Human microbiome, July 8

Female urinary microbiome, stool microbiome and vaccine responses, and gut microbiome in ulcerative colitis patients.

Urinary tract

The Female Urinary Microbiome: a Comparison of Women with and without Urgency Urinary Incontinence – Meghan M. Pearce – mBio

“In this study, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to classify bacterial DNA and expanded quantitative urine culture (EQUC) techniques to isolate live bacteria in urine collected by using a transurethral catheter from women with UUI and, in comparison, a cohort without UUI. “

Gut microbiome

Stool Microbiota and Vaccine Responses of Infants – M. Nazmul Huda – Pediatrics

“Bifidobacterium predominance may enhance thymic development and responses to both oral and parenteral vaccines early in infancy”

Novel Gut-Based Pharmacology of Metformin in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus – Antonella Napolitano – PLOS ONE

“Microbiota abundance of the phylum Firmicutes was positively correlated with changes in cholic acid and conjugates, while Bacteroidetes abundance was negatively correlated.”

This one was already published online in September 2013 but it came out in print this week : Commentary: Roseburia hominis: a novel guilty player in ulcerative colitis pathogenesis – Herbert Tilg – Gut

“In recent years evidence was accumulating that the gut microbiota and its manipulation might constitute one of those relevant ‘environmental’ factors. “

A decrease of the butyrate-producing species Roseburia hominis and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii defines dysbiosis in patients with ulcerative colitis – Kathleen Machiels – Gut

“The composition of the fecal microbiota of UC patients differs from that of healthy individuals: we found a reduction in R hominis and F prausnitzii, both well-known butyrate-producing bacteria of the Firmicutes phylum. “

Pregnancy and birth

Direct Evidence for the Presence of Human Milk Oligosaccharides in the Circulation of Breastfed Infants – Karen C. Goehring – PLOS ONE

“At least some ingested HMOs are absorbed intact into the circulation and excreted in the urine and their concentrations in these fluids correlate with levels of the corresponding mother’s milk”

Commentary: More than a gut feeling: predicting surgical necrotising enterocolitis – Jörn-Hendrik Weitkamp – Gut

“The paper by Sylvester et al 8 describes a new non-invasive approach of combining clinical data and selected urine peptide biomarkers to develop an algorithm to predict progression of suspected medical NEC to surgical disease. “

refers to: A novel urine peptide biomarker-based algorithm for the prognosis of necrotising enterocolitis in human infants – Karl G Sylvester – Gut

“Ensemble modelling combining clinical parameters with biomarker analysis dramatically improves our ability to identify the population at risk for developing progressive NEC.”

Animal models

Host Responses to the Pathogen Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis and Beneficial Microbes Exhibit Host Sex Specificity – Enusha Karunasena – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

“The differences observed suggest that male and female gut tissues and microbiota respond to newly introduced microorganisms differently and that gut-associated microorganisms with host immune system responses and metabolic activity are supported by biology distinct to the host sex.”

General human microbiome

Phylogenetics and the human microbiome – Frederick A Matsen IV – Submitted to Systematic Biology

“In this paper I review the field and its methods from the perspective of a phylogeneticist, as well as describing current challenges for phylogenetics coming from this type of work.”

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Human microbiome, July 7

Phages and CRISPRs in human mouth, new metagenomes from MetaHit, and vaginal microbiota.

General microbiome

Journal Nurse PractionersReview: An Overview of the Microbiome and the Effects of Antibiotics – Hillary Taggart – The Journal for Nurse Practitioners

“This review provides a basic introduction of what the microbiome is and how it plays a role in obesity, gastrointestinal, immune, and mental health, including a brief mention of implications for the pediatric population.”

Oral microbiome

Screen shot 2014-07-07 at 01.54PM, Jul 07Characterization of bacteriophage communities and CRISPR profiles from dental plaque – Mayuri Naidu (with David Pride) – BMC Microbiology

“We sampled the saliva and dental plaque from 4 healthy human subjects to determine whether plaque was populated by viral communities, and whether there were differences in viral communities specific to subject or sample type.”

Gut microbiome

Screen shot 2014-07-07 at 01.45PM, Jul 07 1An integrated catalog of reference genes in the human gut microbiome – Junhua Li – Nature Biotechnology

“Here we combined 249 newly sequenced samples of the Metagenomics of the Human Intestinal Tract (MetaHit) project with 1,018 previously sequenced samples to create a cohort from three continents that is at least threefold larger than cohorts used for previous gene catalogs. “

Screen shot 2014-07-07 at 01.45PM, Jul 07Identification and assembly of genomes and genetic elements in complex metagenomic samples without using reference genomes – H Bjørn Nielsen (and 142 other authors) – Nature Biotechnology

“Here we present a method, based on binning co-abundant genes across a series of metagenomic samples, that enables comprehensive discovery of new microbial organisms, viruses and co-inherited genetic entities and aids assembly of microbial genomes without the need for reference sequences.”

Screen shot 2014-07-07 at 01.47PM, Jul 07Commensal microbial regulation of natural killer T cells at the frontiers of the mucosal immune system – Sebastian Zeissig, Richard S. Blumberg – FEBS Letters

“Here, we outline the mechanisms of bidirectional cross-talk between the microbiota and CD1d-restricted NKT cells and discuss how a perturbation of these processes can contribute to the pathogenesis of immune-mediated disorders at mucosal surfaces.”

Screen shot 2014-07-07 at 01.48PM, Jul 07Review/Book chapter Gastrointestinal microbiota – Katherine Stephens – Advanced Nutrition and Dietetics in Gastroenterology

“This chapter summarizes the functions of the human gastrointestinal tract. A main function of the GI microbiota is modulation of the immune system. The chapter focues on the factors influencing composition of the microbiota.”

