Microbial Response to Fungal Infection in a Fungus-Growing Termite, Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki)

The crosstalk between gut microbiota and host immunity has emerged as one of the research foci of microbiome studies in recent years. The purpose of this study was to determine how gut microbes respond to fungal infection in termites, given their reliance on gut symbionts for food intake as well as maintaining host health. Here, we used Metarhizium robertsii, an entomopathogenic fungus, to infect Odontotermes formosanus, a fungus-growing termite in the family Termitidae, and documented changes in host gut microbiota via a combination of bacterial 16S rDNA sequencing, metagenomic shotgun sequencing, and transmission electron microscopy. Our analyses found that when challenged with Metarhizium, the termite gut showed reduced microbial diversity within the first 12 h of fungal infection and then recovered and even surpassed pre-infection flora levels. These combined results shed light on the role of gut flora in maintaining homeostasis and immune homeostasis in the host, and the impact of gut flora dysbiosis on host susceptibility to infection.

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Endobolome, a New Concept for Determining the Influence of Microbiota Disrupting Chemicals (MDC) in Relation to Specific Endocrine Pathogenesis

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2020.578007 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Margarita Aguilera ◽

Yolanda Gálvez-Ontiveros ◽

Ana Rivas

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Steroid Hormones ◽

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Host Susceptibility ◽

Research Strategies ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Endocrine Disrupting ◽

The Impact

Endogenous steroid hormones and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC) interact with gut microbiota through different pathways. We suggest the use of the term “endobolome” when referring to the group of gut microbiota genes and pathways involved in the metabolism of steroid hormones and EDC. States of dysbiosis and reduced diversity of the gut microbiota may impact and modify the endobolome resulting at long-term in the development of certain pathophysiological conditions. The endobolome might play a central role in the gut microbiota as seen by the amount of potentially endobolome-mediated diseases and thereby it can be considered an useful diagnostic tool and therapeutic target for future functional research strategies that envisage the use of next generation of probiotics. In addition, we propose that EDC and other xenobiotics that alter the gut microbial composition and its metabolic capacities should be categorized into a subgroup termed “microbiota disrupting chemicals” (MDC). This will help to distinguish the role of contaminants from other microbiota natural modifiers such as those contained or released from diet, environment, physical activity and stress. These MDC might have the ability to promote specific changes in the microbiota that can ultimately result in common intestinal and chronic or long-term systemic diseases in the host. The risk of developing certain disorders associated with gut microbiota changes should be established by determining both the effects of the MDC on gut microbiota and the impact of microbiota changes on chemicals metabolism and host susceptibility. In any case, further animal controlled experiments, clinical trials and large epidemiological studies are required in order to establish the concatenated impact of the MDC-microbiota-host health axis.

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Association Study of Gut Flora in Coronary Heart Disease through High-Throughput Sequencing

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2017/3796359 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Li Cui ◽

Tingting Zhao ◽

Haibing Hu ◽

Wen Zhang ◽

Xiuguo Hua

Keyword(s):

Coronary Heart Disease ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

High Throughput ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Group Method ◽

Gut Flora ◽

Unifrac Distance ◽

Pair Group ◽

The Impact

Objectives.We aimed to explore the impact of gut microbiota in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients through high-throughput sequencing.Methods.A total of 29 CHD in-hospital patients and 35 healthy volunteers as controls were included. Nucleic acids were extracted from fecal samples, followed byαdiversity and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). Based on unweighted UniFrac distance matrices, unweighted-pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) trees were created.Results.After data optimization, an average of121312±19293reads in CHD patients and234372±108725reads in controls was obtained. Reads corresponding to 38 phyla, 90 classes, and 584 genera were detected in CHD patients, whereas 40 phyla, 99 classes, and 775 genera were detected in controls. The proportion of phylum Bacteroidetes (56.12%) was lower and that of phylum Firmicutes was higher (37.06%) in CHD patients than those in the controls (60.92% and 32.06%,P<0.05). PCoA and UPGMA tree analysis showed that there were significant differences of gut microbial compositions between the two groups.Conclusion.The diversity and compositions of gut flora were different between CHD patients and healthy controls. The incidence of CHD might be associated with the alteration of gut microbiota.

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Ageing, immunity and influenza: a role for probiotics?

