scholarly journals Enterotypes of the Gut Microbial Community and Their Response to Plant Secondary Compounds in Plateau Pikas

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1311
Author(s):  
Chao Fan ◽  
Liangzhi Zhang ◽  
Haibo Fu ◽  
Chuanfa Liu ◽  
Wenjing Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Secondary Compounds ◽  
Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽  
Plant Secondary Compounds ◽  
Plateau Pika ◽  
Natural Diet ◽  
Rdna Sequencing ◽  
Plant Secondary Compound ◽  
Dominant Bacteria

Animal gut microbiomes can be clustered into “enterotypes” characterized by an abundance of signature genera. The characteristic determinants, stability, and resilience of these community clusters remain poorly understood. We used plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) as a model and identified three enterotypes by 16S rDNA sequencing. Among the top 15 genera, 13 showed significantly different levels of abundance between the enterotypes combined with different microbial functions and distinct fecal short-chain fatty acids. We monitored changes in the microbial community associated with the transfer of plateau pikas from field to laboratory and observed that feeding them a single diet reduced microbial diversity, resulting in a single enterotype with an altered composition of the dominant bacteria. However, microbial diversity, an abundance of some changed dominant genera, and enterotypes were partially restored after adding swainsonine (a plant secondary compound found in the natural diet of plateau pikas) to the feed. These results provide strong evidence that gut microbial diversity and enterotypes are directly related to specific diet, thereby indicating that the formation of different enterotypes can help animals adapt to complex food conditions. Additionally, natural plant secondary compounds can maintain dominant bacteria and inter-individual differences of gut microbiota and promote the resilience of enterotypes in small herbivorous mammals.

scholarly journals Analysis of Microbial Diversity and Variation Law During Xiaoqu Baijiu Fermentation using High-throughput Sequencing Technology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Wang ◽  
Xiaoqing Xiang ◽  
PengFei Wu ◽  
Guoqiang Han
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Sequencing Technology ◽  
Theoretical Support ◽  
Brewing Process ◽  
Dominant Bacteria ◽  
Brewing Time

Abstract In this study, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) was used to compare and analyze the microbial diversity and variation law during the brewing process of xiaoqu Baijiu. The results showed that 34 phyla, 378 genera of bacteria and 4 phyla, 32 genera of fungi were detected. At the phylum level, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Ascomycota and Bacteroidetes were the dominant groups. During the brewing process of xiaoqu Baijiu, the dominant bacteria were Weissella and unidentified Rickettsiales 2 days before brewing and Lactobacillus 3 days after brewing until the end of brewing. The dominant fungi were Rhizopus, Saccharomyces and Issatchenkia. The relative abundance of Rhizopus decreased with the extension of brewing time, while the relative abundance of Saccharomyces increased and became the dominant bacteria after the second day of brewing. This study revealed the diversity and variation of microbial community in the brewing process of xiaoqu Baijiu, and provide theoretical support and lay the foundation for future study on the contribution of microbial metabolism during brewing of xiaoqu Baijiu, thereby promote the development of xiaoqu baijiu industry.

scholarly journals Bacteria Contribute to Plant Secondary Compound Degradation in a Generalist Herbivore System

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte B. Francoeur ◽  
Lily Khadempour ◽  
Rolando D. Moreira-Soto ◽  
Kirsten Gotting ◽  
Adam J. Book ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Secondary Compounds ◽  
Fungus Garden ◽  
Plant Secondary Compounds ◽  
Generalist Herbivore ◽  
Secondary Compound ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Plant Secondary Compound ◽  
Microbial Symbionts

