Feeding a Low-protein Maternal Diet Affects Qinghai Bamei Piglet Jejunal Microbiome-metabolome Response

Abstract This experiment investigated the impacts of feeding a maternal low-CP concentration diet having iso-essential amino acids on new born suckling piglets intestinal microbial composition and metabolic profiles. The Bamei swine breed was selected due to high meat quality and flavor, but demonstrates slower growth rates which may be related to jejunal nutrient supply. Forty randomly selected purebred Bamei sows were divided into two groups and fed a low dietary CP (12%, LP) or a normal CP (14%, CON) diet, respectively, but formulated to contain similar (iso-) essential amino acid concentrations per current recommendations. At 21 days, 12 piglets were randomly selected from each treatment and euthanized with jejunum content samples collected. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing and mass spectrometry-based metabolomics profiling were combined as an integrated approach for evaluating the functional impact of maternal CP concentrations on piglet intestinal microbiome. Even though piglets demonstrated similar 0 to 21 d ADG among treatments, the jejunum relative weight, villus width, crypt depth and muscular thickness were increased (P < 0.05), while villus height, and villus height:crypt depth were reduced (P < 0.05) for the material LP compared to the maternal fed CON diet. Maternal CP concentrations can modify the intestinal microbial composition of Bamei suckling piglets. The relative abundances of the bacterial species Escherichia-Shigella, Actinobacillus, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Veillonella, and Turicibacter were increased (P < 0.05) in the maternal LP fed diet compared with the maternal fed CON diet. Jejunal digesta metabolomics analysis indicated that several amino acids were metabolized (i.e. cys, met, tyr phe and trp), biosynthesized (arg phe, tyr, and trp), or degraded (lys) were enriched (P < 0.05) for the maternal fed LP compared with the maternal fed CON. Correlation analysis demonstrated that certain intestinal bacterial genera were highly related to the histomorphology and altered intestinal microbiota metabolites. In conclusion, maternal dietary CP concentrations in excess of protein and amino acid requirements not only altered suckling Bamei piglets histomorphology, microbial composition and function, but also modulated jejunum microbial metabolic profiles, which aids in understanding the beneficial effects when feeding a maternal LP diet on piglet intestinal health.

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Amino Acid and Acylcarnitine Levels in Chronic Patients with Schizophrenia: A Preliminary Study

Metabolites ◽

10.3390/metabo11010034 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 34

Author(s):

Irina A. Mednova ◽

Alexander A. Chernonosov ◽

Marat F. Kasakin ◽

Elena G. Kornetova ◽

Arkadiy V. Semke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Amino Acids ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Chronic Schizophrenia ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Tandem Mass ◽

Chronic Patients ◽

Healthy Donors ◽

Preliminary Study

Amino acids and acylcarnitines play an important role as substrates and intermediate products in most of pathways involved in schizophrenia development such as mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, lipid oxidation, DNA damage, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. It seems relevant to use an integrated approach with ‘omics’ technology to study their contribution. The aim of our study was to investigate serum amino acid and acylcarnitine levels in antipsychotics-treated patients with chronic schizophrenia compared with healthy donors. We measured serum levels of 15 amino acids and 30 acylcarnitines in 37 patients with schizophrenia and 36 healthy donors by means of tandem mass spectrometry. In summary, patients with chronic schizophrenia had an altered concentration of a few amino acids and acylcarnitines in comparison to the healthy probands. Further research is needed to assess and understand the identified changes.