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665113003777 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 73 (2) ◽

pp. 309-317 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Parveen Yaqoob

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Older People ◽

Influenza A ◽

Respiratory Infections ◽

Ageing Population ◽

Susceptibility To Infection ◽

Age Related ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

Adjuvant Effects ◽

The Impact

Influenza is a major cause of death in the over 65s. Increased susceptibility to infection and reduced response to vaccination are due to immunosenscence in combination with medical history and lifestyle factors. Age-related alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota have a direct impact on the immune system and it is proposed that modulation of the gut microbiota using pre- and probiotics could offer an opportunity to improve immune responses to infections and vaccination in older people. There is growing evidence that probiotics have immunomodulatory properties, which to some extent are strain-dependent, and are strongly influenced by ageing. Randomised controlled trials suggest that probiotics may reduce the incidence and/or severity of respiratory infections, although there is limited data on older people. A small number of studies have examined the potential adjuvant effects of selected probiotics for vaccination against influenza; however, the data is inconsistent, particularly in older people. This review describes the impact of age-related changes in the gut on the immune response to respiratory infections and evaluates whether restoration of gut microbial homoeostasis by probiotics offers an opportunity to modulate the outcome of respiratory infections and vaccination against influenza in older people. Although there is promising evidence for effects of probiotics on human health, there is a lack of consistent data, perhaps partly due to strain-specific differences and an influence of the age of the host. Further research is critical in evaluating the potential use of probiotics in respiratory infections and vaccination in the ageing population.

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The impact of structural bioinformatics tools and resources on SARS-CoV-2 research and therapeutic strategies

Briefings in Bioinformatics ◽

10.1093/bib/bbaa362 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Vaishali P Waman ◽

Neeladri Sen ◽

Mihaly Varadi ◽

Antoine Daina ◽

Shoshana J Wodak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Theoretical Models ◽

Data Bank ◽

Structural Bioinformatics ◽

Host Susceptibility ◽

Structure Based Drug Design ◽

Antibody Recognition ◽

Susceptibility To Infection ◽

Molecular Therapeutics ◽

Bioinformatics Tools ◽

The Impact

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19, the ongoing global pandemic. It has posed a worldwide challenge to human health as no effective treatment is currently available to combat the disease. Its severity has led to unprecedented collaborative initiatives for therapeutic solutions against COVID-19. Studies resorting to structure-based drug design for COVID-19 are plethoric and show good promise. Structural biology provides key insights into 3D structures, critical residues/mutations in SARS-CoV-2 proteins, implicated in infectivity, molecular recognition and susceptibility to a broad range of host species. The detailed understanding of viral proteins and their complexes with host receptors and candidate epitope/lead compounds is the key to developing a structure-guided therapeutic design. Since the discovery of SARS-CoV-2, several structures of its proteins have been determined experimentally at an unprecedented speed and deposited in the Protein Data Bank. Further, specialized structural bioinformatics tools and resources have been developed for theoretical models, data on protein dynamics from computer simulations, impact of variants/mutations and molecular therapeutics. Here, we provide an overview of ongoing efforts on developing structural bioinformatics tools and resources for COVID-19 research. We also discuss the impact of these resources and structure-based studies, to understand various aspects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and therapeutic development. These include (i) understanding differences between SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV, leading to increased infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, (ii) deciphering key residues in the SARS-CoV-2 involved in receptor–antibody recognition, (iii) analysis of variants in host proteins that affect host susceptibility to infection and (iv) analyses facilitating structure-based drug and vaccine design against SARS-CoV-2.

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Effect of Sheng-Jiang Powder on Gut Microbiota in High-Fat Diet-Induced NAFLD

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2020/6697638 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Juan Li ◽

