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Environment International Aug 2023The plant microbiota can affect plant health and fitness by promoting methylmercury (MeHg) production in paddy soil. Although most well-known mercury (Hg) methylators...
The plant microbiota can affect plant health and fitness by promoting methylmercury (MeHg) production in paddy soil. Although most well-known mercury (Hg) methylators are observed in the soil, it remains unclear how rice rhizosphere assemblages alter MeHg production. Here, we used network analyses of microbial diversity to identify bulk soil (BS), rhizosphere (RS) and root bacterial networks during rice development at Hg gradients. Hg gradients greatly impacted the niche-sharing of taxa significantly relating to MeHg/THg, while plant development had little effect. In RS networks, Hg gradients increased the proportion of MeHg-related nodes in total nodes from 37.88% to 45.76%, but plant development enhanced from 48.59% to 50.41%. The module hub and connector in RS networks included taxa positively (Nitrososphaeracea, Vicinamibacteraceae and Oxalobacteraceae) and negatively (Gracilibacteraceae) correlating with MeHg/THg at the blooming stage. In BS networks, Deinococcaceae and Paludibacteraceae were positively related to MeHg/THg, and constituted the connector at the reviving stage and the module hub at the blooming stage. Soil with an Hg concentration of 30 mg kg increased the complexity and connectivity of root microbial networks, although microbial community structure in roots was less affected by Hg gradients and plant development. As most frequent connector in root microbial networks, Desulfovibrionaceae did not significantly correlate with MeHg/THg, but was likely to play an important role in the response to Hg stress.
Topics: Methylmercury Compounds; Oryza; Soil; Environmental Monitoring; Soil Pollutants; Mercury; Bacteria
PubMed: 37399771
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108066 -
World Journal of Diabetes Jun 2023Current approaches for the therapy of diabetic retinopathy (DR), which was one of leading causes of visual impairment, have their limitations. Animal experiments...
BACKGROUND
Current approaches for the therapy of diabetic retinopathy (DR), which was one of leading causes of visual impairment, have their limitations. Animal experiments revealed that restructuring of intestinal microbiota can prevent retinopathy.
AIM
To explore the relationship between intestinal microbiota and DR among patients in the southeast coast of China, and provide clues for novel ways to prevention and treatment methods of DR.
METHODS
The fecal samples of non-diabetics (Group C, = 15) and diabetics (Group DM, = 30), including 15 samples with DR (Group DR) and 15 samples without DR (Group D), were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Intestinal microbiota compositions were compared between Group C and Group DM, Group DR and Group D, as well as patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) (Group PDR, = 8) and patients without PDR (Group NPDR, = 7). Spearman correlation analyses were performed to explore the associations between intestinal microbiota and clinical indicators.
RESULTS
The alpha and beta diversity did not differ significantly between Group DR and Group D as well as Group PDR and Group NPDR. At the family level, , and were significantly increased in Group DR than in Group D ( < 0.05, respectively). At the genera level, , , and were increased in Group DR than Group D while was decreased ( < 0.05, respectively). was negatively correlated with NK cell count ( = -0.39, = 0.03). Further, the abundance of genera ( < 0.01), , , and ( < 0.05, respectively) were higher in Group PDR compared to Group NPDR, while , and ( < 0.05, respectively) were lower. and were positively correlated with fasting insulin ( = 0.53 and 0.61, respectively, < 0.05), when was negatively correlated with B cell count ( = -0.67, < 0.01).
CONCLUSION
Our findings indicated that the alteration of gut microbiota was associated with DR and its severity among patients in the southeast coast of China, probably by multiple mechanisms such as producing short-chain fatty acids, influencing permeability of blood vessels, affecting levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, hypoxia-inducible factor-1, B cell and insulin. Modulating gut microbiota composition might be a novel strategy for prevention of DR, particularly PDR in population above.
PubMed: 37383585
DOI: 10.4239/wjd.v14.i6.862 -
Microorganisms May 2023Milk can be divided into A1 and A2 types according to β-casein variants, and there is a debate about whether A1 milk consumption exacerbates gut environments. This...