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Maternal Microbiota, Cortisol Concentration, and Post-Partum Weight Recovery Are Dependent on Mode of Delivery

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12061779 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 1779

Author(s):

Marta Selma-Royo ◽

Izaskun García-Mantrana ◽

Marta Calatayud ◽

Anna Parra-Llorca ◽

Cecilia Martínez-Costa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vaginal Delivery ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Post Partum ◽

Mode Of Delivery ◽

Cortisol Concentration ◽

Intestinal Microbiome ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Retention Data ◽

Weight Retention ◽

Microbial Composition

The importance of the maternal microbiota in terms of the initial bacterial seeding has previously been highlighted; however, little is currently known about the perinatal factors that could affect it. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of various delivery-related factors on the intestinal microbiome at delivery time and on post-partum weight retention. Data were collected from mothers (n = 167) during the first four months post-partum. A subset of 100 mothers were selected for the determination of the salivary cortisol concentration and microbiome composition at birth by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The maternal microbiota was classified into two distinct clusters with significant differences in microbial composition and diversity. Maternal microbiota was also significantly influenced by the mode of delivery. Moreover, the salivary cortisol concentration was associated with some maternal microbiota genera and it was significantly higher in the vaginal delivery group (p = 0.003). The vaginal delivery group exhibited lower post-partum weight retention than the C-section (CS) mothers at four months post-partum (p < 0.001). These results support the hypothesis that the mode of delivery as well as the codominant hormonal changes could influence the maternal microbiota and possibly impact maternal weight recovery during the post-partum period.

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A new method for the extraction and purification of K99 pili from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and their characterization

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj2010505 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 201 (3) ◽

pp. 505-513 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

K Altmann ◽

N A Pyliotis ◽

T K S Mukkur

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Amino Acids ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Average Length ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis ◽

Sodium Dodecyl ◽

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli ◽

Total Amino Acid ◽

Apparent Homogeneity

It was found that K99 pili from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (of bovine origin) could be extracted by treatment with 3M-KSCN solution. The K99 pili were purified by preparative isoelectric focusing to apparent homogeneity as judged by the presence of a single band on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis; the molecular weight of this component was calculated to be 12 600 +/- 300. This indicated that the K99 pili were composed of a single subunit. On analytical ultracentrifugation, a single boundary with an s20,w of 12.2 S at a concentration of 0.42 mg/ml was observed. The average length of purified pili at zero concentration was approx. 160 nm and the diameter was 7.4 +/- 0.6 nm. Amino acid analysis of the purified K99 pili revealed that sulphur-containing amino acids, cysteine and methionine, were absent. Aromatic amino acids, phenylalanine and tyrosine, previously reported to be absent [Isaacson (1977) Infect. Immun. 15. 272-279], constituted 7.14% of the total amino acid residues present. On immunoelectrophoresis, purified K99 pili migrated towards the cathode and caused mannose-resistant haemagglutination of horse, but not of sheep or guinea-pig, red blood cells. Pili from enterotoxigenic E. coli of porcine and human origin and from another bacterial species, namely Fusiformis nodosus, could also be extracted by the treatment of respective micro-organisms with 3 M-KSCN.

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Structure and function of the bacterial and fungal gut flora of Neotropical butterflies

10.1101/128884 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Alison Ravenscraft ◽

Michelle Berry ◽

Tobin Hammer ◽

Kabir Peay ◽

Carol Boggs

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Microbial Community Composition ◽