Qian Hu ◽

Dai Xiao-yu ◽

Lv Zhu ◽

Yi-fan Miao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

High Fat Diet ◽

Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Pathological Examination ◽

Microbiota Composition ◽

High Fat ◽

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver ◽

Rdna Sequencing ◽

The Impact ◽

Gut Microbiota Composition

Background and Aims. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an alarming global health problem that is predicted to be the major cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation by next decade. Gut microbiota have been revealed playing an important role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Sheng-Jiang Powder (SJP), an empirical Chinese medicine formula to treat NAFLD, showed great hepatoprotective properties, but the impact on gut microbiota has never been identified. Therefore, we performed this study to investigate the effect of SJP on gut microbiota in NAFLD mice. Methods. NAFLD was induced by 12 weeks’ high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. Mice were treated with SJP/normal saline daily for 6 weeks. Blood samples were obtained for serum biochemical indices and inflammatory cytokines measurement. Liver tissues were obtained for pathological evaluation and oil red O staining. The expression of lipid metabolism-related genes was quantified by RT-PCR and Western blotting. Changes in gut microbiota composition were analyzed by the 16s rDNA sequencing technique. Results. HFD feeding induced significant increase in bodyweight and serum levels of TG, TC, ALT, and AST. The pathological examination revealed obvious hepatic steatosis in HFD feeding mice. Coadministration of SJP effectively protected against bodyweight increase and lipid accumulation in blood and liver. Increased expression of PPARγ mRNA was observed in HFD feeding mice, but a steady elevation of PPARγ protein level was only found in SJP-treated mice. Meanwhile, the expression of FASN was much higher in HFD feeding mice. Microbiome analysis revealed obvious changes in gut microbiota composition among diverse groups. SJP treatment modulated the relative abundance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) producing bacteria, including norank-f-Erysipelotrichaceae and Roseburia. Conclusions. SJP is efficient in attenuating HFD-induced NAFLD, and it might be partly attributed to the regulation of gut microbiota.

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Age and Giardia intestinalis Infection Impact Canine Gut Microbiota

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9091862 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 1862

Author(s):

Anne-Sophie Boucard ◽

Myriam Thomas ◽

Wilfried Lebon ◽

Bruno Polack ◽

Isabelle Florent ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Parasitic Infection ◽

Giardia Intestinalis ◽

Host Susceptibility ◽

Low Grade ◽

Giardia Cyst ◽

Gut Health ◽

Time Points ◽

The Impact

Giardia intestinalis is a flagellated protozoan responsible for giardiosis (also called giardiasis in humans), the most prevalent and widespread parasitic infection in humans and mammals worldwide. The intestinal microbiota is highly diverse and any alteration in its composition may impact on the health of the host. While studies on the mouse model of giardiosis described the role of the gut microbiota in host susceptibility to infection by the parasite, little is known about the gut microbiota during natural infections in dogs and particularly in puppies. In this study, we monitored naturally G. intestinalis-infected puppies for 3 months and quantified cyst excretion every 2 weeks. All puppies remained subclinically infected during the sampling period as confirmed by fecal examination. In parallel, we performed 16S Illumina sequencing of fecal samples from the different time points to assess the impact of G. intestinalis infection on gut microbiota development of the puppies, as well as gut health markers of immunity such as fecal IgA and calprotectin. Sequencing results revealed that the canine fecal microbiota of Giardia-infected puppies becomes more complex and less diverse with increasing age. In addition, significant differences in the structure of the microbiota were observed between puppies with high and low Giardia cyst excretion. Chronic subclinical G. intestinalis infection appears to be associated with some detrimental structural changes in the gut microbiota. G. intestinalis-associated dysbiosis is characterized by an enrichment of facultative anaerobic, mucus-degrading, pro-inflammatory species and opportunistic pathogens, as well as a reduction of Lactobacillus johnsonii at specific time points. Calprotectin levels increased with age, suggesting the establishment of chronic low-grade inflammation in puppies. Further work is needed to demonstrate whether these alterations in the canine gut microbiota could lead to a dysbiosis-related disease, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

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Characteristics of Gut Microbiota in Diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome of Han Nationality in Southwest China

10.21203/rs.3.rs-871688/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chengjiao Yao ◽

Yilin Li ◽

Lihong Luo ◽

Fengjiao Xie ◽

Qin Xiong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Correlation Analysis ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Laboratory Tests ◽

Southwest China ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Work Intensity ◽

