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Frontiers in Microbiology 2024Cryopreservation of semen can give full play to the reproductive advantages of male animals. However, in actual production, due to the poor frost resistance of sheep...
INTRODUCTION
Cryopreservation of semen can give full play to the reproductive advantages of male animals. However, in actual production, due to the poor frost resistance of sheep semen and the low conception rate, the promotion of sheep frozen semen is greatly hindered. Therefore, it is urgent to improve the frost resistance of semen to improve the quality of frozen semen. At present, most studies on improving the quality of frozen semen are based on the improvement of semen dilutions, and few studies on improving the freezing resistance of ram semen by feeding functional amino acids.
METHODS
Therefore, 24 Turpan black rams were divided into high antifreeze group (HF) and a low antifreeze group (LF) Each of these groups was further randomly divided into control and experimental subgroups. The control subgroup was fed a basal diet, while the experimental subgroup received an additional 12 g/d of -Cit supplementation based on the control group for a duration of 90 days.
RESULTS
The results showed that Following -Cit supplementation, the experimental group demonstrated significantly elevated sperm density and VSL (Velocity of straight line), T-AOC, GSH-Px, and NO levels in fresh semen compared to the control group ( < 0.01). After thawing, the experimental group exhibited significantly higher levels of T-AOC, GSH-Px, and NO compared to the control group ( < 0.01). Additionally, the HFT group, after thawing frozen semen, displayed significantly higher HK1 protein expression compared to the control group. The number of spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and sperm cells in the HFT group was significantly higher than that in the HFC group. Moreover, 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed that , and were significantly enriched in the rumen of the HFT group, while was significantly enriched in the HFC group. In the duodenum, , and were significantly enriched in the HFT group, whereas and were significantly enriched in the HFC group.
DISCUSSION
Under the conditions employed in this study, -Cit supplementation was found to enhance the intestinal flora composition in rams, thereby improving semen quality, enhancing the antifreeze performance of semen, and promoting the development of testicular spermatogenic cells.
PubMed: 38756735
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1396796 -
Animal Bioscience May 2024This study investigated the impact of Aspergillus niger lysing polysaccharide monooxygenase (AnLPMO) on in vitro rumen microbial fermentation of rice straw.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the impact of Aspergillus niger lysing polysaccharide monooxygenase (AnLPMO) on in vitro rumen microbial fermentation of rice straw.
METHODS
AnLPMO was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyzed the surface structure of rice straw after AnLPMO treatment. Two in vitro experiments, coupled with 16S high-throughput sequencing and qRT-PCR techniques, assessed the influence of AnLPMO on rumen microbial fermentation of rice straw.
RESULTS
AnLPMO exhibited peak activity at 40 °C and pH 6.5, with a preference for rice straw xylan hydrolysis, followed by Avicel. AnLPMO application led to the fractional removal of cellulose and hemicelluloses and a notable reduction in the levels of carbon elements and C-C groups present on the surface of rice straw. Compared to the control (no AnLPMO), supplementing AnLPMO at 1.1 U-2.0 U significantly enhanced in vitro digestibility of dry matter (IVDMD, P < 0.01), total gas production (P < 0.01), and concentrations of total volatile fatty acids (VFA, P < 0.01), acetate (P < 0.01), and ammonia-N (P < 0.01). Particularly, the 1.4 U AnLPMO group showed a 14.8% increase in IVDMD. In the second experiment, compared to deactivated AnLPMO (1.4 U), supplementing bioactive AnLPMO at 1.4 U increased IVDMD (P = 0.01), total gas production (P = 0.04), and concentrations of total VFA (P < 0.01), propionate (P < 0.01), and ammonia-N (P < 0.01), with a limited 9.6% increase in IVDMD. Supplementing AnLPMO stimulated the growth of ruminal bacterial taxa facilitating fiber degradation, including Proteobacteria, Spirochaetes, Succinivibrio, Rikenellaceae_RC9_Gut_Group, Prevotelaceae_UCG-003, Desulfovibrio, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, R. flavefaciens, Prevotella bryantii, P. ruminicola, and Treponema bryantii.
CONCLUSION
These findings highlight AnLPMO's potential as a feed additive for improving rice straw utilization in ruminant production.