Pathogens journalPerturbation of the Human Microbiome as a Contributor to Inflammatory Bowel Disease – Bayan Missaghi – Pathogens

“This review presents an outline of the loss of a normal microbiome as an etiology of immune dysregulation and IBD pathogenesis initiation. “

Screen shot 2014-07-07 at 01.49PM, Jul 07 137 People Want to Peer Inside Your Poop…You Know, for Science – Angus Chen – Discover Magazine

“Rob Knight, a microbiologist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and his colleagues want poop from every person in America.”

Mediterranean Diet and Health: Food Effects on Gut Microbiota and Disease Control
Federica Del Chierico – International Journal of Molecular Sciences

“For this purpose, we present a study proposal relying on the generation of individual gut microbiota maps from MD-aware children/adolescents. “

Respiratory microbiome

Screen shot 2014-07-07 at 02.02PM, Jul 07Evidence that intraspecific trait variation among nasal bacteria shapes the distribution of Staphylococcus aureus – Ben Libberton – Infection and Immunity

“We characterised S. aureus growth inhibition by the culturable bacterial aerobe consortia of 60 nasal microbiomes, revealing intraspecific variation in growth inhibition and that inhibitory isolates clustered within communities that were culture-negative for S. aureus. “

Vaginal microbiome

Screen shot 2014-07-07 at 01.53PM, Jul 07Characterization of the vaginal microbiota of healthy Canadian women through the menstrual cycle – Bonnie Chaban – Microbiome

“Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify the universal target region of the cpn60 gene and generate amplicons representative of the microbial community. Amplicons were pyrosequenced, assembled into operational taxonomic units, and analyzed. “

Pregnancy

The effects of designation and volume of neonatal care on mortality and morbidity outcomes of very preterm infants in England: retrospective population-based cohort study – SI Watson – BMJ Open

“High-volume neonatal care provided at the hospital of birth may protect against in-hospital mortality in very preterm infants. “

Understanding the Complexity of the Immune System during Pregnancy – Karen Racicot – American Journal of Reproductive Immunology

“In this review, we discuss our present understanding of the ‘immunity of pregnancy’ in the context of the response to cervical and placental infections and how these responses affect both the mother and the fetus.”

 

Animal models of human microbiota or disease

Screen Shot 2014-07-07 at 11.00.33 PMGalacto‐oligosaccharides attenuate renal injury with microbiota modification – Satoshi U. Furuse – Physiological Reports

“The microbiota analysis indicated that GOS significantly increased three bacterial families and decreased five families in the Nx rats. “

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Human microbiome, June 30

Hypotheses about oral microbiota and disease, effect of rhinovirus infection on nasal microbiome,  the gut microbiome in children with diarrhea in low-income countries, primate vaginal microbiomes, and much more.

Oral microbiome (also see Probiotics and Biofilms in today’s General digest)

Screen Shot 2014-06-30 at 11.18.32 PMHistorical and contemporary hypotheses on the development of oral diseases: are we there yet? – Bob T. Rosier – Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

“In this comprehensive review, we describe how these different hypotheses, and the ideas around them, arose and test their current applicability to the understanding of the development of oral disease. Finally, we conclude that an all-encompassing ecological hypothesis explaining the shifts from health to disease is still lacking.”

PeriodontitisThe inflammophilic character of the periodontitis-associated microbiota – George Hajishengallis – Molecular Oral Microbiology

“This Review discusses evidence that periodontitis-associated communities are ‘inflammo-philic’ (= loving or attracted to inflammation) in that they have evolved to not only endure inflammation but also to take advantage of it. “

Respiratory microbiome

Screen Shot 2014-06-30 at 11.19.43 PMCharacterization of the nasopharyngeal microbiota in health and during rhinovirus challenge – Allen EK – Microbiome

“Rhinovirus illnesses were induced by self-inoculation using the finger to nose or eye natural transmission route in ten otherwise healthy young adults.”

Gut microbiome

Screen Shot 2014-06-30 at 11.20.28 PMDiarrhea in young children from low-income countries leads to large-scale alterations in intestinal microbiota composition – Mihai Pop – Genome Biology

“We use high throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing to compare fecal microbiota composition in children under five years of age who have been diagnosed with moderate to severe diarrhea (MSD) with the microbiota from diarrhea-free controls. “

Structure of the gut microbiome following colonization with human feces determines colonic tumor burden – Baxter NT – Microbiome

“We transplanted fecal microbiota from three CRC patients and three healthy individuals into germ-free mice, resulting in six structurally distinct microbial communities. Subjecting these mice to a chemically induced model of CRC resulted in different levels of tumorigenesis between mice. “

Commensal bacteria directly suppress in vitro degranulation of mast cells in a MyD88-independent manner – Kazumi Kasakura – Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry

“Here, we show that heat-killed commensal bacteria suppressed degranulation of mast cells in vitro in a MyD88-independent manner.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-30 at 11.21.29 PMCo-occurrence of driver and passenger bacteria in human colorectal cancer
Jiawei Geng – Gut Pathogens

“Building on the driver-passenger model, we used 454 pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes associated with 10 normal, 10 adenoma, and 8 tumor biopsy samples, and found 7 potential driver bacterial genera and 12 potential passenger bacterial genera (7 being pro-inflammatory and 5 anti-inflammatory). “

Review: Intestinal Microbiota and the Efficacy of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Gastrointestinal Disease – Olga Aroniadis – Gastroenterology & Hepatology

“The published revelations about the human microbiome are bringing the strength of science to clinical observation and enhancing the understanding of not only disease but also how much of a person’s daily function and health depends on the microorganisms living in intimate relationship with each cell in the body.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-30 at 11.22.43 PMDietary Intervention with Yoghurt, Synbiotic Yogurt or Traditional Fermented Sobya: Bio-Potency among Male Adolescents Using Five Bio-Markers of Relevance to Colonic Metabolic Activities – Laila Hussein – Food and Nutrition Sciences

“The mean fecal total lactobacilli counts increased (P < 0.05) three weeks after daily consumption of the three fermented supplements (P < 0.05), when compared to the pre-intervention levels. Similar trends were observed for genus bifidobacterium. On the contrary, enterobacteraceae counts were reduced in all the three groups consuming fermented supplements.”