Han Nationality ◽

Rdna Sequencing ◽

The Impact

Abstract Backgroud To study of gut microbiota in IBS-D of Han nationality in Southwest China, explore its relationship with environmental factors and differential expression function of gut microbiota in patients. Methods 120 cases of IBS-D group and 63 cases of HCs group were recruited, baseline data such as age, height, weight, monthly income, work intensity, eating habits and exercise were collected. HAMA and HAMD scores were performed on the two groups. IBS-D group was scored with IBS-SSS and IBS-QOL, and the differences in gastrointestinal symptoms, mental and psychological status and quality of life were compared. The laboratory tests were performed such as blood routine and liver function. Fresh feces of the two groups were collected for 16S rDNA sequencing. Then analyze the differences of gut microbiota between the two groups, and look for typical biomarkers of each. According to the dominant species and differentially expressed species at different classification levels, FAPROTAX was used to predict the functional differences of gut microbiota between the two groups. Taking the above scores and laboratory tests as environmental factors, spearman correlation analysis was conducted at the phylum level to explore the impact of environmental factors on the occurrence and development of gut microbiota and IBS-D. Results IBS-D patients are mostly concentrated in low-medium income people with medium-high labor intensity. The sleep time, exercise time, intake of vegetables and fruits of IBS-D are significantly lower than those of HCs, and the proportion of IBS-D who like to eat pepper is significantly higher than those of HCs. The scores of HAMA and HAMD, Urea nitrogen, AST, ALT , GGT in IBS-D were significantly higher than those in HCs.The richness of gut microbiota in IBS-D was significantly lower than that in HCs, but not diversity and eveness. The beta diversity index of gut microbiota community was significantly different between the two groups. The biomarkers of IBS-D were Prevotella, Clostridiales and Roseburia, the biomarkers of HCs were Veillonellaceae, Bacteroides-coprocola, Bifidobacteriales, Bifidobacteriumde, etc. The functions of gut microbiota in IBS-D were significantly up-regulated in cellulolysi, xylanolysis, and significantly down-regulated in fermentation, methanogenesis, nitrite_ammonification, nitrate_reduction. Correlation analysis showed that multiple intestinal microorganisms were closely related to HAMA, IBS-SSS, IBS-QOL, inflammatory indexes and liver enzymes. Conclusion There are significant differences in richness of gut microbiota, flora structure and flora function between IBS-D and HCs in Southwest China. These differences may be closely related to environmental factors such as eating habits, living habits and mental and psychological factors.The trial was registered and approved in China Clinical Trial Registry (Registration No.ChiCTR2100045751)

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A role for gut microbiota in m6A epitranscriptomic mRNA modifications in different host tissues

10.1101/504266 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Sabrina Jabs ◽

Christophe Becavin ◽

Marie-Anne Nahori ◽

Vincent Guerinau ◽

David Touboul ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Strong Influence ◽

Gene Expression Regulation ◽

Commensal Bacteria ◽

Gut Flora ◽

Commensal Bacterium ◽

Complex Interplay ◽

The Impact ◽

Host Tissues

The intestinal microbiota modulates host physiology and gene expression via mechanisms that are not fully understood. A recently discovered layer of gene expression regulation is N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of mRNA. To unveil if this epitranscriptomic mark in part mediates the impact of the gut microbiota on the host, we analyzed m6A-modifications in transcripts of mice displaying either a conventional, or a modified, or no gut flora. We discovered that the microbiota has a strong influence on m6A-modifications in the cecum, and also, albeit to a lesser extent, in the liver. We furthermore show that a single commensal bacterium, Akkermansia muciniphila, can affect specific m6A modifications. Together, we report here epitranscriptomic modifications as an unexpected level of interaction in the complex interplay between commensal bacteria and their host.

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Metagenomic signature of natural strongyle infection in susceptible and resistant horses

10.1101/233015 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Allison Clark ◽

Guillaume Sallé ◽

Valentine Ballan ◽

Fabrice Reigner ◽

Annabelle Meynadier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Energy Homeostasis ◽

