scholarly journals Diversity of Human-Associated Bifidobacterial Prophage Sequences

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 2559
Author(s):  
Darren Buckley ◽  
Toshitaka Odamaki ◽  
Jinzhong Xiao ◽  
Jennifer Mahony ◽  
Douwe van Sinderen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Acquired Immunity ◽  
Microbiota Composition ◽  
Different Strains ◽  
Multiple Strains ◽  
Head Protein ◽  
Initial Exploration ◽  
Host Characteristics

Members of Bifidobacterium play an important role in the development of the immature gut and are associated with positive long-term health outcomes for their human host. It has previously been shown that intestinal bacteriophages are detected within hours of birth, and that induced prophages constitute a significant source of such gut phages. The gut phageome can be vertically transmitted from mother to newborn and is believed to exert considerable selective pressure on target prokaryotic hosts affecting abundance levels, microbiota composition, and host characteristics. The objective of the current study was to investigate prophage-like elements and predicted CRISPR-Cas viral immune systems present in publicly available, human-associated Bifidobacterium genomes. Analysis of 585 fully sequenced bifidobacterial genomes identified 480 prophage-like elements with an occurrence of 0.82 prophages per genome. Interestingly, we also detected the presence of very similar bifidobacterial prophages and corresponding CRISPR spacers across different strains and species, thus providing an initial exploration of the human-associated bifidobacterial phageome. Our analyses show that closely related and likely functional prophages are commonly present across four different species of human-associated Bifidobacterium. Further comparative analysis of the CRISPR-Cas spacer arrays against the predicted prophages provided evidence of historical interactions between prophages and different strains at an intra- and inter-species level. Clear evidence of CRISPR-Cas acquired immunity against infection by bifidobacterial prophages across several bifidobacterial strains and species was obtained. Notably, a spacer representing a putative major capsid head protein was found on different genomes representing multiple strains across B. adolescentis, B. breve, and B. bifidum, suggesting that this gene is a preferred target to provide bifidobacterial phage immunity.

scholarly journals HLA and Infectious Diseases

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 370-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenefer M. Blackwell ◽  
Sarra E. Jamieson ◽  
David Burgner
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Human Leukocyte Antigen ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Human Leukocyte ◽  
Acquired Immunity ◽  
Leukocyte Antigen ◽  
Extreme Variability ◽  
Classical Human Leukocyte Antigen

SUMMARY Following their discovery in the early 1970s, classical human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci have been the prototypical candidates for genetic susceptibility to infectious disease. Indeed, the original hypothesis for the extreme variability observed at HLA loci (H-2 in mice) was the major selective pressure from infectious diseases. Now that both the human genome and the molecular basis of innate and acquired immunity are understood in greater detail, do the classical HLA loci still stand out as major genes that determine susceptibility to infectious disease? This review looks afresh at the evidence supporting a role for classical HLA loci in susceptibility to infectious disease, examines the limitations of data reported to date, and discusses current advances in methodology and technology that will potentially lead to greater understanding of their role in infectious diseases in the future.

scholarly journals Antibiotics at birth and later antibiotic courses: effects on gut microbiota

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Ainonen ◽  
Mysore V Tejesvi ◽  
Md. Rayhan Mahmud ◽  
Niko Paalanne ◽  
Tytti Pokka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Control Group ◽  
List Type ◽  
Antibiotic Exposure ◽  
Microbiota Composition ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Antibiotic Courses ◽  
Gut Microbiota Composition

Abstract Background Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) is widely used, but the evidence of the long-term effects on the gut microbiota and subsequent health of children is limited. Here, we compared the impacts of perinatal antibiotic exposure and later courses of antibiotic courses on gut microbiota. Methods This was a prospective, controlled cohort study among 100 vaginally delivered infants with different perinatal antibiotic exposures: control (27), IAP (27), postnatal antibiotics (24), and IAP and postnatal antibiotics (22). At 1 year of age, we performed next-generation sequencing of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene of fecal samples. Results Exposure to the perinatal antibiotics had a clear impact on the gut microbiota. The abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum was significantly higher in the control group, whereas the relative abundance of Escherichia coli was significantly lower in the control group. The impact of the perinatal antibiotics on the gut microbiota composition was greater than exposure to later courses of antibiotics (28% of participants). Conclusions Perinatal antibiotic exposure had a marked impact on the gut microbiota at the age of 1 year. The timing of the antibiotic exposure appears to be the critical factor for the changes observed in the gut microbiota. Impact Infants are commonly exposed to IAP and postnatal antibiotics, and later to courses of antibiotics during the first year of life. Perinatal antibiotics have been associated with an altered gut microbiota during the first months of life, whereas the evidence regarding the long-term impact is more limited. Perinatal antibiotic exposure had a marked impact on the infant’s gut microbiota at 1 year of age. Impact of the perinatal antibiotics on the gut microbiota composition was greater than that of the later courses of antibiotics at the age of 1 year.