Vaginal microbiome (also see pregnancy)

Screen Shot 2014-06-30 at 11.23.32 PMPrimate vaginal microbiomes exhibit species specificity without universal Lactobacillus dominance – Suleyman Yildirim – ISME J (uncorrected proof, link to Chapman Research)

“Our results indicated that all primates exhibited host-specific vaginal microbiota and that humans were distinct from other primates in both microbiome composition and extent of diversity”

Skin microbiome

New Molecular Techniques to Study the Skin Microbiota of Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Jean-Philippe Lavigne – Advances in Wound Care

“Molecular tools have better documented the composition and organization of the skin flora. Further advances are required to elucidate which among the many bacteria in the DFU flora are likely to be pathogens, rather than colonizers.”

General human microbiome 

Shrinkage of the human core microbiome and a proposal for launching microbiome biobanks – Abolfazl Barzegari – Future Microbiology

“This article suggests launching microbiome biobanks for archiving native microbiomes, supervising antibiotic use, probiotic design and native starter production, as well as advertising a revisit to native lifestyles.”

Review: Blowing on Embers: Commensal Microbiota and our Immune System
Darina S. Spasova and Charles D. Surh – Frontiers in Immunology

“This review discusses the recent advances in this field, focusing on the close relationship between the adaptive immune system and commensal microbiota, a constant and abundant source of foreign antigens.”

Microbiome: Second Genome Is Finding Disease Mechanisms, Biomarkers, And Therapeutics – Wayne Koberstein – Life Science Leader

“We now understand that biological processes such as inflammation, barrier function, metabolism, and energy homeostasis are directly linked to our microbiome,” says Peter DiLaura, president and CEO of Second Genome.

Mayo Clinic and Whole Biome Announce Collaboration to Research the Role of the Human Microbiome in Women’s Diseases Using Unique Medical Laboratory Tests – DarkDaily

“This joint research effort will initiate a new field of clinical laboratory diagnostic tests that target the human microbiome”

Prokaryotes versus Eukaryotes: Who is hosting whom? – Guillermo Tellez – Frontiers in Veterinary Science

“Our aim here is to encourage empirical inquiry into the relationship between mutualism and evolutionary diversification between prokaryotes and eukaryotes which encourage us to postulate: Who is hosting whom?”

Animal models of microbiome and disease

Combination of Metagenomics and Culture Based Methods to Study the Interaction Between Ochratoxin A and Gut Microbiota – Mingzhang Guo

“Changes in functional genes of gut microbiota including signal transduction, carbohydrate transport, transposase, amino acid transport system and mismatch repair were observed.”

Functional divergence in gastrointestinal microbiota in physically-separated genetically identical mice – G. B. Rogers – Scientific Reports

“We report significant divergence in both the composition and metabolism of gut microbiota in genetically-identical adult C57BL/6 mice housed in separate controlled units within a single commercial production facility.”

Alteration of Gut Bacteria and Metabolomes After Glucaro-1,4-Lactone Treatment Contributes to the Prevention of Hypercholesterolemia – Baogang Xie – J. Agric. Food Chem

“Colonic flora test results reveal that the quantity of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the intestines respectively increase by about 1.7- and 4.2-fold in rats treated with 1,4-GL compared with those in the control group. “

Pregnancy and birth

Oral presentation: The evolution of the vaginal microbiome throughout uncomplicated pregnancy in a UK population – M Chandiramani – Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed

“Vaginal swabs were collected at time points across gestation (8–12, 20–22, 28–30 and 34–36 weeks) and the postpartum period (6 weeks) from 43 women delivered at term. Resident bacterial communities were determined using the Illumina MiSeq platform generated from bar-coded amplicons of 16S rRNA gene fragments.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-30 at 11.26.14 PMGroup B Streptococcus β-hemolysin/Cytolysin Breaches Maternal-Fetal Barriers to Cause Preterm Birth and Intrauterine Fetal Demise in Vivo – Tara M. Randis – Journal of Infectious Diseases

“We used a new murine model to evaluate the contribution of the pore-forming GBS β-hemolysin/cytolysin (βH/C) to vaginal colonization, ascension, and fetal infection.”

Zinc and copper levels in low birth weight deliveries in Medani Hospital, Sudan –
Abass RM – BMC Research Notes

“Maternal zinc and copper levels, as well as cord copper levels, are lower in LBW newborns than in those with normal weight.”

Effective Biomarkers for Diagnosis of Neonatal Sepsis – Vineet Bhandari – Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

“The diagnostic utility of the following biomarkers seems to be most practical in the early (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, neutrophil CD64), mid (procalcitonin) and late (C-reactive protein) phases of neonatal sepsis.”

Review: Association of Periodontal Disease and Pre-term Low Birth Weight Infants
Manjusha Varadan, Jaiganesh Ramamurthy – The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology of India

“The association of periodontitis as risk factor for pre-term birth has been in extensive research in the past two decades when a number of studies investigated this relationship.”

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Human microbiome, June 26

Mass spectrometry on Neanderthal poop – how cool is that? Then, nice article about fecal transplants, the Bristol Stool Chart Mug, role of bacteria in colon cancer, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a possible human symbiont.

Gut microbiome

Screen Shot 2014-06-26 at 10.22.55 PMThe Neanderthal Meal: A New Perspective Using Faecal Biomarkers – Ainara Sistiaga – PLOS ONE

“Our gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results from El Salt (Spain), a Middle Palaeolithic site dating to ca. 50,000 yr. BP, represents the oldest positive identification of human faecal matter.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-26 at 9.41.05 PM

 

I enjoyed reading this article. And not just because they mentioned one of our studies.
Getting to the Bottom of Fecal Transplants – Ricki Lewis – PLOS.org

“(…) babies’ bacteria were quite different at the outset, but by the end of the year, their communities resembled those in the adult digestive tract. And it was published right here at PLOS.”