Host Susceptibility ◽

Intrinsic Resistance ◽

Susceptibility To Infection ◽

Additional Control ◽

Novel Biomarkers ◽

Induced Changes ◽

The Relationship ◽

Gut Microbiota Composition

AbstractGastrointestinal strongyles are a major threat to horses' health and welfare. Given that strongyles inhabit the same niche as the gut microbiota, they may interact with each other. These beneficial or detrimental interactions are unknown in horses and could partly explain contrasted susceptibility to infection between individuals. To address these questions, an experimental pasture trial with 20 worm-free female Welsh ponies (10 susceptible (S) and 10 resistant (R) to parasite infection) was implemented for five months. Fecal egg counts (FEC), hematological and biochemical data, body weight and gut microbiota composition were studied in each individual after 0, 24, 43, 92 and 132 grazing days.The predicted R ponies exhibited lower FEC after 92 and 132 grazing days, and showed higher levels of circulating monocytes and eosinophils, while S ponies developed lymphocytosis by the end of the trial. Although the overall microbiota diversity remained similar between the two groups, R and S ponies exhibited sustained differential abundances inClostridium XIVa, Ruminococcus, Acetivibrioand unclassifiedLachnospiraceaat day 0. These bacteria may hence contribute to the intrinsic pony resistance towards strongyle infection. Moreover,Paludibacter, Campylobacter, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Clostridium III, Acetivibrio, members of the unclassifiedEubacteriaceaeandRuminococcaceaeand fungi loads were increased in infected S ponies, suggesting that strongyle and fungi may contribute to each other’s success in the ecological niche of the equine intestines. In contrast, butyrate-producing bacteria such asRuminococcus, Clostridium XIVaand members of theLachnospiraceaefamily decreased in S relative to R ponies. Additionally, these gut microbiota alterations induced changes in several immunological pathways in S ponies, including pathogen sensing, lipid metabolism, and activation of signal transduction that are critical for the regulation of immune system and energy homeostasis. These observations shed light on a putative implication of the gut microbiota in the intrinsic resistance to strongyle infection.Overall, this longitudinal study provides a foundation to better understand the mechanisms that underpin the relationship between host susceptibility to strongyle infection, immune response and gut microbiota under natural conditions in horses and should contribute to the development of novel biomarkers of strongyle susceptibility and provide additional control options.

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Intestinal microbiota balance modulates host susceptibility to infection with enteric pathogenss

Clinical & Investigative Medicine ◽

10.25011/cim.v30i4.2872 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 93

Author(s):

I Sekirov ◽

N Tam ◽

M Robertson ◽

C Lupp ◽

B Finlay

Keyword(s):

Intestinal Microbiota ◽

Small Animal ◽

Host Susceptibility ◽

Morphological Development ◽

Future Design ◽

Susceptibility To Infection ◽

Colonic Microbiota ◽

Food Borne ◽

Serovar Typhimurium ◽

Intestinal Pathogens

Background: During our lifetimes we develop a very complex set of interactions with the multitude of microorganisms colonizing our bodies. In the gastrointestinal system, the microbiota is highly important for morphological development, nutrition, and protection against infectious diseases. The gastrointestinal pathogens, enterohemorrhagic and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EHEC and EPEC) and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (ST) are food-borne pathogens that cause much morbidity and mortality worldwide. Citrobacter rodentium (Cr) is a mouse pathogen that is used in small animal models to mimic EHEC and EPEC infections. Methods: We began to characterize the contribution of intestinal microbiota to the progression of these infections. Two main phyla comprise the majority of mouse intestinal microbiota: Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Bacteria from a number of additional phyla are also present in smaller numbers; among them γ-Proteobacteria class, belonging to Proteobacteria phylum, is note-worthy as this class harbours many intestinal pathogens, such as ST and Cr. The mouse intestinal microbiota was perturbed using tetracycline (Tet) and streptomycin (Sm) to increase the proportion of Bacteroidetes in the colonic microbiota, and using vancomycin (Vanc) to create a predominance of Firmicutes. The mice with this perturbed microbiota were infected with ST to investigate the resultant pathology and virulence characteristics, and any additional shifts in microbiota as a result of infection. Results: Treatment of mice with Sm and Vanc was found to decrease the resistance of mice to colonization with ST, while Tet-treated mice exhibited unchanged colonization resistance. Treatment of mice with gradually increasing doses of Sm, which gradually augmented the proportion of CFB bacteria in the microbiota, resulted in progressively increasing colonization of mice by ST, as well as a step-wise increase in the ST-induced typhlitis, associated with higher levels of inflammatory markers IL-6 and KC. The increasing levels of ST colonization following both Sm and Vanc treatment were associated with an increase in the proportion of γ-Proteobacteria in the cecal and colonic microbiota, as well as a decrease in the total bacterial numbers in both organs. Conclusions: It is evident that the intestinal microbiota plays a significant role in the host’s response to infection with enteric pathogens, and its composition and numbers are also affected by the offending bacteria. Elucidation of the details regarding the contribution of the microbiota to infectious disease progression will offer novel targets for the future design of superior prevention and treatment methods.

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