Tag Archives: immunology

May 13, 2020

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Happy Wednesday, y’all! Before we get to today’s papers, I wanted to let everyone know about a webinar happening on June 3rd at 12:00 PM E.T. called “Unraveling the link between the gut microbiome, human health, and disease.” Tomoya Yamashita, M.D., Ph.D. from Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine and Meredith Hullar, Ph.D. from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center will both be speaking. If you’re interested you can register here.

Now onto the highlights! We have some super interesting research to share with you today including an examination of the efficacy of transplanting the human gut microbiota into mice and its impact on studying immunological responses; evidence that early-life intestinal colonizers may influence brain development; and a new tool, pepFUNK, which uses a peptide-centric approach to identify KEGG pathways in metaproteomic datasets. Enjoy!

General microbiome
Human Microbiota-Transplanted C57BL/6 Mice and Offspring Display Reduced Establishment of Key Bacteria and Reduced Immune Stimulation Compared to Mouse Microbiota-Transplantation. Lundberg, R. et al. Scientific Reports.

Review: The role of the microbiome in the neurobiology of social behaviour. Sarkar, A. et al. Biological Reviews.

Pregnancy and early life
Neonatal diet alters fecal microbiota and metabolome profiles at different ages in infants fed breast milk or formula. Brink, L.R. et al. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Investigating Bifidobacteria and Human Milk Oligosaccharide Composition of Lactating Mothers. Lugli, A.G. et al. FEMS Microbiology Ecology.

Human respiratory microbiome
Bioorthogonal Non-Canonical Amino Acid Tagging Reveals Translationally Active Subpopulations of the Cystic Fibrosis Lung Microbiota. Valentini, T.D. et al. Nature Communications.

Human gut microbiome
Longitudinal Analysis of Serum Cytokine Levels and Gut Microbial Abundance Links IL-17/IL-22 With Clostridia and Insulin Sensitivity in Humans. Zhou, X. et al. Diabetes.

Berberine and Its Structural Analogs Have Differing Effects on Functional Profiles of Individual Gut Microbiomes. Li, L. et al. Gut Microbes.

Animal experiments
Developmental Signatures of Microbiota-Derived Metabolites in the Mouse Brain. Swann, J.R. et al. Metabolites.

Bifidobacteria Shape Host Neural Circuits During Postnatal Development by Promoting Synapse Formation and Microglial Function. Luck, B. et al. Scientific Reports.

Glycerol Monolaurate, an Analogue to a Factor Secreted by Lactobacillus, Is Virucidal Against Enveloped Viruses, Including HIV-1. Welch, J.L. et al. mBio.

Gut Microbiome Communication With Bone Marrow Regulates Susceptibility to Amebiasis. Burgess, S.L. et al. The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The Protective Effects of 2′-Fucosyllactose Against E. Coli O157 Infection Are Mediated by the Regulation of Gut Microbiota and the Inhibition of Pathogen Adhesion. Wang Y. et al. Nutrients.

Capsaicin Improves Glucose Homeostasis by Enhancing Glucagon-Like peptide-1 Secretion Through the Regulation of Bile Acid Metabolism via the Remodeling of the Gut Microbiota in Male Mice. Hui, S. et al. FASEB Journal.

Microbiota-Induced Type I Interferons Instruct a Poised Basal State of Dendritic Cells. Schaupp L. et al. Cell.

Intratumoral Accumulation of Gut Microbiota Facilitates CD47-based Immunotherapy via STING Signaling. Shi, Y. et al. Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Animal microbiome
Housefly (Musca domestica L.) associated microbiota across different life stages. de Jonge, N. et al. Scientific Reports.

Honey-bee–associated prokaryotic viral communities reveal wide viral diversity and a profound metabolic coding potential. Deboutte, W. et al. PNAS.

Bayesian Modeling Reveals Host Genetics Associated With Rumen Microbiota Jointly Influence Methane Emission in Dairy Cows. Zhang, Q. et al. ISME Journal.