41C8qjeUK2LWhich led me to the awesome The Bristol Stool Chart Mug – Amazon
Which I then ordered.

 

CRCFusobacterium and Enterobacteriaceae: Important players for CRC? – Emma Allen-Vercoea, Christian Jobin – Immunology Letters

“Not surprisingly, microbial dysbiosis is associated with numerous intestinal disorders including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC). In this piece, we will review recent evidence that gut microbial dysbiosis can influence intestinal disease, including colitis and CRC.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-26 at 9.45.42 PMPrevalence and Duration of Asymptomatic Clostridium difficile Carriage among Healthy Subjects in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Alison L. Galdys – Journal of Clinical Microbiology

“The prevalence of C. difficile carriage in this healthy cohort is concordant with prior estimates. C. difficile-colonized individuals may be important reservoirs for C. difficile and may falsely test positive for infections due to C. difficile when evaluated for community-acquired diarrhea caused by other enteric pathogens.”

Blood sugar improves with first gastrointestinal microbiome modulator, NM504 – Science Daily

“The not-yet-named therapeutic, NM504, is the first in a new class of therapies known as GI microbiome modulators. “

Role of humanRole of human gut microbiota metabolism in the anti-inflammatory effect of traditionally used ellagitannin-rich plant materials – Jakub P. Piwowarski – Journal of Ethnopharmacology

“The formation of urolithins was determined by ex vivo incubation of human faecal samples with aqueous extracts from selected plant materials.”

Me and my microbiome – New Scientist

“Now there are claims that a truly villainous bacterium – Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes TB – is actually symbiotic and helped us evolve our large brains (see “ Eat meat TB brainy”). “

Eat meat TB brainy – Adrian Williams, Robin Dunbar – New Scientist

“The tuberculosis bacterium co-evolved with humans at least 70,000 years ago, and possibly a great deal earlier. Could chronic TB infections have originally been beneficial to human life? Did the pathogen act as a symbiont, supplying nicotinamide at times of meat deficiency?”

Animal models of human microbiota and disease

Screen Shot 2014-06-26 at 9.47.30 PMIncorporation of therapeutically modified bacteria into gut microbiota inhibits obesity – Zhongyi Chen – Journal of Clinical Investigation

“Here, we demonstrated that administration of engineered NAPE-expressing E. coli Nissle 1917 bacteria in drinking water for 8 weeks reduced the levels of obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet. “

[hr]

 

Human and cell phone microbiome, June 24

The PhoneBiome has finally been characterized. Effect of maltodextrin on gut microbiome, and obesity and risk for preterm birth.

Skin and phone microbiome

Mobile phones carry the personal microbiome of their owners – James F. Meadow – Peer J

“We found that about 22% of the bacterial taxa on participants’ fingers were also present on their own phones, as compared to 17% they shared on average with other people’s phones. “

Gut microbiome

The Metabolizable Energy of Dietary Resistant Maltodextrin Is Variable and Alters Fecal Microbiota Composition in Adult Men – David J. Baer – The Journal of Nutrition

“RM intake was associated with statistically significant increases (P < 0.001) in various operational taxonomic units matching closest to ruminococcus, eubacterium, lachnospiraceae, bacteroides, holdemania, and faecalibacterium, implicating RM in their growth in the gut. “

B cells as a critical node in the microbiota–host immune system network
Emma Slack – Immunological Reviews

“In this review, we address how B-cell responses to members of the intestinal microbiota form a robust network with mucus, epithelial integrity, follicular helper T cells, innate immunity, and gut-associated lymphoid tissues to maintain host–microbiota mutualism.”

Classification and quantification of bacteriophage taxa in human gut metagenomes – Alison S Waller – ISME Journal 

“Using taxon-specific marker genes, we identified and monitored 20 viral taxa in 252 human gut metagenomic samples, mostly at the level of genera. “

Cesarean delivery and risk of inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis – Yi Li – Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology

“Results of this meta-analysis support the hypothesis that cesarean delivery was associated with the risk of CD but not of UC. The total rate of cesarean delivery of IBD patients was similar with that of control subjects.

Intestinal microbiota in pathophysiology and management of irritable bowel syndrome – Lee KN – World Journal of Gastroenterology

“…the role of the intestinal microbiota in the pathophysiology and management of IBS is not clear. This review provides the accumulating evidence on it.”

Pregnancy and Birth

Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Risk of Spontaneous Preterm Birth – Gary M. Shaw – Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology

“Analyses of mothers without hypertension and diabetes, adjusted for age, education, height, and prenatal care initiation, showed obesity categories I–III to be associated with increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth at 20–23 and 24–27 weeks among those of parity 1 in each race/ethnic group.”

and

Obesity before pregnancy linked to earliest preterm births, Stanford/Packard study finds – Erin Digitale – Stanford Medicine News Center

“Women who are obese before they become pregnant face an increased risk of delivering their babies before 28 weeks of pregnancy, a new study of nearly 1 million California births has found.”

Maturation of the enteric mucosal innate immune system during the postnatal period – Marcus Fulde and Mathias W. Hornef – Immunological Reviews

“Here, we discuss both adaptive and developmental mechanisms of the mucosal innate immune system that prevent inappropriate stimulation and facilitate establishment of a stable homeostatic host–microbial interaction after birth.”

Early Infant Nutrition and Metabolic Programming: What Are the Potential Molecular Mechanisms? – Stephanie-May Ruchat – Current Nutrition Reports

“This review will present potential molecular mechanisms through which early postnatal nutrition may influence health and disease programming, focusing on research that used “-omics” approaches (i.e., epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics).”