Structure And Function ◽

Feeding Guilds ◽

Gut Flora ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Host Diet ◽

And Function

AbstractThe relationship between animals and their gut flora is simultaneously one of the most common and most complex symbioses on Earth. Despite its ubiquity, our understanding of this invisible but often critical relationship is still in its infancy. We employed adult Neotropical butterflies as a study system to ask three questions: First, how does gut microbial community composition vary across host individuals, species and dietary guilds? Second, how do gut flora compare to food microbial communities? Finally, are gut flora functionally adapted to the chemical makeup of host foods? To answer these questions we captured nearly 300 Costa Rican butterflies representing over 50 species, six families and two feeding guilds: frugivores and nectivores. We characterized the bacteria and fungi in guts, wild fruits and wild nectars via amplicon sequencing and assessed the catabolic abilities of the gut flora via culture-based assays.Gut communities were distinct from food communities, suggesting that the gut environment acts as a strong filter on potential colonists. Nevertheless, gut flora varied widely among individuals and species. On average, a pair of butterflies shared 21% of their bacterial species and 6% of their fungi. Host species explained 25-30% of total variation in microbial communities while host diet explained 4%. However, diet was still relevant at the individual microbe level—half of the most abundant microbial species differed in abundance between frugivores and nectivores. Diet was also related to the functional profile of gut flora: compared to frugivores, nectivores’ gut flora exhibited increased catabolism of sugars and sugar alcohols and decreased catabolism of amino acids, carboxylic acids and dicarboxylic acids. Since fermented juice contains more amino acids and less sugar than nectar, it appears that host diet filters the gut flora by favoring microbes that digest compounds abundant in foods.By quantifying the degree to which gut communities vary among host individuals, species and dietary guilds and evaluating how gut microbial composition and catabolic potential are related to host diet, this study deepens our understanding of the structure and function of one of the most complex and ubiquitous symbioses in the animal kingdom.

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Microsporidian Infection in Mosquitoes (Culicidae) Is Associated with Gut Microbiome Composition and Predicted Gut Microbiome Functional Content

Microbial Ecology ◽

10.1007/s00248-021-01944-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Artur Trzebny ◽

Anna Slodkowicz-Kowalska ◽

Johanna Björkroth ◽

Miroslawa Dabert

Keyword(s):

16S Rrna ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Bacterial Communities ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Microbiome Composition ◽

Microsporidian Infection ◽

Functional Content

AbstractThe animal gut microbiota consist of many different microorganisms, mainly bacteria, but archaea, fungi, protozoans, and viruses may also be present. This complex and dynamic community of microorganisms may change during parasitic infection. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the presence of microsporidians on the composition of the mosquito gut microbiota and linked some microbiome taxa and functionalities to infections caused by these parasites. We characterised bacterial communities of 188 mosquito females, of which 108 were positive for microsporidian DNA. To assess how bacterial communities change during microsporidian infection, microbiome structures were identified using 16S rRNA microbial profiling. In total, we identified 46 families and four higher taxa, of which Comamonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Flavobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae were the most abundant mosquito-associated bacterial families. Our data suggest that the mosquito gut microbial composition varies among host species. In addition, we found a correlation between the microbiome composition and the presence of microsporidians. The prediction of metagenome functional content from the 16S rRNA gene sequencing suggests that microsporidian infection is characterised by some bacterial species capable of specific metabolic functions, especially the biosynthesis of ansamycins and vancomycin antibiotics and the pentose phosphate pathway. Moreover, we detected a positive correlation between the presence of microsporidian DNA and bacteria belonging to Spiroplasmataceae and Leuconostocaceae, each represented by a single species, Spiroplasma sp. PL03 and Weissella cf. viridescens, respectively. Additionally, W. cf. viridescens was observed only in microsporidian-infected mosquitoes. More extensive research, including intensive and varied host sampling, as well as determination of metabolic activities based on quantitative methods, should be carried out to confirm our results.

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Modulation of cytokine patterns and microbiome during pregnancy in IBD

Gut ◽

10.1136/gutjnl-2019-318263 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 69 (3) ◽

pp. 473-486 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Janine van der Giessen ◽

Dana Binyamin ◽

Anna Belogolovski ◽

Sigal Frishman ◽

Kinneret Tenenbaum-Gavish ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dynamic Modelling ◽

Late Pregnancy ◽

Intestinal Microbiome ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Intestinal Microbiology ◽