ABSTRACT Herbivores must overcome a variety of plant defenses, including coping with plant secondary compounds (PSCs). To help detoxify these defensive chemicals, several insect herbivores are known to harbor gut microbiota with the metabolic capacity to degrade PSCs. Leaf-cutter ants are generalist herbivores, obtaining sustenance from specialized fungus gardens that act as external digestive systems and which degrade the diverse collection of plants foraged by the ants. There is in vitro evidence that certain PSCs harm Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, the fungal cultivar of leaf-cutter ants, suggesting a role for the Proteobacteria-dominant bacterial community present within fungus gardens. In this study, we investigated the ability of symbiotic bacteria present within fungus gardens of leaf-cutter ants to degrade PSCs. We cultured fungus garden bacteria, sequenced the genomes of 42 isolates, and identified genes involved in PSC degradation, including genes encoding cytochrome P450 enzymes and genes in geraniol, cumate, cinnamate, and α-pinene/limonene degradation pathways. Using metatranscriptomic analysis, we showed that some of these degradation genes are expressed in situ. Most of the bacterial isolates grew unhindered in the presence of PSCs and, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we determined that isolates from the genera Bacillus, Burkholderia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas degrade α-pinene, β-caryophyllene, or linalool. Using a headspace sampler, we show that subcolonies of fungus gardens reduced α-pinene and linalool over a 36-h period, while L. gongylophorus strains alone reduced only linalool. Overall, our results reveal that the bacterial communities in fungus gardens play a pivotal role in alleviating the effect of PSCs on the leaf-cutter ant system. IMPORTANCE Leaf-cutter ants are dominant neotropical herbivores capable of deriving energy from a wide range of plant substrates. The success of leaf-cutter ants is largely due to their external gut, composed of key microbial symbionts, specifically, the fungal mutualist L. gongylophorus and a consistent bacterial community. Both symbionts are known to have critical roles in extracting energy from plant material, yet comparatively little is known about their roles in the detoxification of plant secondary compounds. In this study, we assessed if the bacterial communities associated with leaf-cutter ant fungus gardens can degrade harmful plant chemicals. We identify plant secondary compound detoxification in leaf-cutter ant gardens as a process that depends on the degradative potential of both the bacterial community and L. gongylophorus. Our findings suggest that the fungus garden and its associated microbial community influence the generalist foraging abilities of the ants, underscoring the importance of microbial symbionts in plant substrate suitability for herbivores.

scholarly journals Inbreeding-related trade-offs in stress resistance in the ant Formica exsecta

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 20140805 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Freitak ◽  
N. Bos ◽  
D. Stucki ◽  
L. Sundström
Keyword(s):  
Antibacterial Activity ◽  
Free Radicals ◽  
Inbreeding Depression ◽  
Stress Resistance ◽  
Secondary Compounds ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Plant Secondary Compounds ◽  
Natural Diet ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Related Trade

Inbred individuals and populations are predicted to suffer from inbreeding depression, especially in times of stress. Under natural conditions, organisms are exposed to more than one stressor at any one time, highlighting the importance of stress resistance traits. We studied how inbreeding- and immunity-related traits are correlated under different dietary conditions in the ant Formica exsecta . Its natural diet varies in the amount and nature of plant secondary compounds and the level of free radicals, all of which require detoxification to maintain organismal homeostasis. We found that inbreeding decreased general antibacterial activity under dietary stress, suggesting inbreeding-related physiological trade-offs.

Hepatic gene expression in herbivores on diets with natural and novel plant secondary compounds

2013 ◽  
Vol 45 (17) ◽  
pp. 774-785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elodie Magnanou ◽  
Jael R. Malenke ◽  
M. Denise Dearing
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Great Basin ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Gene Expression Profiles ◽  
Secondary Compounds ◽  
Plant Secondary Compounds ◽  
Secondary Chemistry ◽  
Natural Diet