Oral presentation: Serum beta defensin concentration in the first trimester is related to genotype, and is higher in women who develop PPROM and deliver before 34 weeks – CP James – Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed

“Serum hBD2 expression is higher in women who have PPROM and PTB. Women with PPROM and PTB have a distinct innate immune profile evident in their serum in the first trimester, which may provide the basis for a predictive test.”

Animal models of human microbiota and disease

Modulation of gut microbiota during probiotic-mediated attenuation of metabolic syndrome in high fat diet-fed mice – Jingjing Wang – ISME Journal

“Weighted UniFrac principal coordinate analysis based on 454 pyrosequencing of fecal bacterial 16S rRNA genes showed that the probiotic strains shifted the overall structure of the HFD-disrupted gut microbiota toward that of lean mice fed a normal (chow) diet. “

Gut microbiome composition and function in experimental colitis during active disease and treatment-induced remission – Michelle G Rooks – ISME Journal

“Here, we surveyed the gut microbiome of the T-bet−/− Rag2−/− mouse model of colitis during active disease and treatment-induced remission. “

Early-Life Environmental Variation Affects Intestinal Microbiota and Immune Development in New-Born Piglets – Dirkjan Schokker – PLOS ONE

” We observed that the applied antibiotic treatment affected the composition and diversity of gut microbiota and reduced the expression of a large number of immune-related processes. The effect of management procedures on top of the use of an antibiotic was limited.”

[hr]

Human microbiome, June 23

Lactobacillus feeding on human milk, Mycoplasma in preterm birth, and Clostridium difficile infection and gut microbiota.

Pregnancy and birth

Screen Shot 2014-06-23 at 10.51.26 PMA unique gene cluster for the utilization of the mucosal and human milk-associated glycans galacto-N-biose and lacto-N-biose in Lactobacillus casei – Gonzalo N. Bidart – Molecular Microbiology

“The data represent the first characterization of novel metabolic pathways for human milk oligosaccharides and glycoconjugate structures in Firmicutes”

Screen Shot 2014-06-23 at 11.01.13 PMReport from AANP 2014, Nashville, Tennessee: Screening for Bacteria May Help Pregnancy Outcomes – Ed Susman, MedpageToday

“In a single-center study, about 70% of symptomatic women who were screened for vaginal infections with either Mycoplasma Genitalium or Mycoplasma Hominis experienced preterm birth compared with 30% of the asymptomatic women who still underwent screening for the infections at a prenatal visit, reported Allison Phillips, DNP, of Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, and colleagues.”

Oral microbiome

Screen Shot 2014-06-23 at 10.52.34 PMNew analysis reveals previously ‘hidden diversity’ of mouth bacteria – MBL

“Using a novel computational method called oligotyping, developed by MBL Assistant Research Scientist A. Murat Eren, scientists analyzed gene sequence data from nine sites in the oral cavity. ” “The study will be published in PNAS Online Early Edition the week of June 23-27, 2014”, but is not yet on PNAS website

Screen Shot 2014-06-23 at 10.53.35 PMEffects of pH and Lactate on Hydrogen Sulfide Production by Oral Veillonella spp. – Jumpei Washio – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

“Thus, in the present study, the H2S-producing activity of growing cells, resting cells, and cell extracts of oral Veillonella species and the effects of oral environmental factors, including pH and lactate, were investigated.”

Gut microbiome

Screen Shot 2014-06-23 at 10.54.40 PMStructural and functional changes in the gut microbiota associated to Clostridium difficile infection – Ana E. Pérez-Cobas – Frontiers in Microbiology

“Here, we analyze the composition and functional differences in the gut microbiota of C. difficile infected (CDI) versus non-infected patients, both patient groups having been treated with AB therapy. To do so we used 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic 454-based pyrosequencing approaches. “

Screen Shot 2014-06-23 at 10.58.40 PMThe HLA-DQ2 genotype selects for early intestinal microbiota composition in infants at high risk of developing coeliac disease – M Olivares – Gut

“Infants with a high genetic risk had significantly higher proportions of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria and lower proportions of Actinobacteria compared with low-risk infants.”

(Both human and animal)
Screen Shot 2014-06-23 at 10.57.57 PMA single genus in the gut microbiome reflects host preference and specificity – A Murat Eren – The ISME Journal

“In our dataset of 57 M sequence reads of the V6 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene in samples collected from seven host species, we identified 200 high-resolution taxonomic units within Blautia using oligotyping.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-23 at 10.57.04 PMMicrobiomes are true to type – Andrew H. Moeller and Howard Ochman – PNAS

“Enter Wang et al. (3), who provide both retrospective and experimental evidence that the maintenance of enterotypes in host populations is driven by dietary variation.”

General human microbiome

Screen Shot 2014-06-23 at 10.56.07 PMMicrobiota and neurodevelopmental windows: implications for brain disorders
– Yuliya E Borre – Trends in Molecular Medicine

“This review compares the parallel early development of the intestinal microbiota and the nervous system.”

Animal models of human microbiome

Screen Shot 2014-06-23 at 11.00.16 PMThe murine appendiceal microbiome is altered in spontaneous colitis and its pathological progression – Sultan Alkadhi – Gut Pathogens

“The appendiceal dysbiosis observed in our Winnie mice is commensurate with, and adds to extant literature data. The presence of Helicobacteraceae (Proteobacteria) only in colitic Winnie mice (but not control mice) is consistent with reports of increased Helicobacter in IBD patients. “

[hr]

Microbiome and general biology, June 20

It was a quiet day on the microbiome research front, so there will only be one post today. But, with vampire bats, Bacillus anthracis, and fish-eating spiders, it’s a good one!

Pregnancy and Birth

Screen Shot 2014-06-20 at 10.08.36 PMStudy Finds Certain Birth Defects are more Common in Hispanics – Cheri Cheng

“”One of the things that caught our eye was, while Hispanics represent 17 percent of the population, 24 percent of premature babies are Hispanic,” said Dr. Edward McCabe, senior vice president and chief medical officer of the March of Dimes, a nonprofit organization.”