Microbiome Diversity ◽

Cytokine Levels

ObjectivePregnancy may affect the disease course of IBD. Both pregnancy and IBD are associated with altered immunology and intestinal microbiology. However, to what extent immunological and microbial profiles are affected by pregnancy in patients with IBD remains unclear.DesignFaecal and serum samples were collected from 46 IBD patients (31 Crohn’s disease (CD) and 15 UC) and 179 healthy controls during first, second and third trimester of pregnancy, and prepregnancy and postpartum for patients with IBD. Peripheral blood cytokine profiles were determined by ELISA, and microbiome analysis was performed by sequencing the V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene.ResultsProinflammatory serum cytokine levels in patients with IBD decrease significantly on conception. Reduced interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-5 levels but increased IL-8 and interferon (IFN)γ levels compared with healthy controls were seen throughout pregnancy, but cytokine patterns remained stable during gestation. Microbial diversity in pregnant patients with IBD was reduced compared with that in healthy women, and significant differences existed between patients with UC and CD in early pregnancy. However, these microbial differences were no longer present during middle and late pregnancy. Dynamic modelling showed considerable interaction between cytokine and microbial composition.ConclusionSerum proinflammatory cytokine levels markedly improve on conception in pregnant patients with IBD, and intestinal microbiome diversity of patients with IBD normalises during middle and late pregnancy. We thus conclude that pregnancy is safe and even potentially beneficial for patients with IBD.

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Isolation and sequence-based characterization of a koala symbiont: Lonepinella koalarum

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.10177 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. e10177

Author(s):

Katherine E. Dahlhausen ◽

Guillaume Jospin ◽

David A. Coil ◽

Jonathan A. Eisen ◽

Laetitia G.E. Wilkins

Keyword(s):

Genome Assembly ◽

Efflux Pump ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Gene Tree ◽

Plant Secondary Metabolites ◽

Chemical Compounds ◽

Intestinal Microbiome ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Toxic Chemical ◽

Phascolarctos Cinereus

Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are highly specialized herbivorous marsupials that feed almost exclusively on Eucalyptus leaves, which are known to contain varying concentrations of many different toxic chemical compounds. The literature suggests that Lonepinella koalarum, a bacterium in the Pasteurellaceae family, can break down some of these toxic chemical compounds. Furthermore, in a previous study, we identified L. koalarum as the most predictive taxon of koala survival during antibiotic treatment. Therefore, we believe that this bacterium may be important for koala health. Here, we isolated a strain of L. koalarum from a healthy koala female and sequenced its genome using a combination of short-read and long-read sequencing. We placed the genome assembly into a phylogenetic tree based on 120 genome markers using the Genome Taxonomy Database (GTDB), which currently does not include any L. koalarum assemblies. Our genome assembly fell in the middle of a group of Haemophilus, Pasteurella and Basfia species. According to average nucleotide identity and a 16S rRNA gene tree, the closest relative of our isolate is L. koalarum strain Y17189. Then, we annotated the gene sequences and compared them to 55 closely related, publicly available genomes. Several genes that are known to be involved in carbohydrate metabolism could exclusively be found in L. koalarum relative to the other taxa in the pangenome, including glycoside hydrolase families GH2, GH31, GH32, GH43 and GH77. Among the predicted genes of L. koalarum were 79 candidates putatively involved in the degradation of plant secondary metabolites. Additionally, several genes coding for amino acid variants were found that had been shown to confer antibiotic resistance in other bacterial species against pulvomycin, beta-lactam antibiotics and the antibiotic efflux pump KpnH. In summary, this genetic characterization allows us to build hypotheses to explore the potentially beneficial role that L. koalarum might play in the koala intestinal microbiome. Characterizing and understanding beneficial symbionts at the whole genome level is important for the development of anti- and probiotic treatments for koalas, a highly threatened species due to habitat loss, wildfires, and high prevalence of Chlamydia infections.