PubMed: 38754847
DOI: 10.5713/ab.24.0026 -
Journal of Agricultural and Food... May 2024Oolong tea polyphenols (OTP) have attracted wide attention due to their ability to reduce inflammatory response, regulate gut microbiota, and improve cognitive function....
Oolong tea polyphenols (OTP) have attracted wide attention due to their ability to reduce inflammatory response, regulate gut microbiota, and improve cognitive function. However, exactly how the gut microbiota modulates nervous system activity is still an open question. We previously expounded that supplementing with OTP alleviated neuroinflammation in circadian rhythm disorder (CRD) mice. Here, we showed that OTP can relieve microglia activation by reducing harmful microbial metabolites lipopolysaccharide (LPS) that alleviate CRD-induced cognitive decline. Mechanistically, OTP suppressed the inflammation response by regulating the gut microbiota composition, including upregulating the relative abundance of and and downregulating , promoting the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Moreover, the use of OTP alleviated intestinal barrier damage and decreased the LPS transport to the serum. These results further inhibited the activation of microglia, thus alleviating cognitive impairment by inhibiting neuroinflammation, neuron damage, and neurotoxicity metabolite glutamate elevation. Meanwhile, OTP upregulated the expression of synaptic plasticity-related protein postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) and synaptophysin (SYN) by elevating the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level. Taken together, our findings suggest that the OTP has the potential to prevent CRD-induced cognition decline by modulating gut microbiota and microbial metabolites.
Topics: Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Animals; Polyphenols; Mice; Cognitive Dysfunction; Male; Tea; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Camellia sinensis; Neuroprotective Agents; Chronobiology Disorders; Humans; Bacteria; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; Microglia; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 38745351
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c01922 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2024In this study, we examined the therapeutic effects of Yinhuapinggan granules (YHPGs) in influenza-infected mice. We also examined how YHPGs affect the composition of the...
OBJECTIVE
In this study, we examined the therapeutic effects of Yinhuapinggan granules (YHPGs) in influenza-infected mice. We also examined how YHPGs affect the composition of the intestinal flora and associated metabolites.
METHODS
We used the nasal drip method to administer the influenza A virus (IAV) H1N1 to ICR mice. Following successful model construction, the mice were injected with 0.9% sterile saline and low (5.5 g/kg), medium (11 g/kg), and high (22 g/kg) doses of YHPGs. The pathological changes in the lungs and intestines were evaluated by gavage for 5 consecutive days. Detection of sIgA, IL-6, TNF-α, INF-γ, and TGF-β cytokine levels in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression of the tight junction proteins claudin-1, occludin, and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in the colon. To assess the influence of YHPGs on the intestinal microbiota, feces were obtained from the mice for 16s rRNA sequencing, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured in the feces.
RESULTS
By reducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increasing the relative expression of claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1 in colon tissues, YHPGs had a protective effect in tissues from the lungs and colon. When YHPGs were administered to mice with IAV infection, the relative abundance of , , , , , and increased, whereas the relative abundance of decreased.
CONCLUSION
The therapeutic mechanism of YHPGs against IAV infection in mice may be underpinned by modulation of the structural composition of colonic bacteria and regulation of SCFA production.
PubMed: 38741735
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1394304 -
Pharmacological Research Jun 2024In recent years several experimental observations demonstrated that the gut microbiome plays a role in regulating positively or negatively metabolic homeostasis....
In recent years several experimental observations demonstrated that the gut microbiome plays a role in regulating positively or negatively metabolic homeostasis. Indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), a Tryptophan catabolic product mainly produced by C. Sporogenes, has been recently shown to exert either favorable or unfavorable effects in the context of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. We performed a study to delineate clinical and multiomics characteristics of human subjects characterized by low and high IPA levels. Subjects with low IPA blood levels showed insulin resistance, overweight, low-grade inflammation, and features of metabolic syndrome compared to those with high IPA. Metabolomics analysis revealed that IPA was negatively correlated with leucine, isoleucine, and valine metabolism. Transcriptomics analysis in colon tissue revealed the enrichment of several signaling, regulatory, and metabolic processes. Metagenomics revealed several OTU of ruminococcus, alistipes, blautia, butyrivibrio and akkermansia were significantly enriched in IPA group while in IPA group Escherichia-Shigella, megasphera, and Desulfovibrio genus were more abundant. Next, we tested the hypothesis that treatment with IPA in a mouse model may recapitulate the observations of human subjects, at least in part. We found that a short treatment with IPA (4 days at 20/mg/kg) improved glucose tolerance and Akt phosphorylation in the skeletal muscle level, while regulating blood BCAA levels and gene expression in colon tissue, all consistent with results observed in human subjects stratified for IPA levels. Our results suggest that treatment with IPA may be considered a potential strategy to improve insulin resistance in subjects with dysbiosis.