Animal models of human microbiota

BacillusColonic Immune Suppression, Barrier Dysfunction, and Dysbiosis by Gastrointestinal Bacillus anthracis Infection – Yaíma L. Lightfoot – PLOS ONE

“Herein, we investigated the pathogenesis of GI anthrax in animals orally infected with toxigenic non-encapsulated B. anthracis Sterne strain (pXO1+ pXO2−) spores that resulted in rapid animal death.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-20 at 9.53.32 PMBiology Students Study Stomach Bacteria – Pengxeu Thao – University of Minnesota Morris

Wyckoff and her students are spending the summer studyingHelicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a Gram-negative bacterium found in the human stomach.”

Amphibian microbiome

AmphibCool Temperatures Reduce Antifungal Activity of Symbiotic Bacteria of Threatened Amphibians – Implications for Disease Management and Patterns of Decline – Joshua H. Daskin – PLOS ONE

“We characterized, at a range of temperatures approximating natural seasonal variation, the anti-Bd activity of bacterial symbionts from the skins of three species of rainforest tree frogs (Litoria nannotis, Litoria rheocola, and Litoria serrata)”

Plant microbiology

Screen Shot 2014-06-20 at 10.09.21 PMScientists look to bacteria to protect crop yields in the face of climate change – Jennifer Huizen – E&E Publishing

“If proved effective, this technology would decrease the amount of key nutrients like nitrogen and, most notably, water needed by the plant, while increasing the yield,” said Lin Myat, a postdoctoral fellow of molecular biology and genetics at Cornell “

belongs to

Screen Shot 2014-06-20 at 10.06.07 PMβ-Carboxysomal proteins assemble into highly organized structures in Nicotiana chloroplasts – Myat T. Lin – The Plant Journal

“We demonstrate that a foreign protein can be targeted with a 17-amino-acid CcmN peptide to the shell proteins inside chloroplasts. Our experiments establish the feasibility of introducing carboxysomes into chloroplasts for the potential compartmentalization of Rubisco or other proteins.”

Food microbiology

Screen Shot 2014-06-20 at 10.23.17 PMHaley Oliver: Master of Meat – Jef Akst – The Scientist

“In her own lab at Purdue University, Oliver studies the spread of Listeria in other foods, such as melons, and investigates sanitation strategies that may limit contamination and increase food shelf life. “

Infection and host response

InflammationInflammation: Gone with Translation – Carola G. Vinuesa, Thomas Preiss – PLOS Genetics

“Over the last few years, a number of studies have investigated global gene activation induced by pathogen-derived stimuli to gain insights into the modes of induction of the inflammatory mediators and regulators.”

Dengue

Screen Shot 2014-06-20 at 9.18.31 PMThe Need for More Research and Public Health Interventions on Dengue Fever in Burkina Faso – Valéry Ridde – PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

“…our aim in this article is to draw attention to the need for rapid deployment of research and interventions on dengue fever in Burkina Faso, because it appears to have been overlooked, with the focus being, instead, on malaria.”

Dengue NKTInvariant NKT Cell Response to Dengue Virus Infection in Human
Ponpan Matangkasombut – PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

“iNKT cells activation were analyzed by the expression of CD69 by flow cytometry. Their cytokine production was then analyzed after α-GalCer stimulation”

General microbiology

Screen Shot 2014-06-20 at 9.19.15 PMVampire Bats and Rabies: Toward an Ecological Solution to a Public Health Problem – Benjamin Stoner-Duncan – PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

“In the first half of 2011, 21 school-age children and two adults died of rabies transmitted by the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) in and around the small rural village of Yupicusa in the Peruvian Amazon”

VectorCrossing the Interspecies Barrier: Opening the Door to Zoonotic Pathogens – Christian Gortazar – PLOS Pathogens

“The species barriers separating nonhuman animal species from humans represent a major hurdle for effective exposure to, infection by, and subsequent spread of zoonotic pathogens among humans”

Screen Shot 2014-06-20 at 9.35.19 PMHuman sweat can reduce bacteria fighting capabilities – ZeeNews

“A new research has revealed that human sweat can diminish bacteria-fighting qualities of brass objects like door knobs and taps within an hour of contact.”

 

Dr. Bik’s Picks

Screen Shot 2014-06-20 at 10.11.49 PMFish Predation by Semi-Aquatic Spiders: A Global Pattern – Martin Nyffeler – PLOS ONE

“More than 80 incidences of fish predation by semi-aquatic spiders – observed at the fringes of shallow freshwater streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, and fens – are reviewed.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-20 at 10.15.09 PMUS sets up honey bee loss task force – BBC News

“In the plan announced on Friday, Mr Obama directed the EPA and the agriculture department to lead a government-wide task force to develop a strategy within six months to fight bee and other pollinator declines.“

Screen Shot 2014-06-20 at 10.17.07 PMStrict diet suspends development, doubles lifespan of worms – Science Daily

“Researchers at Duke University found that taking food away from C. elegans triggers a state of arrested development: while the organism continues to wriggle about, foraging for food, its cells and organs are suspended in an ageless, quiescent state. “

Screen Shot 2014-06-20 at 10.26.39 PMFinding thoughts in speech: How human brain processes thoughts during natural communication – Science Daily

“The novelty of the authors’ approach is that the participants were not instructed to think and talk about a given topic in an experimental setting. “

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Human microbiome, June 19

The journal Immunity has a special with several great papers on (gut) microbiome and diet. And even Martha Stewart is writing about the microbiome! In style, of course.

Oral microbiome

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 10.50.07 PMMining the Mouth’s Many Microbes – Tracy Vence – The Scientist

““The whole world passes through the oral cavity,” said Purnima Kumar, an assistant professor of periodontology at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry. This makes investigating the microbial communities present in the mouth a challenge.”