Milk can be divided into A1 and A2 types according to β-casein variants, and there is a debate about whether A1 milk consumption exacerbates gut environments. This study examined the cecum microbiota and fermentation in mice fed A1 casein, A2 casein, mixed casein (commercial casein), soy protein isolate, and egg white. The cecum acetic acid concentration was higher, and the relative abundances of Muribaculaceae and Desulfovibrionaceae were greater in mice fed A1 versus A2 casein. The other parameters of cecum fermentation and microbiota composition were similar among the mice fed A1, A2, and mixed caseins. The differences were more distinctive among the three caseins, soy, and egg feedings. Chao 1 and Shannon indices of the cecum microbiota were lowered in egg white-fed mice, and the microbiota of mice fed milk, soy, and egg proteins were separately grouped by principal coordinate analysis. Mice fed the three caseins were characterized by a high abundance of Lactobacillaceae and Clostridiaceae, those fed soy were characterized by Corynebacteriaceae, Muribaculaceae, and Ruminococcaceae, and those fed egg white were characterized by Eggerthellaceae, Rikenellaceae, and Erysipelatoclostridiaceae. Thus, although several differences can arise between A1 and A2 caseins in terms of their modulatory effects on gut environments, the differences between milk, soy, and egg proteins can be more distinctive and are worth further consideration.
PubMed: 37317168
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051194 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2023Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) poses a serious threat to the health of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, and effective treatment options are currently lacking....
Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) poses a serious threat to the health of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, and effective treatment options are currently lacking. With increasing survival rates of ICU patients worldwide, there is a rising interest in developing methods to alleviate PICS symptoms. This study aimed to explore the potential of using Hyaluronan (HA) with different molecular weights as potential drugs for treating PICS in mice. Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) were used to establish a PICS mice model, and high molecular weight HA (HMW-HA) or oligo-HA were used as therapeutic agents. Pathological and physiological changes of PICS mice in each group were monitored. 16S rRNA sequencing was performed to dissect gut microbiota discrepancies. The results showed that both molecular weights of HA could increase the survival rate of PICS mice at the experimental endpoint. Specifically, 1600 kDa-HA can alleviate PICS in a short time. In contrast, 3 kDa-HA treatment decreased PICS model survivability in the early stages of the experiment. Further, via 16S rRNA sequence analysis, we observed the changes in the gut microbiota in PICS mice, thereby impairing intestinal structure and increasing inflammation. Additionally, both types of HA can reverse this change. Moreover, compared to 1600 kDa-HA, 3 kDa-HA can significantly elevate the proportion of probiotics and reduce the abundance of pathogenic bacteria ( and . In conclusion, HA holds the advantage of being a potential therapeutic drug for PICS, but different molecular weights can lead to varying effects. Moreover, 1600 kDa-HA showed promise as a protective agent in PICS mice, and caution should be taken to its timing when considering using 3 kDa-HA.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Hyaluronic Acid; Molecular Weight; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Gastrointestinal Microbiome
PubMed: 37298710
DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119757 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2023A story going back almost 40 years is presented in this manuscript. This is a different and more challenging way of reporting my research and I hope it will be useful to... (Review)
Review
A story going back almost 40 years is presented in this manuscript. This is a different and more challenging way of reporting my research and I hope it will be useful to and target a wide-ranging audience. When preparing the manuscript and collecting references on the subject of this paper-aldehyde oxidoreductase from -I felt like I was travelling back in time (and space), bringing together the people that have contributed most to this area of research. I sincerely hope that I can give my collaborators the credit they deserve. This study is not presented as a chronologic narrative but as a grouping of topics, the development of which occurred over many years.
Topics: Humans; Aldehyde Oxidoreductases; Desulfovibrio gigas; Desulfovibrio; Molybdenum; Aldehyde Dehydrogenase
PubMed: 37241969
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28104229 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2023The aggregation of the neuronal protein alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) is a key feature in the pathology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Alpha-syn aggregation has been...
