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Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Microorganisms play as fundamental contributors to maintain hosts' fitness, which can be shaped by external environment. Moreover, symbiotic microbiome also varied...
Microorganisms play as fundamental contributors to maintain hosts' fitness, which can be shaped by external environment. Moreover, symbiotic microbiome also varied within species (e.g., between sexes and developmental stages). However, we still need more studies to quantify whether the intraspecific variation patterns of symbiotic microbes can be modified with the change of environment. The Chinese giant salamander (CGS; ) is a Critically Endangered species. Despite quantitative captive bred individuals were released to rebuild wild populations, the effectiveness is limited. More importantly, no studies have revealed the adaptation of released CGSs to the complex field conditions. In the present study, we explored whether reintroduction can reshape the intraspecific variations of symbiotic microbiota in captive bred CGSs using high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the16S rRNA gene. We found no significant difference of symbiotic microbiome in captive bred males and females, but released males and females differed significantly in skin microbiome. Juveniles had higher diversity of microbial symbiont than adults in hatchery, but lower diversity in field. Moreover, dominant bacterial taxa differed between juveniles and adults in both hatchery and field. Importantly, this symbiotic microbiome variations within species can be modified (alpha and beta diversity, and community composition) when captive bred individuals were released to the field. Overall, we observed a lower alpha diversity and higher relative abundance of , , and in the bacterial community of captive bred individuals. Instead, higher alpha diversity of symbiotic microbiota and higher relative abundance of S24-7 and was detected in released individuals. These modifications may associate with the change of living environment, as well as the specific behavior within CGSs (e.g., movement patterns and foraging activities). Future studies can incorporate other approaches (e.g., blood physiology) to better evaluate the growth and health of reintroduced CGSs.
PubMed: 36532427
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1062604 -
Tropical Diseases, Travel Medicine and... 2019Traveler's diarrhea (TD) is a common health problem among visitors from developed to developing countries. Although global and regional estimates of pathogen...
BACKGROUND
Traveler's diarrhea (TD) is a common health problem among visitors from developed to developing countries. Although global and regional estimates of pathogen distribution are available, the etiology of diarrhea among non-military travelers to Thailand is largely unknown.
METHODS
A prospective TD case-control study was conducted among adult travelers from developed countries at a prominent hospital in Bangkok, Thailand during 2001-2003. Stool samples were collected from acute TD cases and non-diarrheal controls and analyzed for bacterial, viral, and protozoan pathogens by microbiology, ELISA or PCR methods. Calculation of adjusted odd ratios for risk factors was performed by logistic regression using STATA statistical software.
RESULTS
Stool samples were collected and analyzed from 389 TD cases and 400 non-diarrhea controls. At least one pathogen was detected in 227 (58%) cases and 124 (31%) controls. (14%), (14%), (14%), and norovirus (12%) were the most frequently isolated pathogens among cases and significantly associated with diarrhea at = 0.006, < 0.001, < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively. (3%) and ETEC (8%), detected in lower prevalence, also showed significant association with TD at < 0.001 and = 0.002, respectively. Travelers from East Asian countries had an increased risk of infection (Crude odds ratio: 3.1, -value = 0.001); travelers from the United States, Canada, and Europe had an increased risk of infection (Crude odds ratio: 2.6, -value = 0.001); and travelers from Australia and New Zealand had an increased risk of infection (Crude odds ratio: 3.2, -value = 0.009).
CONCLUSIONS
Etiology of TD in Thailand is mainly of bacterial origin. and norovirus are underappreciated diarrheagenic pathogens. In our study, the origin of the traveler plays an important role in diarrhea etiology. Understanding variations in TD severity and etiology among travelers from different regions warrants further study.
PubMed: 31183159
DOI: 10.1186/s40794-019-0085-9 -
Vaccines Nov 2022The swift emergence of antibiotic resistance (AR) in bacterial pathogens to make themselves adaptable to changing environments has become an alarming health issue. To...