Herbivores are predicted to evolve appropriate mechanisms to process the plant secondary compounds (PSCs) in their diet, and these mechanisms are likely specific to particular suites of PSCs. Changes in diet composition over evolutionary time should select for appropriate alterations in metabolism of the more recent dietary components. We investigated differences in gene expression profiles in the liver with respect to prior ecological and evolutionary experience with PSCs in the desert woodrat, Neotoma lepida. This woodrat species has populations in the Mojave Desert that have switched from feeding on juniper to feeding on creosote at the end of the Holocene as well as populations in the Great Basin Desert that still feed on the ancestral diet of juniper and are naïve to creosote. Juniper and creosote have notable differences in secondary chemistry. Woodrats from the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts were subjected to a fully crossed feeding trial on diets of juniper and creosote after which their livers were analyzed for gene expression. Hybridization of hepatic mRNAs to laboratory rat microarrays resulted in a total of 20,031 genes that met quality control standards. We analyzed differences in large-scale patterns of liver gene expression with respect to GO term enrichment. Diet had a larger effect on gene expression than population membership. However, woodrats with no prior evolutionary experience to the diet upregulated a greater proportion of genes indicative of physiological stress compared with those on their natural diet. This pattern may be the result of a naïve animal's attempting to mitigate physiological damage caused by novel PSCs.

scholarly journals Bacteria contribute to plant secondary compound degradation in a generalist herbivore system

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte B. Francoeur ◽  
Lily Khadempour ◽  
Rolando D. Moreira-Soto ◽  
Kirsten Gotting ◽  
Adam J. Book ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Secondary Compounds ◽  
Fungus Garden ◽  
Ant System ◽  
Plant Secondary Compounds ◽  
Generalist Herbivore ◽  
Secondary Compound ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Plant Secondary Compound ◽  
Microbial Symbionts

AbstractHerbivores must overcome a variety of plant defenses, including coping with plant secondary compounds (PSCs). To help detoxify these defensive chemicals, several insect herbivores are known to harbor gut microbiota with the metabolic capacity to degrade PSCs. Leaf-cutter ants are generalist herbivores, obtaining sustenance from specialized fungus gardens that act as external digestive systems, degrading the diverse collection of plants foraged by the ants. There is in vitro evidence that certain PSCs harm Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, the fungal cultivar of leaf-cutter ants, suggesting a role for the Proteobacteria-dominant bacterial community present within fungus gardens. Here, we investigate the ability of symbiotic bacteria present within fungus gardens of leaf-cutter ants to degrade PSCs. We cultured fungus garden bacteria, sequenced the genomes of 42 isolates, and identified genes involved in PSC degradation, including genes encoding cytochrome p450s and genes in geraniol, cumate, cinnamate, and α-pinene/limonene degradation pathways. Using metatranscriptomic analysis, we show that some of these degradation genes are expressed in situ. Most of the bacterial isolates grew unhindered in the presence of PSCs and, using GC-MS, we determined that isolates from the genera Bacillus, Burkholderia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas degrade α-pinene, β-caryophyllene, or linalool. Using a headspace sampler, we show that sub-colonies of fungus gardens reduced α-pinene and linalool over a 36-hour period, while L. gongylophorus strains alone only reduced linalool. Overall, our results reveal that the bacterial community in fungus gardens play a pivotal role in alleviating the effect of PSCs on the leaf-cutter ant system.ImportanceLeaf-cutter ants are dominant neotropical herbivores capable of deriving energy from a wide range of plant substrates. The success of leaf-cutter ants is largely due to their external gut composed of key microbial symbionts, specifically, the fungal mutualist L. gongylophorus and a consistent bacterial community. Both symbionts are known to have critical roles in extracting energy from plant material, yet comparatively little is known about their role in the detoxification of plant secondary compounds. Here, we assess if the bacterial community associated with leaf-cutter ant fungus gardens can degrade harmful plant chemicals. We identify plant secondary compound detoxification in leaf-cutter ant gardens as a process that depends on the degradative potential of both the bacterial community and L. gongylophorus. Our findings suggest the fungus garden and its associated microbial community influences the generalist foraging abilities of the ants, underscoring the importance of microbial symbionts in plant substrate suitability for herbivores.