INTRODUCTION
The aggregation of the neuronal protein alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) is a key feature in the pathology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Alpha-syn aggregation has been suggested to be induced in the gut cells by pathogenic gut microbes such as bacteria, which has been shown to be associated with PD. This study aimed to investigate whether bacteria induce alpha-syn aggregation.
METHODS
Fecal samples of ten PD patients and their healthy spouses were collected for molecular detection of species, followed by bacterial isolation. Isolated strains were used as diets to feed nematodes which overexpress human alpha-syn fused with yellow fluorescence protein. Curli-producing MC4100, which has been shown to facilitate alpha-syn aggregation in animal models, was used as a control bacterial strain, and LSR11, incapable of producing curli, was used as another control strain. The head sections of the worms were imaged using confocal microscopy. We also performed survival assay to determine the effect of bacteria on the survival of the nematodes.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Statistical analysis revealed that worms fed bacteria from PD patients harbored significantly more (<0.001, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U test) and larger alpha-syn aggregates (<0.001) than worms fed bacteria from healthy individuals or worms fed strains. In addition, during similar follow-up time, worms fed strains from PD patients died in significantly higher quantities than worms fed LSR11 bacteria (<0.01). These results suggest that bacteria contribute to PD development by inducing alpha-syn aggregation.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Parkinson Disease; alpha-Synuclein; Caenorhabditis elegans; Escherichia coli; Desulfovibrio
PubMed: 37197200
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1181315 -
Parasites, Hosts and Diseases Feb 2023The genus Babesia includes parasites that can induce human and animal babesiosis, which are common in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The gut microbiota...
The genus Babesia includes parasites that can induce human and animal babesiosis, which are common in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The gut microbiota has not been examined in hamsters infected by Babesia duncani. Red blood cells infected with B. duncani were injected into hamsters through intraperitoneal route. To evaluate the changes in gut microbiota, DNAs were extracted from small intestinal contents, acquired from hamsters during disease development. Then, the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene of bacteria was sequenced using the Illumina sequencing platform. Gut microbiota alternation and composition were assessed according to the sequencing data, which were clustered with >97.0% sequence similarity to create amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were made up of the major components of the gut microbiota in all samples. The abundance of Bacteroidetes elevated after B. duncani infection than the B. duncani-free group, while Firmicutes and Desulfobacterota declined. Alpha diversity analysis demonstrated that the shown ASVs were substantially decreased in the highest parasitemia group than B. duncani-free and lower parasitemia groups. Potential biomarkers were discovered by Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis, which demonstrated that several bacterial families (including Muribaculaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, Oscillospiraceae, Helicobacteraceae, Clostridia UGG014, Desulfovibrionaceae, and Lachnospiraceae) were potential biomarkers in B. duncani-infected hamsters. This research demonstrated that B. duncani infectious can modify the gut microbiota of hamsters.
Topics: Animals; Cricetinae; Humans; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Parasitemia; Babesia; Bacteria; Firmicutes; Bacteroidetes; Biomarkers
PubMed: 37170463
DOI: 10.3347/PHD.22142 -
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Jun 2023Microbiologically influenced corrosion is a common problem in the industrial field due to the deterioration of metals in the presence of various microorganisms, in...
Microbiologically influenced corrosion is a common problem in the industrial field due to the deterioration of metals in the presence of various microorganisms, in particular sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB). A common method to reduce microbiologically influenced corrosion is the application of biocides. The limited number of suitable biocides and the resulting development of resistance, high dosage, and high application rate hinder an effective application. An environmentally friendly alternative could be the application of antimicrobial peptides (AMP), which have already been established in the field of medical devices for a while. Here, the successful treatment of different AMPs against 3 SRB and 1 SOB was demonstrated. The peptide L5K5W was favored due to its broad activity, high stability, and simple structure resulting in low synthesis costs. An alanine scan showed that substitution of leucine with tryptophan increased the activity of this peptide twofold compared to the original peptide against D. vulgaris, the main representative of SRB. Additional optimization of this modified peptide through changes in amino acid composition and lipidations significantly increased the effectiveness, finally resulting in a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 15.63 μg/mL against Desulfovibrio vulgaris. Even against the marine SRB Desulfovibrio indonesiensis with a required salt concentration of min. 2%, an activity of the peptides can be observed (MIC: 31.25 μg/mL). The peptides also remained stable and active for 7 days in the supernatant of the bacterial culture. KEY POINTS: • Antimicrobial peptides provide an alternative to combat biocorrosive bacteria. • Optimization of the peptide sequence leads to a significant increase in activity. • The investigated peptides exhibit high stability, both in the medium and in the bacterial supernatant.