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A Bronze-Tomato Enriched Diet Affects the Intestinal Microbiome under Homeostatic and Inflammatory Conditions

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu10121862 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1862 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Marina Liso ◽

Stefania De Santis ◽

Aurelia Scarano ◽

Giulio Verna ◽

Manuela Dicarlo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intestinal Inflammation ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Intestinal Bacteria ◽

Intestinal Microbiome ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Inflammatory Conditions ◽

Intestinal Dysbiosis ◽

Bowel Diseases ◽

And Control ◽

Chronic Intestinal Inflammation

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are debilitating chronic inflammatory disorders that develop as a result of a defective immune response toward intestinal bacteria. Intestinal dysbiosis is associated with the onset of IBD and has been reported to persist even in patients in deep remission. We investigated the possibility of a dietary-induced switch to the gut microbiota composition using Winnie mice as a model of spontaneous ulcerative colitis and chow enriched with 1% Bronze tomato. We used the near isogenic tomato line strategy to investigate the effects of a diet enriched in polyphenols administered to mild but established chronic intestinal inflammation. The Bronze-enriched chow administered for two weeks was not able to produce any macroscopic effect on the IBD symptoms, although, at molecular level there was a significant induction of anti-inflammatory genes and intracellular staining of T cells revealed a mild decrease in IL17A and IFNγ production. Analysis of the microbial composition revealed that two weeks of Bronze enriched diet was sufficient to perturb the microbial composition of Winnie and control mice, suggesting that polyphenol-enriched diets may create unfavorable conditions for distinct bacterial species. In conclusion, dietary regimes enriched in polyphenols may efficiently support IBD remission affecting the intestinal dysbiosis.

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Long-term effects of lysine concentration on growth performance, intestinal microbiome, and metabolic profiles in a pig model

Food & Function ◽

10.1039/c8fo00973b ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 4153-4163 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Jie Yin ◽

Yuying Li ◽

Hui Han ◽

Zhaojin Liu ◽

Xiangfang Zeng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Proliferation ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Pig Model ◽

Intestinal Microbiome ◽

Metabolic Profiles ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Lysine Concentration ◽

Limiting Amino Acid

Lysine is a common limiting amino acid in human and animal diets and plays an important role in cell proliferation and metabolism.

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Assessment of commercial companion animal kefir products for label accuracy of microbial composition and quantity

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa301 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (9) ◽

Author(s):

Breanna N Metras ◽

Maxwell J Holle ◽

Valerie J Parker ◽

Michael J Miller ◽

Kelly S Swanson

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Species ◽

Amplicon Sequencing ◽

Companion Animal ◽

Fermented Food ◽

Health Claims ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Wide Range ◽

Long Read ◽

Number Of Microorganisms

Abstract Kefir is a fermented beverage containing yeast and bacteria produced by the fermentation of water or milk with kefir grains. Lack of regulation for probiotic-containing fermented food sold for companion dogs and cats creates the potential for misreporting on viable microbial counts, taxonomy, and label claims. In this study, the microbiota of six companion animal kefir products were measured quantitatively using standard plating techniques. Microbial composition of these products was also characterized by using high-resolution, long-read amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Five products (83%) listed specific microorganisms, and four products (66%) guaranteed colony forming units (CFU)/g on their label. To enumerate viable lactic acid bacteria (LAB), two lots of each homogenized product were plated upon opening and following 14 d on deMan Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) agar and incubated under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Results from point of opening revealed that all commercial kefir products with a guaranteed CFU/g overstated the number of microorganisms present by at least 1 log, with only one product exceeding 1 × 109 CFU/g. Sequencing results demonstrated that none of the labels claiming specific bacterial genera and species on their labels were correct, and all products contained at least three additional bacterial species above the minimum detectable threshold (0.001% relative abundance) that were not disclosed by the manufacturer. In addition to the incorrect viable CFU and bacterial taxonomies, several of the product labels and websites contained a wide range of health claims, none of which are supported by the companion animal literature. Our results demonstrate a low level of accuracy in the labeling of commercial kefir products intended for use in dogs and cats. Regulatory agencies, veterinarians, pet food professionals, and pet owners must scrutinize these products and demand a higher level of accuracy and quality in the future.

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