scholarly journals Stochastic Assembly Leads to Alternative Communities with Distinct Functions in a Bioreactor Microbial Community

mBio ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jizhong Zhou ◽  
Wenzong Liu ◽  
Ye Deng ◽  
Yi-Huei Jiang ◽  
Kai Xue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Microbial Community ◽  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Microbial Community Structure ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Ecosystem Functioning ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Microbial Biodiversity ◽  
Stochastic Assembly

ABSTRACTThe processes and mechanisms of community assembly and its relationships to community functioning are central issues in ecology. Both deterministic and stochastic factors play important roles in shaping community composition and structure, but the connection between community assembly and ecosystem functioning remains elusive, especially in microbial communities. Here, we used microbial electrolysis cell reactors as a model system to examine the roles of stochastic assembly in determining microbial community structure and functions. Under identical environmental conditions with the same source community, ecological drift (i.e., initial stochastic colonization) and subsequent biotic interactions created dramatically different communities with little overlap among 14 identical reactors, indicating that stochastic assembly played dominant roles in determining microbial community structure. Neutral community modeling analysis revealed that deterministic factors also played significant roles in shaping microbial community structure in these reactors. Most importantly, the newly formed communities differed substantially in community functions (e.g., H2production), which showed strong linkages to community structure. This study is the first to demonstrate that stochastic assembly plays a dominant role in determining not only community structure but also ecosystem functions. Elucidating the links among community assembly, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning is critical to understanding ecosystem functioning, biodiversity preservation, and ecosystem management.IMPORTANCEMicroorganisms are the most diverse group of life known on earth. Although it is well documented that microbial natural biodiversity is extremely high, it is not clear why such high diversity is generated and maintained. Numerous studies have established the roles of niche-based deterministic factors (e.g., pH, temperature, and salt) in shaping microbial biodiversity, the importance of stochastic processes in generating microbial biodiversity is rarely appreciated. Moreover, while microorganisms mediate many ecosystem processes, the relationship between microbial diversity and ecosystem functioning remains largely elusive. Using a well-controlled laboratory system, this study provides empirical support for the dominant role of stochastic assembly in creating variations of microbial diversity and the first explicit evidence for the critical role of community assembly in influencing ecosystem functioning. The results presented in this study represent important contributions to the understanding of the mechanisms, especially stochastic processes, involved in shaping microbial biodiversity.

Functional microbial diversity dynamics in common effluent treatment plants of South Gujarat and hydrocarbon degradation

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 389-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Purvi Zaveri ◽  
Nasreen Munshi ◽  
Alok Vaidya ◽  
Sanjay Jha ◽  
G. Naresh Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Restriction Analysis ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Hydrocarbon Degradation ◽  
Effluent Treatment ◽  
Organic Load ◽  
Aeration Tank ◽  
Conventional Procedure ◽  
Rdna Sequencing ◽  
Functional Microbial Diversity

Common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) of South Gujarat region, India, process wastewater generated by more than 2500 industries because of the nonfeasibility of processing at the individual industrial unit. This study assessed functional microbial diversity in wastewater samples of CETPs over a geological belt using Ecoplate®, isolation of the most abundant bacteria, and screening for hydrocarbon degradation. The high evenness (EPielou) values (0.9) in almost all samples indicated a highly even community structure. Principal component analysis of carbon source utilization showed a cluster of all inlet samples except E1 and another cluster of all outlet samples; aeration tank community samples were dispersed. In spite of the high richness found in microbial communities, 60 morphologically similar organisms were observed and isolated; 46 out of them were subjected to amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis with MboI, HaeIII, and TaqI enzyme, followed by UPGMA clustering. In screening the most abundant bacteria from each cluster, one of the cultures showed a high potential for hydrocarbon degradation and was identified as Pseudomonas citronellolis by 16S rDNA sequencing. Because of its highly adapted inherent nature, this bacterium may help augment the conventional procedure in wastewater treatment and efficiently decrease the organic load.

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