Topics: Antimicrobial Peptides; Biofilms; Desulfovibrio vulgaris; Bacteria; Disinfectants; Desulfovibrio; Corrosion
PubMed: 37154907
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12562-9 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2023Increasing evidence suggests that gut microbiota is involved in the occurrence and progression of urinary system diseases such as clear cell renal cell carcinoma...
OBJECTIVE
Increasing evidence suggests that gut microbiota is involved in the occurrence and progression of urinary system diseases such as clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, the mechanism of how alteration of gut metagenome promotes ccRCC remains unclear. Here we aim to elucidate the association of specific gut bacteria and their metabolites with ccRCC.
METHODS
In a pilot case-control study among 30 ccRCC patients (RCC group) and 30 healthy controls (Control group), 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing were analyzed from fecal samples collected prior to surgery or hospitalization. Alpha diversity and beta diversity analysis of the gut microbiota were performed, and differential taxa were identified by multivariate statistics. Meanwhile, serum metabolism was measured by UHPLC-MS, and differential genes were identified based on the database.
RESULTS
Alpha diversity found there were no significant microbial diversity differences of gut microbiota between the RCC group and the Control group. However, beta diversity analysis showed that the overall structures of the two groups were significantly separated ( = 0.008). Random Forests revealed the relative abundances of 20 species differed significantly between the RCC group and the Control group, among which nine species were enriched in the RCC group such as , and 11 species were less abundant such as four kinds of . Concomitantly, serum level of taurine, which was considered to be consumed by and released by , has decreased in the RCC group. In addition, macrophage-related genes such as was upregulated in ccRCC patients.
CONCLUSION
Reduction of protective bacteria, proliferation of sulfide-degrading bacteria , reduction of taurine, and enrichment of macrophage related genes might be the risk predictors of ccRCC.
PubMed: 37089532
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1133782 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2023Previous studies have reported that gut microbiota is associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. However, whether gut microbiota has...
BACKGROUND
Previous studies have reported that gut microbiota is associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. However, whether gut microbiota has a causal effect on the development of CKD has not been revealed. Thus, we aimed to analyze the potential causal effect of gut microbiota on the risk of CKD using mendelian randomization (MR) study.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Independent single nucleotide polymorphisms closely associated with 196 gut bacterial taxa (N = 18340) were identified as instrumental variables. Two-sample MR was performed to evaluate the causal effect of gut microbiota on CKD (N = 480698), including inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) method, weighted median method, MR-Egger, mode-based estimation and MR-PRESSO. The robustness of the estimation was tested by a series of sensitivity analyses including Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger intercept analysis, leave-one-out analysis and funnel plot. Statistical powers were also calculated.
RESULTS
The genetically predicted higher abundance of order was causally associated with an increased risk of CKD (odds ratio = 1.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.26; = 0.0026). Besides, we also detected potential causalities between nine other taxa (, , , , , , , and ) and CKD ( < 0.05). No heterogeneity or pleiotropy was detected for significant estimates.
CONCLUSION
We found that and nine other taxa are associated with CKD, thus confirming that gut microbiota plays an important role in the pathogenesis of CKD. Our work also provides new potential indicators and targets for screening and prevention of CKD.
Topics: Humans; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Actinobacteria; Causality; Clostridiales; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Genome-Wide Association Study
PubMed: 37065213
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1142140