scholarly journals A Newly Developed Synbiotic Yogurt Prevents Diabetes by Improving the Microbiome–Intestine–Pancreas Axis

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1647
Author(s):  
Brandi Miller ◽  
Rabina Mainali ◽  
Ravinder Nagpal ◽  
Hariom Yadav
Keyword(s):  
High Fat Diet ◽  
Microbiota Composition ◽  
Preventive Strategies ◽  
Human Origin ◽  
High Fat ◽  
Diabetes In Mice ◽  
Diabetes Progression ◽  
Gut Microbiota Composition

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is increasing worldwide, and there are no long-term preventive strategies to stop this growth. Emerging research shows that perturbations in the gut microbiome significantly contribute to the development of T2D, while microbiome modulators may be beneficial for T2D prevention. However, microbiome modulators that are effective, safe, affordable, and able to be administered daily are not yet available. Based on our previous pro- and prebiotic studies, we developed a novel synbiotic yogurt comprised of human-origin probiotics and plant-based prebiotics and investigated its impact on diet- and streptozotocin-induced T2D in mice. We compared the effects of our synbiotic yogurt to those of a commercially available yogurt (control yogurt). Interestingly, we found that the feeding of the synbiotic yogurt significantly reduced the development of hyperglycemia (diabetes) in response to high-fat diet feeding and streptozotocin compared to milk-fed controls. Surprisingly, the control yogurt exacerbated diabetes progression. Synbiotic yogurt beneficially modulated the gut microbiota composition compared to milk, while the control yogurt negatively modulated it by significantly increasing the abundance of detrimental bacteria such as Proteobacteria and Enterobacteriaceae. In addition, the synbiotic yogurt protected pancreatic islet morphology compared to the milk control, while the control yogurt demonstrated worse effects on islets. These results suggest that our newly developed synbiotic yogurt protects against diabetes in mice and can be used as a therapeutic to prevent diabetes progression.

scholarly journals Benthos from Baffin Bay Area: a photo catalogue

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Grant ◽  
Laure de Montety ◽  
Lisa Tréau de Coeli ◽  
Nanette Hammeken ◽  
Philippe Archambault ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Invertebrates ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Sample Processing ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Survey Sample ◽  
Southwest Greenland

Many teams studying benthic biodiversity have faced the challenge of identifying collected specimens while they are at sea. The use of pictures is an efficient way to increase samples processing, while limiting wrong or incorrect identifications that can be done when many people are working on the same project at different times. This catalogue presents a non-exhaustive inventory of more than 750 taxa, most of them named to the species level, of benthic invertebrates recorded in Baffin Bay (Arctic) with a special attention paid to species recorded along the Southwest Greenland coast. It is designed to be an accurate tool for biologists to identify benthic invertebrates occurring in trawl/dredge samples, with the objective to decrease number of preserved samples and time spent on post-survey sample processing. It has proven particularly useful during the implementation of benthos monitoring on national fisheries assessment surveys as recently recommended by CAFF-CBMP (CAFF 2017) as a way to increase our knowledge of long-term and large-scale trends in Arctic benthos communities. The catalogue proposes original photos and drawings. A must for biologist studying benthos from Arctic waters!

scholarly journals Long-term changes in the susceptibility of corals to thermal stress around Phuket, Thailand

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lalita Putchim ◽  
Niphon Phongsuwan ◽  
Chaimongkol Yaemarunpattana ◽  
Nalinee Thongtham ◽  
Claudio Richter
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Pocillopora Damicornis ◽  
Rapid Adaptation ◽  
Long Term Changes ◽  
Belt Transect ◽  
Line Intercept