The swift emergence of antibiotic resistance (AR) in bacterial pathogens to make themselves adaptable to changing environments has become an alarming health issue. To prevent AR infection, many ways can be accomplished such as by decreasing the misuse of antibiotics in human and animal medicine. Among these AR bacterial species, is one of the etiological agents of intestinal infection in humans. It is a gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium that is highly resistant to several classes of antibiotics, and no licensed vaccine against the aforementioned pathogen is available. Hence, substantial efforts are required to screen protective antigens from the pathogen whole genome that can be subjected easily to experimental evaluations. Here, we employed a reverse vaccinology (RV) approach to design a multi-antigenic epitopes based vaccine against . The complete genomes of were retrieved from the National Center for Biotechnological Information (NCBI) that on average consist of 5226 proteins. The complete proteomes were subjected to different subtractive proteomics filters, and in the results of that analysis, out of total proteins, 2399 were revealed as non-redundant and 2827 as redundant proteins. The non-redundant proteins were further checked for subcellular localization analysis, in which three were localized in the extracellular matrix, eight were outer membrane, and 13 were found in the periplasmic membrane. All surface localized proteins were found to be virulent. Out of a total of 24 virulent proteins, three proteins (flagellar hook protein (FlgE), hypothetical protein, and TonB-dependent hemoglobin/transferrin/lactoferrin family receptor protein) were considered as potential vaccine targets and subjected to epitopes prediction. The predicted epitopes were further examined for antigenicity, toxicity, and solubility. A total of 10 epitopes were selected (GFKESRAEF, VQVPTEAGQ, KINENGVVV, ENKALSQET, QGYASANDE, RLNPTDSRW, TLDYRLNPT, RVTKKQSDK, GEREGKNRP, RDKKTNQPL). The selected epitopes were linked with each other via specific GPGPG linkers in order to design a multi-epitopes vaccine construct, and linked with cholera toxin B subunit adjuvant to make the designed vaccine construct more efficient in terms of antigenicity. The 3D structure of the vaccine construct was modeled ab initio as no appropriate template was available. Furthermore, molecular docking was carried out to check the interaction affinity of the designed vaccine with major histocompatibility complex (MHC-)I (PDB ID: 1L1Y), MHC-II (1KG0), and toll-like receptor 4 ((TLR-4) (PDB: 4G8A). Molecular dynamic simulation was applied to evaluate the dynamic behavior of vaccine-receptor complexes. Lastly, the binding free energies of the vaccine with receptors were estimated by using MMPB/GBSA methods. All of the aforementioned analyses concluded that the designed vaccine molecule as a good candidate to be used in experimental studies to disclose its immune protective efficacy in animal models.
PubMed: 36366394
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111886 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2015Shigellosis is the major global cause of dysentery. Shigella sonnei, which has historically been more commonly isolated in developed countries, is undergoing an... (Review)
Review
Shigellosis is the major global cause of dysentery. Shigella sonnei, which has historically been more commonly isolated in developed countries, is undergoing an unprecedented expansion across industrializing regions in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The precise reasons underpinning the epidemiological distribution of the various Shigella species and this global surge in S. sonnei are unclear but may be due to three major environmental pressures. First, natural passive immunization with the bacterium Plesiomonas shigelloides is hypothesized to protect populations with poor water supplies against S. sonnei. Improving the quality of drinking water supplies would, therefore, result in a reduction in P. shigelloides exposure and a subsequent reduction in environmental immunization against S. sonnei. Secondly, the ubiquitous amoeba species Acanthamoeba castellanii has been shown to phagocytize S. sonnei efficiently and symbiotically, thus allowing the bacteria access to a protected niche in which to withstand chlorination and other harsh environmental conditions in temperate countries. Finally, S. sonnei has emerged from Europe and begun to spread globally only relatively recently. A strong selective pressure from localized antimicrobial use additionally appears to have had a dramatic impact on the evolution of the S. sonnei population. We hypothesize that S. sonnei, which exhibits an exceptional ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance genes from commensal and pathogenic bacteria, has a competitive advantage over S. flexneri, particularly in areas with poorly regulated antimicrobial use. Continuing improvement in the quality of global drinking water supplies alongside the rapid development of antimicrobial resistance predicts the burden and international distribution of S. sonnei will only continue to grow. An effective vaccine against S. sonnei is overdue and may become one of our only weapons against this increasingly dominant and problematic gastrointestinal pathogen.
