
Abigail Asangba ◽  
Claudio Donati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Microbiota Diversity

ABSTRACT Human exploitation and destruction of tropical resources are currently threatening innumerable wild animal species, altering natural ecosystems and thus, food resources, with profound effects on gut microbiota. Given their conservation status and the importance to tropical ecosystems, wild nonhuman primates make excellent models to investigate the effect of human disturbance on the diversity of host-associated microbiota. Previous investigations have revealed a loss of fecal bacterial diversity in primates living in degraded compared to intact forests. However, these data are available for a limited number of species, and very limited information is available on the fungal taxa hosted by the gut. Here, we estimated the diversity and composition of gut bacterial and fungal communities in two primates living sympatrically in both human-modified and pristine forests in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania. Noninvasively collected fecal samples of 12 groups of the Udzungwa red colobus (Procolobus gordonorum) (n = 89), a native and endangered primate (arboreal and predominantly leaf-eating), and five groups of the yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus) (n = 69), a common species of least concern (ground-feeding and omnivorous), were analyzed by the V1-V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene (bacterial) and ITS1-ITS2 (fungal) sequencing. Gut bacterial diversities were associated with habitat in both species, most likely depending on their ecological niches and associated digestive physiology, dietary strategies, and locomotor behavior. In addition, fungal communities also show distinctive traits across hosts and habitat type, highlighting the importance of investigating this relatively unexplored gut component. IMPORTANCE Gut microbiota diversity has become the subject of extensive research in human and nonhuman animals, linking diversity and composition to gut function and host health. Because wild primates are good indicators of tropical ecosystem health, we developed the idea that they are a suitable model to observe the consequences of advancing global change (e.g., habitat degradation) on gut microbiota. So far, most of the studies focus mainly on gut bacteria; however, they are not the only component of the gut: fungi also serve essential functions in gut homeostasis. Here, for the first time, we explore and measure diversity and composition of both bacterial and fungal microbiota components of two tropical primate species living in highly different habitat types (intact versus degraded forests). Results on their microbiota diversity and composition are discussed in light of conservation issues and potential applications.

scholarly journals Evidences against a significant role of Mus musculus as natural host for Angiostrongylus costaricensis

1996 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Teixeira dos Santos ◽  
Viviane M. Pinto ◽  
Carlos Graeff-Teixeira
Keyword(s):  
Significant Role ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Laboratory Mice ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Wild Rodents ◽  
Wild Mice ◽  
Swiss Mice ◽  
Natural Hosts

Wild rodents have been described as the most important hosts for Angiostrongylus costaricensis in Central America and southern Brazil. Sinantropic rodents apparently do not play a significant role as natural hosts. A search for natural infection failed to document worms in 14 mice captured in the house of a patient with diagnosis of abdominal angiostrongylosis and experimental infection of a "wild" Mus musculus strain and groups of albino Swiss mice were carried out. Mortality was not significantly different and varied from 42% to 80% for Swiss mice and from 26% to 80% for "wild" mice. The high mortality of a "wild" M. musculus infected with A. costaricensis was very similar to what is observed with most laboratory mice strains. These data may be taken as indications that M. musculus is not a well adapted host for A. costaricensis, although susceptibility was apparently higher with "wild" populations of M. musculus as compared to Swiss strain.

scholarly journals Changes in the diversity and composition of gut microbiota in pigeon squabs infected with Trichomonas gallinae

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Ji ◽  
Dongyan Zhang ◽  
Yuxin Shao ◽  
Xiaohan Yu ◽  
Xiaoyong Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Intestine ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Hypervariable Region ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Gi Tract ◽  
Trichomonas Gallinae ◽  
Altricial Birds ◽  
Microbiota Diversity ◽  
The 16S Rrna Gene

AbstractPigeons, as the only altricial birds in poultry, are the primary Trichomonas gallinae (T. gallinae) host. To study the effects of T. gallinae infection on gut microbiota, we compared the microbiota diversity and composition in gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of pigeons at the age of 14 and 21 day with different degrees of T. gallinae infection. Thirty-six nestling pigeons were divided into three groups: the healthy group, low-grade and high-grade trichomonosis group. Then, the crop, small intestine and rectum contents were obtained for sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene V3–V4 hypervariable region. The results showed that the microbiota diversity was higher in crop than in small intestine and rectum, and the abundance of Lactobacillus genus was dominant in small intestine and rectum of healthy pigeons at 21 days. T. gallinae infection decreased the microbiota richness in crop at 14 days. The abundance of the Firmicutes phylum and Lactobacillus genus in small intestine of birds at 21 days were decreased by infection, however the abundances of Proteobacteria phylum and Enterococcus, Atopobium, Roseburia, Aeriscardovia and Peptostreptococcus genus increased. The above results indicated that crop had the highest microbiota diversity among GI tract of pigeons, and the gut microbiota diversity and composition of pigeon squabs were altered by T. gallinae infection.

scholarly journals A High-Fat Diet Increases Gut Microbiota Biodiversity and Energy Expenditure Due to Nutrient Difference

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 3197
Author(s):  
Botao Wang ◽  
Qingmin Kong ◽  
Xiu Li ◽  
Jianxin Zhao ◽  
Hao Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Expenditure ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
High Fat Diet ◽  
Nutrient Intake ◽  
Uncoupling Protein ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
High Fat ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Intestinal Pathogens ◽  
Microbiota Diversity

A high-fat diet (HFD) can easily induce obesity and change the gut microbiota and its metabolites. However, studies on the effects of high-fat diets on the host have drawn inconsistent results. In this study, the unexpected results showed that the refined HFD increased gut microbiota diversity and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), causing an increase in energy metabolism. Further analysis revealed these changes were caused by the different fiber content in these two diets. Male C57BL/6J mice (4–5 weeks old) were fed either HFD or refined low-fat diet (LFD) for 14 weeks. The metabolic rates, thermogenesis, gut microbiome, and intestinal SCFAs were tested. The HFD triggered obesity and disturbed glucose homeostasis. Mice fed HFD ingested more fiber than mice fed LFD (p < 0.0001), causing higher intestinal SCFA concentrations related to the increased abundances of specific bacteria in the HFD group. Also, the HFD increased metabolic heat and up-regulated thermogenesis genes uncoupling protein 1(Ucp-1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (Pgc-1α) expression in the brown adipose tissue (BAT). It was revealed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing that the HFD increased gut microbial diversity, which enriched Desulfovibrionaceae, Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, and Mucispirillum, meanwhile, reduced the abundance of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia, Faecalibaculum, and Blautia. The predicted metabolic pathways indicated HFD increased the gene expression of non-absorbed carbohydrate metabolism pathways, as well as the risks of colonization of intestinal pathogens and inflammation. In conclusion, the HFD was obesogenic in male C57BL/6J mice, and increased fiber intake from the HFD drove an increase in gut microbiota diversity, SCFAs, and energy expenditure. Meanwhile, the differences in specific nutrient intake can dissociate broad changes in energy expenditure, gut microbiota, and its metabolites from obesity, raising doubts in the previous studies. Therefore, it is necessary to consider whether differences in specific nutrient intake will interfere with the results of the experiments.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document