Review: The role of the gut microbiome in sustainable teleost aquaculture. Perry, W.B. et al. Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Interactions between social groups of colobus monkeys (Colobus vellerosus) explain similarities in their gut microbiomes. Wikberg E.C. Animal Behaviour.

Plant, root, and soil microbiome
Global Warming Shifts the Composition of the Abundant Bacterial Phyllosphere Microbiota as Indicated by a Cultivation Dependent and Independent Study of the Grassland Phyllosphere of a Long-Term Warming Field-Experiment. Aydogan, E.L. et al. FEMS Microbiology Ecology.

Probiotics / prebiotics
A Human-Origin Probiotic Cocktail Ameliorates Aging-Related Leaky Gut and Inflammation via Modulating the Microbiota/Taurine/Tight Junction Axis. Ahmadi, S. et al. JCI Insight.

Bioinformatics
SHOGUN: A Modular, Accurate, and Scalable Framework for Microbiome Quantification. Hillmann, B. et al. Bioinformatics.

pepFunk: A Tool for Peptide-Centric Functional Analysis of Metaproteomic Human Gut Microbiome Studies. Simopoulos, C.M.A. et al. Bioinformatics.

Microbes in the news
Mapping the Microbiome in Saliva of COVID-19 Patients.

Inside the Belly of the Horse – Doctoral candidate Alexa Johnson goes inside the gut to investigate equine health.

November 2, 2019

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Good Weekend morning for all!

Today’s digest is highly rich with plant and soil microbiome papers (notice a great Science paper regarding soil suppressiveness phenomena), as well as bacterial metabolism papers and more. Have a great and peaceful weekend!

Human and animal microbiome

Studying the gut virome in the metagenomic era: challenges and perspectives, Sanzhima Garmaeva, BMC Biology

Cortisol-induced signatures of stress in the fish microbiome, Tamsyn M Uren Webster, bioRxiv

Influence of pig gut microbiota on Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae susceptibility, Meera Surendran Nair, Veterinary Research

Natural variation in the contribution of microbial density to inducible immune dynamics, Derrick Jent, Molecular Ecology

Metabolism

The ecology and evolution of microbial metabolic strategies, Djordje Bajic & Alvaro Sanchez, Curr. Opin. In. Biotechnology

Is the enzymatic hydrolysis of soil organic phosphorus compounds limited by enzyme or substrate availability?, K.A. Jarosch ,SBB

Plant and Soil microbiome

Pathogen-induced activation of disease-suppressive functions in the endophytic root microbiome, Victor J. Carrio, Science

Drivers of the composition of active rhizosphere bacterial communities in temperate grasslands, Selma Vieira, ISME

Analysis of soil bacterial communities associated with genetically modified drought-tolerant corn, Jose G. Ibaraa ,Applid Soil Ecology

Phyllosphere of Submerged Plants in Bathing Lakes as a Reservoir of Fungi Potential Human Pathogens, Anna Biedunkiewicz, Microbial Ecology

Bacterial microbiome associated with the rhizosphere and root interior of crops in Saskatchewan, Canada, Jorge Cordero, Can. J. of Microbiology

Comparative metagenomics of two distinct biological soil crusts in the Tengger Desert, China, Jin-Yu Li , SBB

In planta bacterial multi-omics analysis illuminates regulatory principles underlying plant-pathogen interactions, Tatsuyas Nobori, bioRxiv

Air microbiome

Microbial communities in the tropical air ecosystem follow a precise diel cycle, Elena S. Gusareva, PNAS

Bioinformatics

Evaluating Bioinformatic Pipeline Performance for Forensic Microbiome Analysis, Kierra F. Kaszubinski, J. o. Forensic Sci.

Microbiome digest, October 22, 2014

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Microbes in the mouth of patients with heart disease, bile and gall bladder microbiome of pigs, precisely restoring resistance to Clostridium difficile infection, and networks between fungi and plants. And don’t forget the solar eclipse tomorrow PM for most of the US.