Gut microbiome

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 10.49.36 PMFinding the Missing Links among Metabolites, Microbes, and the Host – Pieter C. Dorrestein – Immunity

“Here, we provide our perspective on these connections and outline a systematic research program that could turn these individual links into a broader network that allows us to understand how these components interact. “

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 10.51.41 PMMining the Human Gut Microbiota for Effector Strains that Shape the Immune System – Philip P. Ahern – Immunity

“Here, we discuss a scalable, less biased approach for identifying effector strains in complex microbial communities that impact immune function. The approach begins by identifying uncultured human fecal microbiota samples that transmit immune phenotypes to germ-free mice.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 10.51.09 PMDiet, Metabolites, and “Western-Lifestyle” Inflammatory Diseases – Alison N. Thorburn – Immunity

“This review highlights what is currently known about diet, metabolites, and their associated immune pathways in relation to the development of inflammatory disease.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 10.52.28 PMInflammatory Bowel Disease as a Model for Translating the Microbiome – Curtis Huttenhower – Immunity

“IBD thus represents perhaps the most comprehensive current model for understanding the human microbiome’s role in complex inflammatory disease. Here, we review the influences of the microbiota on IBD and its potential for translational medicine.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 10.54.48 PMCulturomics and pyrosequencing evidence of the reduction in gut microbiota diversity in patients with broad-spectrum antibiotics – Grégory Dubourg – International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents

“Culturomics was performed on four stool samples from patients treated with large-scale antibiotics to assess the diversity of their gut flora in comparison with other culture-dependent studies. Pyrosequencing of the V6 region was also performed and was compared with a control group.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 10.55.24 PMLong-term monitoring of the human intestinal microbiota from the 2nd week to 13 years of age – Akihito Endo – Anaerobe

“Few long term follow-up studies have been reported and we therefore characterized the development of intestinal microbiota of ten subjects from the 2nd week of life to 13 years of age. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis combined with several bacterial group-specific primer sets demonstrated the colonization steps of defined bacterial groups in the microbiota”

Respiratory microbiome

Time between sputum sample collection and storage significantly influences bacterial sequence composition from Cystic Fibrosis respiratory infections – Leah Cuthbertson – Journal of Clinical Microbiology

“Aliquots were stored at room temperature before freezing at -80°C for increasing intervals up to 72 hour period. Samples were treated with propidium monoazide, to distinguish live from dead cells, prior to DNA extraction, and 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing was used to characterise the bacterial composition.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 10.46.12 PM

Human Pharyngeal Microbiome May Play a Protective Role in Respiratory Tract Infections – Zhancheng Gao – Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics

Recent studies have demonstrated that the pharyngeal microbiome comprises an abundance of bacterial species that interact with the local epithelial and immune cells, and together, they form a unique micro-ecological system.”

Skin and wounds microbiology

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 10.57.13 PMMicrobial profiling of combat wound infection through detection microarray and next-generation sequencing – Nicholas A. Be – Journal of Clinical Microbiology

“We employed a microarray capable of detecting all sequenced pathogens for interrogation of 124 wound samples from extremity injuries in combat-injured U.S. service members. A subset of samples was also processed via next-generation sequencing and metagenomic analysis. “

Press coverage:

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 11.00.07 PMHealing warriors by making a census of combat wounds’ microbiota – Melissa Healy – LA Times

“New research suggests that physicians treating future U.S. troops (and perhaps those treating some of today’s wounded warriors) may be able to take a fast and thorough census of the microorganisms living in a combat wound and tailor their treatment accordingly.”

Human microbiome in the news

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 10.56.06 PM4 habits for a healthy gut – Martha Stewart – CNN

“Studies also suggest that diabetic and obese patients tend to lack a diversity of bacteria, and the Cleveland Clinic found that some bacteria metabolize components of egg and meat to produce a compound that aids in the clogging of arteries.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 10.44.58 PMWebinar: The Promise of the Microbiome: Function and Dysfunction in Humans and Beyond – Science Magazine, featuring David Relman, Rob Knight, and Jack Gilbert

“During this webinar, the speakers will:

  • Provide a brief introduction to microbiomes and how they may fundamentally impact our study of the natural world
  • Share their research data on human and nonhuman microbiota, including microbe-associated environmental impacts on human health
  • Discuss the role of microbiomes in obesity and malnutrition
  • Answer your questions live during the webinar!”

Bacterial detection in blood and other sites

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 10.58.32 PMMassive Parallel Sequencing Provides New Perspectives on Bacterial Brain Abscesses – Øyvind Kommedal – Journal of Clinical Microbiology

“Bacterial 16S rRNA genes were amplified directly from the specimens and sequenced using Ion Torrent technology, with an average of 500,000 reads per sample. The results were compared to those from culture- and Sanger sequencing-based diagnostics.”

Animal models of microbiota

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 10.59.25 PMDiet-Induced Alterations in Gut Microflora Contribute to Lethal Pulmonary Damage in TLR2/TLR4-Deficient Mice – Yewei Ji – Cell Reports

“Here, we show that chronic intake of a high-fat diet (HFD), not a low-fat diet, leads to severe pulmonary damage and mortality in mice deficient in Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 (DKO).”

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Non-human microbiome, June 18

Microbiomes of horses, sheep, chicken, plants in Chili, built environment and rocks.

General microbiomes of animals

Viral Metagenomics on Animals as a Tool for the Detection of Zoonoses Prior to Human Infection? – Sarah Temmam – Int J Mol Sci

“In this review, we summarize our current knowledge of viral diversity within such animals (in particular blood-feeding arthropods, wildlife and domestic animals) using metagenomics and present its possible future application for the surveillance of zoonotic and arboviral diseases.”