Topics: Humans; Male; Animals; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Female; Middle Aged; Insulin Resistance; Indoles; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Metabolomics; Mice; Adult; Metabolic Syndrome; Comorbidity; Muscle, Skeletal; Multiomics
PubMed: 38734193
DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107207 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Apr 2024This study investigated the efficacy of a composite probiotics composed of , , and in alleviating oxidative stress in weaned piglets and pregnant sows. Evaluations of...
This study investigated the efficacy of a composite probiotics composed of , , and in alleviating oxidative stress in weaned piglets and pregnant sows. Evaluations of growth, oxidative stress, inflammation, intestinal barrier, and fecal microbiota were conducted. Results showed that the composite probiotic significantly promoted average daily gain in piglets ( < 0.05). It effectively attenuated inflammatory responses ( < 0.05) and oxidative stress ( < 0.05) while enhancing intestinal barrier function in piglets ( < 0.01). Fecal microbiota analysis revealed an increase in the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as , , , , and in piglet feces and , , , and in sow feces, with a decrease in harmful bacteria such as and in sow feces upon probiotic supplementation. Correlation analysis indicated significant negative associations of with inflammation and oxidative stress in piglet feces, while and showed significant positive associations. In sow feces, , , , and exhibited significant negative associations, while showed a significant positive association. Therefore, the composite probiotic alleviated oxidative stress in weaned piglets and pregnant sows by modulating fecal microbiota composition.
PubMed: 38731362
DOI: 10.3390/ani14091359 -
Characterization of the Bottlenecks and Pathways for Inhibitor Dissociation from [NiFe] Hydrogenase.Journal of Chemical Information and... May 2024[NiFe] hydrogenases can act as efficient catalysts for hydrogen oxidation and biofuel production. However, some [NiFe] hydrogenases are inhibited by gas molecules...
[NiFe] hydrogenases can act as efficient catalysts for hydrogen oxidation and biofuel production. However, some [NiFe] hydrogenases are inhibited by gas molecules present in the environment, such as O and CO. One strategy to engineer [NiFe] hydrogenases and achieve O- and CO-tolerant enzymes is by introducing point mutations to block the access of inhibitors to the catalytic site. In this work, we characterized the unbinding pathways of CO in the complex with the wild-type and 10 different mutants of [NiFe] hydrogenase from using τ-random accelerated molecular dynamics (τRAMD) to enhance the sampling of unbinding events. The ranking provided by the relative residence times computed with τRAMD is in agreement with experiments. Extensive data analysis of the simulations revealed that from the two bottlenecks proposed in previous studies for the transit of gas molecules (residues 74 and 122 and residues 74 and 476), only one of them (residues 74 and 122) effectively modulates diffusion and residence times for CO. We also computed pathway probabilities for the unbinding of CO, O, and H from the wild-type [NiFe] hydrogenase, and we observed that while the most probable pathways are the same, the secondary pathways are different. We propose that introducing mutations to block the most probable paths, in combination with mutations to open the main secondary path used by H, can be a feasible strategy to achieve CO and O resistance in the [NiFe] hydrogenase from .
Topics: Hydrogenase; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Carbon Monoxide; Desulfovibrio; Enzyme Inhibitors; Mutation; Oxygen; Protein Conformation
PubMed: 38728115
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00187 -
Geobiology 2024Microbial sulfate reduction is central to the global carbon cycle and the redox evolution of Earth's surface. Tracking the activity of sulfate reducing microorganisms...