Human oral microbiome

Microbial Diversity Similarities in Periodontal Pockets and Atheromatous Plaques of Cardiovascular Disease Patients – Wagner Serra e Silva Filho – PLOS ONE

“Subgingival biofilm and coronary balloons used in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty were collected from 18 subjects presenting with generalized moderate to severe periodontitis and OCAA. DNA was extracted and the gene 16S was amplified, cloned and sequenced.”

Human gut microbiome

Dietary Patterns Differently Associate with Inflammation and Gut Microbiota in Overweight and Obese Subjects – Ling Chun Kong – PLOS ONE

“We aimed to characterize dietary patterns in overweight and obese subjects and evaluate the different dietary patterns in relation to metabolic and inflammatory variables as well as gut microbiota.”

Impact of diet and individual variation on intestinal microbiota composition and fermentation products in obese men – Anne Salonen – ISME Journal

“Here we report a comprehensive and deep microbiota analysis of 14 obese males consuming fully controlled diets supplemented with resistant starch (RS) or non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) and a weight-loss (WL) diet.”

Animal models of microbiome research

* Precision microbiome reconstitution restores bile acid mediated resistance to Clostridium difficile – Charlie G. Buffie – Nature

“..we determine that Clostridium scindens, a bile acid 7α-dehydroxylating intestinal bacterium, is associated with resistance to C. difficile infection and, upon administration, enhances resistance to infection in a secondary bile acid dependent fashion.”

* Changes in the Bacterial Microbiota in Gut, Blood, and Lungs following Acute LPS Instillation into Mice Lungs – Marc A. Sze – PLOS ONE

“Bacterial microbiota of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, blood, and cecum were determined using 454 pyrotag sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) at 4 through 168 hours post-instillation.”

Specific Microbiome Changes in a Mouse Model of Parenteral Nutrition Associated Liver Injury and Intestinal Inflammation – J. Kirk Harris – PLOS ONE

“Microbiome analysis in the PNALI mouse identified specific alterations within colonic microbiota associated with PNALI and further association of these communities with the lipid composition of the PN solution. “

Animal microbiome

Characterization of the bile and gall bladder microbiota of healthy pigs – Esther Jiménez – Microbiology Open

“We have studied, by culture-dependent techniques and a 16S rRNA gene-based analysis, the microbiota present in the bile, gall bladder mucus, and biopsies of healthy sows”

Characterization of Egg Laying Hen and Broiler Fecal Microbiota in Poultry Farms in Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia – Petra Videnska – PLOS ONE

“In this study we were therefore interested in the prevalence of selected antibiotic resistance genes and microbiota composition in feces of egg laying hens and broilers originating from 4 different Central European countries determined by real-time PCR and 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing, respectively. “

Plant microbiome

* Assembly of complex plant–fungus networks – Hirokazu Toju – Nature Communications

“The examined symbiotic network of a temperate forest in Japan includes 33 plant species and 387 functionally and phylogenetically diverse fungal taxa, and the overall network architecture differs fundamentally from that of other ecological networks. “

Soils and sediments

The long-term adaptation of bacterial communities in metal-contaminated sediments: a metaproteogenomic study – David C. Gillan – Environmental Microbiology

“Two freshwater sites, Férin and MetalEurop, differing by one order of magnitude in metal levels (MetalEurop: 3218 mg Zn kg−1; 913 mg Pb kg−1) were compared by shotgun metaproteogenomics. “

Bioinformatics / metabolomics

* Biogeochemical Typing of Paddy Field by a Data-Driven Approach Revealing Sub-Systems within a Complex Environment – A Pipeline to Filtrate, Organize and Frame Massive Dataset from Multi-Omics Analyses – Diogo M. O. Ogawa – PLOS ONE

“We propose the technique of biogeochemical typing (BGC typing) as a novel methodology to set forth the sub-systems of organismal communities associated to the correlated chemical profiles working within a larger complex environment. “

Estimating coverage in metagenomic data sets and why it matters – Luis M Rodriguez-R and Konstantinos T Konstantinidis – ISME Journal

“We demonstrate here how available solutions can determine the level of sequencing coverage obtained by metagenomic data sets and thus, guide their robust analysis and comparison.”

