You are more than what you eat: potentially adaptive enrichment of microbiome functions across bat dietary niches

Abstract Background Animals evolved in a microbial world, and their gut microbial symbionts have played a role in their ecological diversification. While many recent studies report patterns of phylosymbiosis between hosts and their gut bacteria, fewer studies examine the potentially adaptive functional contributions of these microbes to the dietary habits of their hosts. In this study, we examined predicted metabolic pathways in the gut bacteria of more than 500 individual bats belonging to 60 species and compare the enrichment of these functions across hosts with distinct dietary ecologies. Results We found that predicted microbiome functions were differentially enriched across hosts with different diets. Using a machine-learning approach, we also found that inferred microbiome functions could be used to predict specialized host diets with reasonable accuracy. We detected a relationship between both host phylogeny and diet with respect to microbiome functional repertoires. Because many predicted functions could potentially fill nutritional gaps for bats with specialized diets, we considered pathways discriminating dietary niches as traits of the host and fit them to comparative phylogenetic models of evolution. Our results suggest that some, but not all, predicted microbiome functions may evolve toward adaptive optima and thus be visible to the forces of natural selection operating on hosts over evolutionary time. Conclusions Our results suggest that bats with specialized diets may partially rely on their gut microbes to fulfill or augment critical nutritional pathways, including essential amino acid synthesis, fatty acid biosynthesis, and the generation of cofactors and vitamins essential for proper nutrition. Our work adds to a growing body of literature suggesting that animal microbiomes are structured by a combination of ecological and evolutionary processes and sets the stage for future metagenomic and metabolic characterization of the bat microbiome to explore links between bacterial metabolism and host nutrition.

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You Are More Than What You Eat: Differential Enrichment of Microbiome Functions Across Bat Dietary Guilds

10.22541/au.161237395.51598394/v2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Melissa Ingala ◽

Nancy B Simmons ◽

Miranda Dunbar ◽

Claudia Wultsch ◽

Konstantinos Krampis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Metabolic Pathways ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Fatty Acid Biosynthesis ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Host Feeding ◽

Amino Acid Synthesis ◽

Wild Mammals ◽

Gut Microbes ◽

Ecological Diversification ◽

Gut Metagenome

Animals evolved in a microbial world, and their gut microbial symbionts have played a role in their ecological diversification. While many recent studies have reported patterns of co-diversification of hosts and their gut microbes, few studies have directly examined the functional contributions of these microbes to the dietary habits of their hosts. Here, we examined functional enrichment of metabolic pathways in the gut bacteria of 545 bats belonging to 60 species and five terrestrial feeding niches. We found that hosts of different dietary guilds had differential enrichment of bacterial functions that may be adaptive to their respective diets, and that metagenome functions were highly predictive of host feeding guild. We detected little evidence of host phylogenetic effect on gut metagenome composition, suggesting that diet likely overrides host evolutionary history in structuring functional pathways in the gut metagenome. Our results further suggest that bats may have evolved to partially rely on their gut microbes to fulfill critical metabolic pathways, including essential amino acid synthesis, fatty acid biosynthesis, and the generation of cofactors and vitamins essential for proper nutrition. This work represents a comprehensive and novel insight into the contribution of gut microbes to vital metabolic processes in a diverse Order of wild mammals.

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You Are More Than What You Eat: Differential Enrichment of Microbiome Functions Across Bat Dietary Guilds

10.22541/au.161237395.51598394/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Melissa Ingala ◽

Nancy B Simmons ◽

Miranda Dunbar ◽

Claudia Wultsch ◽

Konstantinos Krampis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Metabolic Pathways ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Fatty Acid Biosynthesis ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Host Feeding ◽

Amino Acid Synthesis ◽

Wild Mammals ◽

Gut Microbes ◽

Ecological Diversification ◽

Gut Metagenome

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Bats Are an Untapped System for Understanding Microbiome Evolution in Mammals

mSphere ◽

10.1128/msphere.00397-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Melissa R. Ingala ◽

Nancy B. Simmons ◽

Susan L. Perkins

Keyword(s):

Natural History ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Domestic Animals ◽

Model System ◽

Microbial World ◽

Microbiome Research ◽

Host Phylogeny ◽

Host Ecology ◽

Microbial Symbionts ◽

Laboratory Models

ABSTRACTMammals evolved in a microbial world, and consequently, microbial symbionts have played a role in their evolution. An exciting new subdiscipline of metagenomics considers the ways in which microbes, particularly those found in the gut, have facilitated the ecological and phylogenetic radiation of mammals. However, the vast majority of such studies focus on domestic animals, laboratory models, or charismatic megafauna (e.g., pandas and chimpanzees). The result is a plethora of studies covering few taxa across the mammal tree of life, leaving broad patterns of microbiome function and evolution unclear. Wildlife microbiome research urgently needs a model system in which to test hypotheses about metagenomic involvement in host ecology and evolution. We propose that bats (Order: Chiroptera) represent a model system ideal for comparative microbiome research, affording opportunities to examine host phylogeny, diet, and other natural history characteristics in relation to the evolution of the gut microbiome.