The bleaching susceptibility of 28 coral taxa around southern Phuket was examined in four natural major bleaching events, in 1991, 1995, 2010, and 2016. Surveys were conducted by line intercept and belt transect methods. All coral colonies were identified to genus or species-level and their pigmentation status was assessed as: (1) fully pigmented (i.e. no bleaching), (2) pale (loss of colour), (3) fully bleached, and (4) recently dead as a result of bleaching-induced mortality. Bleaching and mortality indices were calculated to compare bleaching susceptibility among coral taxa. In 2016 some of the formerly bleaching susceptible coral taxa (e.g. Acropora, Montipora, Echinopora, and Pocillopora damicornis) showed far greater tolerance to elevated sea water temperature than in previous years. In P. damicornis the higher bleaching resistance encompassed all sizes from juveniles (<5cm) to adults (>30cm). In contrast, some of the formerly bleaching-resistant corals (e.g. the massive Porites, Goniastrea, Dipsastraea, and Favites) became more susceptible to bleaching over repeated thermal stress events. Our results support the hypothesis that some of the fast-growing branching corals (Acropora, Montipora, and Pocillopora) may have life-history traits that lead to more rapid adaptation to a changed environment than certain growing massive species.

scholarly journals Publisher Correction: Neonatal selection by Toll-like receptor 5 influences long-term gut microbiota composition

Nature ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 563 (7731) ◽  
pp. E25-E25
Author(s):  
Marcus Fulde ◽  
Felix Sommer ◽  
Benoit Chassaing ◽  
Kira van Vorst ◽  
Aline Dupont ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Microbiota Composition ◽  
Toll Like Receptor ◽  
Toll Like Receptor 5 ◽  
Gut Microbiota Composition

Cannabis and Its Different Strains

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Anna Muro ◽  
Ramon Cladellas ◽  
Judit Castellà
Keyword(s):  
Control Group ◽  
Temporal Perception ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Therapeutic Uses ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Cannabis Consumption ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Different Strains ◽  
Main Effects

Abstract. Previous studies show how time perception can be altered by cannabis consumption, but it is not clear yet whether cannabis produces temporal underproductions or overproductions after acute cannabis intoxication. The present study aimed to analyze a sample of 50 regular cannabis users controlling for cannabis strain (sativa, indica, and hybrid) and to compare their scores in a temporal production task before and after consuming cannabis with a control group of 49 nonusers. Results showed that cannabis intake leads to overproductions, suggesting that regular users’ internal tempo slows down after acute intoxication. However, the analyses of main effects showed that indica users, both at baseline levels and after consuming, reported significant underproductions compared to controls, sativa, and hybrid users, and the cannabis-induced effects had a higher magnitude after smoking in the indica-strain group. Results highlight the relevance of including the type of strain consumed in cannabis studies, and they are discussed in terms of short- and long-term alterations in temporal perception under the light of the self-medication theory and the therapeutic uses of cannabis.

scholarly journals A rapid method for testing in vivo the susceptibility of different strains of Trypanosoma cruzi to active chemotherapeutic agents

1984 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leny S. Filardi ◽  
Zigman Brener
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Rapid Method ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Prolonged Treatment ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Different Strains ◽  
Method Show

A method is described which permits to determine in vivo an in a short period of time (4-6 hours) the sensitivity of T. cruzo strains to known active chemotherapeutic agents. By using resistant- and sensitive T. cruzi stains a fairly good correlation was observed between the results obtained with this rapid method (which detects activity against the circulating blood forms) and those obtained with long-term schedules which involve drug adminstration for at least 20 consecutive days and a prolonged period of assessment. This method may be used to characterize susceptibility to active drugs used clinically, provide infomation on the specific action against circulating trypomastigotes and screen active compounds. Differences in the natural susceptibility of Trypanosoma cruzi strains to active drugs have been already reported using different criteria, mostly demanding long-term study of the animal (Hauschka, 1949; Bock, Gonnert & Haberkorn, 1969; Brener, Costa & Chiari, 1976; Andrade & Figueira, 1977; Schlemper, 1982). In this paper we report a method which detects in 4-6 hours the effect of drugs on bloodstream forms in mice with established T. cruzi infections. The results obtained with this method show a fairly good correlation with those obtained by prolonged treatment schedules used to assess the action of drugs in experimental Chagas' disease and may be used to study the sensitivity of T. cruzi strains to active drugs.

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