Horse microbiome

Screen Shot 2014-06-18 at 9.39.22 PMFaecal Microbiome of the Thoroughbred Racehorse and Its Response to Dietary Amylase Supplementation – Proudman C – Equine Veterinary Journal

Amplicons for the V1-V3 region of the 16S rDNA gene were multiplexed and sequenced on the 454 resulting in ∼25,000 reads per sample. Differences in bacterial community structure were detected by linear discriminant analysis.”

Sheep microbiome

Screen Shot 2014-06-05 at 8.48.40 PMMethane yield phenotypes linked to differential gene expression in the sheep rumen microbiome – Weibing Shi – Genome Research

“Deep metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing demonstrated the presence of methanogens both in the highest and lowest methane-producing sheep, with a similar abundance of methanogens and methanogenesis pathway genes in high and low methane emitters. “

Chicken microbiome

ChickenSpatial heterogeneity and stability of bacterial community in the gastrointestinal tracts of broiler chickens – J. H. Choi – Poultry Science

“Bacterial communities in the different regions of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of broiler chickens were analyzed by pyrosequencing approach to understand microbial composition and diversity. “

Squid microbiome

SquidThe real threat posed by discover of antibiotic- resistent bacteria found in squid – Robert Lawrence and Patrick Baron, Baltimore – Washington Post

“The Food and Drug Administration can, and should, do more to limit the misuse of antibiotics in the production of food animals, whether terrestrial or aquatic, in order to reduce the risk of accelerating antibiotic resistance.”

Plant microbiome

Bacterial community structure and detection of putative plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria associated with plants grown in Chilean agro-ecosystems and undisturbed ecosystems – Milko A. Jorquera – Biology and Fertility of Soils

“Soil microorganisms with phytase- and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase activities are widely studied as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Here, we explored the bacterial community structure and occurrence of putative PGPR in plants grown in agro-ecosystems and undisturbed ecosystems from northern, central, and southern Chile.”

Built Environment Microbiome

housesmicroBEnet: Lessons Learned from Building an Interdisciplinary Scientific Community in the Online Sphere – Holly M. Bik, David A. Coil, Jonathan A. Eisen – PLOS Biology

“The microbiology of the Built Environment network (microBEnet: http://www.microbe.net/) was formed as an experiment in interdisciplinary community building, with an overarching goal to facilitate and nurture the development of a new research field: the microbiology of the built environment (MBE). “

Water microbiome

Review: Emerging Strategies and Integrated Systems Microbiology Technologies for Biodiscovery of Marine Bioactive Compounds – Javier Rocha-Martin – Marine Drugs

“Recent advances in genomics, metagenomics, proteomics, combinatorial biosynthesis, synthetic biology, screening methods, expression systems, bioinformatics, and the ever increasing availability of sequenced genomes provides us with more opportunities than ever in the discovery of novel bioactive compounds and biocatalysts.”

From community approaches to single-cell genomics: the discovery of ubiquitous hyperhalophilic Bacteroidetes generalists – María Gomariz – ISME Journal

“Here we have characterized the temporal variation during 1 year of the microbiota of five ponds with increasing salinity (from 18% to >40%), by means of CARD-FISH and DGGE.”

Soil and rock microbiome

Mineral Microniches Control the Diversity of Subsurface Microbial Populations – Aaron A. Jones – Geomicrobiology Journal

“These results suggest that adaptations to specific rocks are retained even when the organism is displaced in time and space from an ancestral rock habitat.”

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Human microbiome, June 13

Sjögren’s disease, diabetes, and Clostridium difficile infection. And the importance of a good title.

Oral microbiome

ScienceCodexSjögren’s Syndrome significantly increases risk of heart attack – Science Codex

“A new study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2014) showed a significantly increased risk of heart attack in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome (SjS), particularly in the first year following diagnosis.”

Gut microbiome

DiabetologiaStudy shows gut microbe composition different in young children with and without type 1 diabetes [zipped PDF]- Marcus de Goffau and Hermie Hansen – Diabetologia

and in the press:

diabetesStudy shows gut microbe composition different in young children with and without type 1 diabetes – Medical Xpress

“New research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) shows that children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes have a less balanced composition of gut bacteria compared with children of the same age without diabetes. “

KefirStaggered and tapered antibiotic withdrawal (STAW) with administration of Kefir for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection – Johan S. Bakken – Clinical Infectious Diseases

“Daily administration of the probiotic Kefir given in combination with a staggered and tapered antibiotic withdrawal regimen may resolve recurrent Clostridium difficile infection as effectively as fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).”

Animal models of human microbiome and disease

I’m trying hard to wrap my brain around this title:
AACGastrointestinal Colonization With a Cephalosporinase-Producing Bacteroides Species Preserves Colonization Resistance Against Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus and Clostridium difficile in Cephalosporin-Treated Mice – Usha Stiefel – Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy

“Stool concentrations of VRE and ceftriaxone were measured, cecal levels of C. difficile 24 hours after incubation were quantified, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of microbial 16S rRNA genes was performed to evaluate antibiotic effect on the microbiota. “

In the press, much better title:

Good bacteria armed with antibiotic resistance protect gut microbiome – Science Codex

“The novel aspect of the research is that the enzyme produced by these bacteria, beta-lactamase, is a major cause of antibiotic resistance, says first author, Usha Stiefel. Interestingly, the enzyme is not only protecting the bacteria that produce it but also the rest of the bacteria making up the intestinal microbiome.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-13 at 11.16.23 PMCurative effect of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus fermentum L23 in a murine model of vaginal infection by Gardnerella vaginalis – M. Daniele – Letters in Applied Microbiology

“Bacterial vaginosis is a common vaginal infection characterized by changes in the vaginal microbiota. The objective of this work was to evaluate the colonization ability and curative effect of Lactobacillus fermentum L23 after vaginal administration in female BALB/c mice infected with Gardnerella vaginalis. “

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