Topics: Asia; Dysentery, Bacillary; Immunization; Latin America; Middle East; Shigella sonnei
PubMed: 26068698
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003708 -
Case Reports in Gastroenterology 2021The differential diagnosis for an acute Crohn's flare should include enteric infection, a challenging yet critical distinction to make when determining appropriate...
The differential diagnosis for an acute Crohn's flare should include enteric infection, a challenging yet critical distinction to make when determining appropriate therapy. Since both present similarly, identification of an enteric infection should be performed with comprehensive stool microbial testing. In the setting of moderate-to-severe disease, patients on biologic therapy may be more prone to infectious complications. We present a patient with chronic Crohn's disease with an unusual, previously undetected enteric infection due to Once identified, appropriate antibiotic treatment led to resolution of the patient's acute symptomatology. This is the first reported case of infection in Crohn's disease.
PubMed: 34616242
DOI: 10.1159/000513976 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Teleost omnivorous fish that coexist partially sharing resources are likely to modify their gut traits and microbiome as a feedback mechanism between ecological...
Teleost omnivorous fish that coexist partially sharing resources are likely to modify their gut traits and microbiome as a feedback mechanism between ecological processes and evolution. However, we do not understand how the core gut microbiome supports the metabolic capacity of the host and regulates digestive functions in specialized omnivorous fish gut traits. Therefore, we evaluated the gut microbiome of eight omnivorous fish from a single family (i.e., Cyprinidae) in the current study. We examined the correlation between host phylogeny, diet composition, and intestinal morphological traits related to the intestinal microbiome. The results indicated that cyprinid fish with similar relative gut lengths had considerable gut microbiome similarity. Notably, the SL (short relative gut length) group, as zoobenthos and zooplankton specialists, was abundant in Proteobacteria and was less abundant in Firmicutes than in the ML (medium relative gut length) and LL (long relative gut length) groups. These fish could extract nutrients from aquatic plants and algae. Additionally, we found the relative abundance of and to be positively correlated with host relative gut length but negatively correlated with the relative abundance of , , , and , and host-relative gut length. We also show a positive linear relationship between host gut microbiome carbohydrate metabolism and relative gut length, while the amino acid and lipid metabolism of the gut microbiome was negatively correlated with host-relative gut length. In addition, omnivorous species competing for resources improve their ecological adaptability through the specialization of gut length, which is closely related to variation in the synergy of the gut microbiome. Above all, specialized gut microbiota and associated gut morphologies enable fish to variably tolerate resource fluctuation and improve the utilization efficiency of nutrient extraction from challenging food resources.
PubMed: 36016786
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.936601 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Apr 2021By characterizing the trajectories of antibiotic resistance gene transfer in bacterial communities such as the gut microbiome, we will better understand the factors that...