Immunology

* Fall issue of Stanford Medicine reports on the immune system’s balancing act

“If you want to understand the human immune system, try studying humans — not mice, urges Mark Davis, PhD, in a special report on the immune system in the new issue of Stanford Medicine magazine.”

Bik’s Picks

Genome sequence of a 45,000-year-old modern human from western Siberia – Qiaomei Fu – Nature

“the genomic segments of Neanderthal ancestry are substantially longer than those observed in present-day individuals, indicating that Neanderthal gene flow into the ancestors of this individual occurred 7,000–13,000 years before he lived. “

Sky spectacle: Partial solar eclipse coming Thursday – USA Today

“In the afternoon, a partial solar eclipse — where the moon covers a part of the sun — will be visible across much of the USA, barring any pesky clouds that could block the show.”

Go Giants! The Science of Baseball – Exploratorium

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General microbiology and science, June 19

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How to store your sputum samples, how LPS gets inserted into the outer membrane, and why pigs have an even number of toes.

Techniques in microbiome research

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 11.16.59 PMTime 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.”

General microbiology

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 11.26.58 PMStructural basis for outer membrane lipopolysaccharide insertion – Haohao Dong – Nature

“Here we report the first crystal structure of the unique integral membrane LPS translocon LptD–LptE complex….These findings not only help us to understand important aspects of bacterial outer membrane biogenesis, but also have significant potential for the development of novel drugs against multi-drug resistant pathogenic bacteria.”

Immunology

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 11.13.17 PMTeaching the immune system “self” respect and tolerance – Lucienne Chatenoud – Science

“Tolerance is what we would like to restore to cure such disabling diseases. Kasagi et al. (2) indicate that it may be possible to teach the immune system to tolerate “self” again.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 11.15.42 PMIn Vivo–Generated Antigen-Specific Regulatory T Cells Treat Autoimmunity Without Compromising Antibacterial Immune Response – Shimpei Kasagi – Science

“These antigen-specific Treg cells specifically ameliorated autoimmunity without compromising immune responses to bacterial antigen. We have thus successfully generated antigen-specific Treg cells with therapeutic activity toward autoimmunity”

Phages, viruses, CRISPRs

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 11.18.44 PMHaloarcula hispanica CRISPR authenticates PAM of a target sequence to prime discriminative adaptation – Ming Li – Nucleic Acids Research

Science and ethics

Cheating common, say Brazil’s students – Jack Grove – Times Higher Education

“Of a sample of 47 papers published last year, 29 showed signs of word-by-word plagiarism, seven contained self-plagiarism, three had “mosaic plagiarism” (otherwise known as “synonym substitution”) and one exhibited signs of collusion.”

Dr. Bik’s Picks

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 11.23.10 PMThe Dangers Of Data Mining – Tommaso Dorigo – Science 2.0

“On my first day at the Erice School of Science Journalism this past week I attended a lecture by Alessio Cimarelli, who discussed “When Data Journalism meets Science: a “Hackathon””.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 11.32.23 PMEvolutionary biology: Why cattle, pigs are even-toed – Science Daily

“During their evolution, the basic limb skeletal structure was significantly modified such that today’s hippopotami have four toes, while the second and fifth toe face backwards in pigs.”

 

U.S. Says 75 Government Scientists Possibly Exposed To Live Anthrax – Reuters – Huffington Post

“The potential exposure occurred after researchers working in a high-level biosecurity laboratory at the agency’s Atlanta campus failed to follow proper procedures to inactivate the bacteria.”

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