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Influence of increased nutrient supply on Microcystis aeruginosa at cellular and proteomic levels

Aquatic Microbial Ecology ◽

10.3354/ame01939 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 85 ◽

pp. 47-58

Author(s):

Y Jiang ◽

Y Liu

Keyword(s):

Microcystis Aeruginosa ◽

Regulatory Protein ◽

Acid Synthesis ◽

Nutrient Supply ◽

Nitrogen Supply ◽

Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽

Comprehensive Description ◽

Amino Acid Synthesis ◽

High Nutrient ◽

Proteomic Responses

Various studies have observed that increased nutrient supply promotes the growth of bloom-forming cyanobacteria, but only a limited number of studies have investigated the influence of increased nutrient supply on bloom-forming cyanobacteria at the proteomic level. We investigated the cellular and proteomic responses of Microcystis aeruginosa to elevated nitrogen and phosphorus supply. Increased supply of both nutrients significantly promoted the growth of M. aeruginosa and the synthesis of chlorophyll a, protein, and microcystins. The release of microcystins and the synthesis of polysaccharides negatively correlated with the growth of M. aeruginosa under high nutrient levels. Overexpressed proteins related to photosynthesis, and amino acid synthesis, were responsible for the stimulatory effects of increased nutrient supply in M. aeruginosa. Increased nitrogen supply directly promoted cyanobacterial growth by inducing the overexpression of the cell division regulatory protein FtsZ. NtcA, that regulates gene transcription related to both nitrogen assimilation and microcystin synthesis, was overexpressed under the high nitrogen condition, which consequently induced overexpression of 2 microcystin synthetases (McyC and McyF) and promoted microcystin synthesis. Elevated nitrogen supply induced the overexpression of proteins involved in gas vesicle organization (GvpC and GvpW), which may increase the buoyancy of M. aeruginosa. Increased phosphorus level indirectly affected growth and the synthesis of cellular substances in M. aeruginosa through the mediation of differentially expressed proteins related to carbon and phosphorus metabolism. This study provides a comprehensive description of changes in the proteome of M. aeruginosa in response to an increased supply of 2 key nutrients.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Photoredox activation of carbon dioxide for amino acid synthesis in continuous flow.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.727212076.793527478 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Donald Pinto ◽

Kumar Pabbisetty ◽

Vladimir Ladziata

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Continuous Flow ◽

Acid Synthesis ◽

Amino Acid Synthesis

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O-AcylTEMPOs, a Modified and Fundamental, but Unexplored Carboxylic Derivative: Recent Progress in Synthetic Applications

Current Organic Chemistry ◽

10.2174/1385272823666191019102511 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 23 (19) ◽

pp. 2102-2121

Author(s):

Hiroyuki Kawafuchi ◽

Lijian Ma ◽

Md Imran Hossain ◽

Tsutomu Inokuchi

Keyword(s):

Organic Synthesis ◽

Recent Progress ◽

Knoevenagel Condensation ◽

Acid Synthesis ◽

Amino Acid Synthesis ◽

Electrophilic Amination ◽

Weinreb Amides ◽

Anionic Species ◽

Diastereoselective Addition ◽

Carbonyl Function

O-Acylated 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyls (abbr. O-AcylTEMPOs) are easily available and stable carboxylic derivatives, but their utility in organic synthesis is unexplored in contrast to analogues, such as the N-methoxy-N-methylamides, known as Weinreb amides. Especially, the O–N unit of the O-acylTEMPOs dictates a fairly electronwithdrawing character for the carbonyl function. This enhances the reactivity and stability of the resulting enolate ions. Accordingly, O-acylTEMPOs allow various transformations and this review encompasses seven topics: (1) Reactivity of O-acylTEMPOs towards nucleophiles and chemoselective transformations, (2) Reactivity of anionic species derived from O-acylTEMPOs, (3) E-Selective Knoevenagel condensation of acetoacetylTEMPOs and synthesis of furans, (4) Electrocyclization of 2,4-dienones derived from acetoacetic derivatives and 2-substituted enals, (5) Diastereoselective addition of amide anion to O-(2-alkenoyl)TEMPOs and β-amino acid synthesis, (6) Thermolysis of O-acylTEMPOs, and (7) Applications for Umpolung reactions using O-benzoylTEMPOs, useful for the electrophilic amination of alkenes and alkynes.

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Petasis vs. Strecker Amino Acid Synthesis: Convergence, Divergence and Opportunities in Organic Synthesis

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26061707 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (6) ◽

pp. 1707

Author(s):

Wayiza Masamba

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Organic Synthesis ◽

Acid Synthesis ◽

Physical Sciences ◽

Amino Acid Synthesis

α-Amino acids find widespread applications in various areas of life and physical sciences. Their syntheses are carried out by a multitude of protocols, of which Petasis and Strecker reactions have emerged as the most straightforward and most widely used. Both reactions are three-component reactions using the same starting materials, except the nucleophilic species. The differences and similarities between these two important reactions are highlighted in this review.

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Genome-Wide Mapping of Histone H3 Lysine 4 Trimethylation (H3K4me3) and Its Involvement in Fatty Acid Biosynthesis in Sunflower Developing Seeds

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10040706 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 706

Author(s):

Antonio J. Moreno-Pérez ◽

Raquel Martins-Noguerol ◽

Cristina DeAndrés-Gil ◽

Mónica Venegas-Calerón ◽

Rosario Sánchez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acid ◽

Chromatin Remodeling ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Acid Metabolism ◽

Fatty Acid Biosynthesis ◽

Acid Synthesis ◽

Sunflower Seeds ◽

Acid Biosynthesis ◽

Functional Regions ◽

Genome Wide

Histone modifications are of paramount importance during plant development. Investigating chromatin remodeling in developing oilseeds sheds light on the molecular mechanisms controlling fatty acid metabolism and facilitates the identification of new functional regions in oil crop genomes. The present study characterizes the epigenetic modifications H3K4me3 in relationship with the expression of fatty acid-related genes and transcription factors in developing sunflower seeds. Two master transcriptional regulators identified in this analysis, VIV1 (homologous to Arabidopsis ABI3) and FUS3, cooperate in the regulation of WRINKLED 1, a transcriptional factor regulating glycolysis, and fatty acid synthesis in developing oilseeds.

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