By characterizing the trajectories of antibiotic resistance gene transfer in bacterial communities such as the gut microbiome, we will better understand the factors that influence this spread of resistance. Our aim was to investigate the host network of a multidrug resistance broad-host-range plasmid in the culturable gut microbiome of zebrafish. This was done through and conjugation experiments with as the donor of the plasmid pB10:: When this donor was mixed with the extracted gut microbiome, only transconjugants of were detected. In separate matings between the same donor and four prominent isolates from the gut microbiome, the plasmid transferred to two of these four isolates, and , but not to and When these and transconjugants were the donors in matings with the same four isolates, the plasmid now also transferred from to was unable to donate the plasmid, and was unable to acquire it. Finally, when the donor was added to zebrafish through their food, plasmid transfer was observed in the gut, but only to , a rare member of the gut microbiome. This work shows that the success of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance spread in a gut microbiome depends on the donor-recipient species combinations and therefore their spatial arrangement. It also suggests that rare gut microbiome members should not be ignored as potential reservoirs of multidrug resistance plasmids from food. To understand how antibiotic resistance plasmids end up in human pathogens, it is crucial to learn how, where, and when they are transferred and maintained in members of bacterial communities such as the gut microbiome. To gain insight into the network of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance sharing in the gut microbiome, we investigated the transferability and maintenance of a multidrug resistance plasmid among the culturable bacteria of the zebrafish gut. We show that the success of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance spread in a gut microbiome can depend on which species are involved, as some are important nodes in the plasmid-host network and others are dead ends. Our findings also suggest that rare gut microbiome members should not be ignored as potential reservoirs of multidrug resistance plasmids from food.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Female; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Male; Plasmids; Zebrafish
PubMed: 33637574
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02735-20 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Heat is a common source of stress in aquatic environments and can alter the physiological and metabolic functions of aquatic animals, especially their intestinal...
Heat is a common source of stress in aquatic environments and can alter the physiological and metabolic functions of aquatic animals, especially their intestinal function. Here, the effects of heat stress on the structure and function of the intestine and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota were studied in sturgeon ( ♀ × ♂ hybrid F1). Sturgeons were exposed to sub-extreme (24°C) and extreme (28°C) high water temperatures for 12 days. The heat stress caused systemic damage to the intestine of sturgeons, which displayed severe enteritis in the valve intestine. The microbial diversity analysis showed that heat stress led to the disorder in intestinal microbiota, manifesting as an explosive increase in the abundance of thermophilic intestinal pathogens such as , , and and causing physiological dysfunction in the sturgeons. The disorder was followed by significant inhibition of intestinal digestion with reduced chymotrypsin, α-amylase, and lipase activities in the valve intestine and of antioxidant function with reduced peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities. Simultaneously, heat stress reduced the thermal tolerance of sturgeons by reducing expression and damaged the valve intestine's repair ability with increased β expression. The results confirmed that heat stress damaged the sturgeon intestines obviously and disturbed the intestinal microbiota, resulting in serious physiological dysfunction. The present study investigated the mechanism of the effect of heat stress on the sturgeon intestine and will help develop strategies to improve the resistance to thermal stress for wild and cultured sturgeons.
PubMed: 35356512
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.755369 -
Microorganisms Jun 2022Histamine is a toxic biogenic amine commonly found in seafood products or their derivatives. This metabolite is produced by histamine-producing bacteria (HPB) such as ,... (Review)
Review
Histamine is a toxic biogenic amine commonly found in seafood products or their derivatives. This metabolite is produced by histamine-producing bacteria (HPB) such as , , , , , , , , spp., , , , , , , , , , spp., , , , , , and In this review, the role of these bacteria in histamine production in fish and seafood products with consequences for human food poisoning following consumption are discussed. In addition, methods to control their activity in countering histamine production are proposed.
PubMed: 35744715
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10061197 -
Italian Journal of Pediatrics Jan 2015The most usual presentation of Plesiomonas shigelloides infection is an acute gastroenteritis, and extraintestinal manifestations are extremely rare. We reported the... (Review)
Review
The most usual presentation of Plesiomonas shigelloides infection is an acute gastroenteritis, and extraintestinal manifestations are extremely rare. We reported the first neonate with P. shigelloides meningoencephalitis in China and reviewed the twelve cases previously reported. Our report adds further awareness on Plesiomonas shigelloides meningoencephalitis in neonate and points out the importance of an early diagnosis and the use of sensitive antibiotics treatment to this fatal infection.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; China; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Meningoencephalitis; Plesiomonas; Radiography
PubMed: 25599746
DOI: 10.1186/s13052-014-0107-1