Microbial sulfate reduction is central to the global carbon cycle and the redox evolution of Earth's surface. Tracking the activity of sulfate reducing microorganisms over space and time relies on a nuanced understanding of stable sulfur isotope fractionation in the context of the biochemical machinery of the metabolism. Here, we link the magnitude of stable sulfur isotopic fractionation to proteomic and metabolite profiles under different cellular energetic regimes. When energy availability is limited, cell-specific sulfate respiration rates and net sulfur isotope fractionation inversely covary. Beyond net S isotope fractionation values, we also quantified shifts in protein expression, abundances and isotopic composition of intracellular S metabolites, and lipid structures and lipid/water H isotope fractionation values. These coupled approaches reveal which protein abundances shift directly as a function of energy flux, those that vary minimally, and those that may vary independent of energy flux and likely do not contribute to shifts in S-isotope fractionation. By coupling the bulk S-isotope observations with quantitative proteomics, we provide novel constraints for metabolic isotope models. Together, these results lay the foundation for more predictive metabolic fractionation models, alongside interpretations of environmental sulfur and sulfate reducer lipid-H isotope data.
Topics: Sulfur Isotopes; Desulfovibrio vulgaris; Proteomics; Proteome; Energy Metabolism; Metabolome; Bacterial Proteins; Oxidation-Reduction; Sulfates
PubMed: 38725144
DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12600 -
Food & Function May 2024In the presented study, natural rice containing high resistant starch content was used as a raw material to produce rice resistant starch (RRS) through enzymatic...
Physiochemical characterization and ameliorative effect of rice resistant starch modified by heat-stable α-amylase and glucoamylase on the gut microbial community in T2DM mice.
In the presented study, natural rice containing high resistant starch content was used as a raw material to produce rice resistant starch (RRS) through enzymatic hydrolysis with heat-stable α-amylase and glucoamylase. The chemical composition, structural characteristics and glycemic index (GI) of RRS were evaluated. The effects of RRS at different doses on the body weight, serum biochemical levels, pathological indexes, production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the gut and the intestinal microbial composition in T2DM mice were investigated. The results of physiochemical characterization indicated that, relative to rice flour, RRS mainly comprising resistant starch had higher crystallinity (25.85%) and a more stable structure, which contributed to its lower digestibility and decreased GI . Compared with the model control group, 1 g per kg BW and 2 g per kg BW oral gavage dosages of RRS effectively enhanced the SCFA productivity in the T2DM mouse gut, as well as alleviating T2DM symptoms, involving an increase in body weight, reduction in fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase, and an increase in serum insulin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Besides, 1 g per kg BW and 2 g per kg BW dosages of RRS mitigated T2DM-induced pancreas damage. Furthermore, up-regulation in the abundance of probiotics (, , ) and down-regulation in the number of harmful bacteria (, , ) were observed in all RRS-treated groups. In summary, this work suggested that RRS prepared using heat-stable α-amylase and glucoamylase could be a potential functional component for amelioration of T2DM applied in the fields of food and pharmaceutics.
Topics: Animals; Oryza; Mice; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Glucan 1,4-alpha-Glucosidase; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; alpha-Amylases; Male; Starch; Blood Glucose; Fatty Acids, Volatile; Resistant Starch; Hot Temperature; Bacteria; Humans
PubMed: 38722000
DOI: 10.1039/d3fo05456j -
Acta Crystallographica. Section F,... May 2024Molybdenum- or tungsten-dependent formate dehydrogenases have emerged as significant catalysts for the chemical reduction of CO to formate, with biotechnological...
Molybdenum- or tungsten-dependent formate dehydrogenases have emerged as significant catalysts for the chemical reduction of CO to formate, with biotechnological applications envisaged in climate-change mitigation. The role of Met405 in the active site of Desulfovibrio vulgaris formate dehydrogenase AB (DvFdhAB) has remained elusive. However, its proximity to the metal site and the conformational change that it undergoes between the resting and active forms suggests a functional role. In this work, the M405S variant was engineered, which allowed the active-site geometry in the absence of methionine S interactions with the metal site to be revealed and the role of Met405 in catalysis to be probed. This variant displayed reduced activity in both formate oxidation and CO reduction, together with an increased sensitivity to oxygen inactivation.
Topics: Desulfovibrio vulgaris; Formate Dehydrogenases; Catalytic Domain; Crystallography, X-Ray; Oxidation-Reduction; Models, Molecular; Formates; Carbon Dioxide; Bacterial Proteins
PubMed: 38699971
DOI: 10.1107/S2053230X24003911