Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Megan A. Hahn, Agnes Piecyk, Fatima Jorge, Robert Cerrato, Martin Kalbe, Nolwenn M. Dheilly
Summary: This study demonstrates that helminths have an impact on the gut microbiome of their host. The microbiome of stickleback fish varies depending on ecoevolutionary variables, such as the genotype of the host and parasite, and the composition of the parasite's microbiome. The study also reveals that the association between the microbiome and immune gene expression increases in infected individuals and varies with parasite genotype. Additionally, it shows that the parasite's microbiome is distinct from its host and affects the host's immune response to infection.
Review
Food Science & Technology
Jingpeng Yang, Hong Yang, Yanan Li
Summary: The gut microbiome, consisting of bacteria and fungi, plays important roles in the host immune system, metabolic regulation, and intestinal homeostasis. The interactions between gut bacteria, fungi, and host immunity directly influence disease processes and therapy outcomes. Interventions such as probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and drugs can modulate these interactions and potentially improve anti-inflammatory and tumor immunotherapy effects.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Chiara Morreale, Cristina Giaroni, Andreina Baj, Laura Folgori, Lucia Barcellini, Amraj Dhami, Massimo Agosti, Ilia Bresesti
Summary: Antibiotic therapy is crucial for treating bacterial infections, but its excessive use, especially during the perinatal period, can have long-lasting negative effects on human health. This includes the spread of antibiotic resistance and disruptions to the gut microbiota, which are detrimental to the health of infants. This review summarizes recent evidence on how antibiotic treatment influences the neonatal gut microbiota and discusses potential microbiome-based approaches for restoring a healthy microbiota in newborns.
Review
Microbiology
Kunling Teng, Fuqing Huang, Yayong Liu, Yudong Wang, Tianqi Xia, Fangfei Yun, Jin Zhong
Summary: Gut microbes and their interactions with the host have an impact on human health and diseases. Bacteriocins, produced by gut commensals and food-originated bacteria, can inhibit pathogens and modulate gut microbiota. They are potential candidates for precision therapy of gut disorders. Lactic acid bacteria, including many probiotics, are the main producers of bacteriocins. Bacteriocin production is considered a probiotic trait that provides a competitive advantage to bacteria in colonizing the human gut and mediating interactions with the host ecosystem.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Chen Wang, Junying Bai, Xiaoyong Chen, Jiajia Song, Yu Zhang, Hongwei Wang, Huayi Suo
Summary: Host health and disease are affected by changes in intestinal flora. Strategies such as probiotics, prebiotics, diet, fecal microbiota transplantation, antibiotics, and phages can regulate the structure and abundance of microflora. Diets and prebiotics have reduced risk and high security, while phages have high specificity for targeted regulation. Individual variability in microflora and metabolic response should be considered, and future studies should use artificial intelligence and multi-omics to develop personalized intervention strategies.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Juste Azelyte, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Apolline Maitre, Rita Ziegyte, Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez, Dasiel Obregon, Vaidas Palinauskas, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
Summary: Avian malaria infection does not significantly change the alpha and beta diversity of the bird gut microbiome, but it does alter the composition and abundance of certain bacterial taxa. The progression of microbiome structural states differs between infected and uninfected birds. Infection by avian malaria parasites is associated with the presence of specific metabolic pathways and the abundance of these pathways changes over the course of infection.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Patrick L. Taggart, Craig Liddicoat, Wen Han Tong, Martin F. Breed, Philip Weinstein, David Wheeler, Ajai Vyas
Summary: This study found that Toxoplasma infection did not induce widespread differences in the bacterial community composition of the gastrointestinal tract of rats, but revealed sex differences in the bacterial community composition.
Review
Immunology
Zain Zaki Zakaria, Shouq Al-Rumaihi, Rana S. Al-Absi, Huda Farah, Muram Elamin, Rahaf Nader, Salma Bouabidi, Sara Elgaili Suleiman, Shahd Nasr, Maha Al-Asmakh
Summary: Recent research has shown that the microbiome plays an important role in human metabolism, immunity, and overall health. The composition of the microbiome is influenced by factors such as environment, diet, weight, and hormones. During pregnancy, significant changes in weight gain and metabolism can lead to alterations in the microbiome. Understanding these microbial changes during pregnancy is crucial for a healthy pregnancy, as they may impact the mother's immune, endocrine, and metabolic status.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Francesco Valeri, Kristina Endres
Summary: The gut microbiota is a complex system that is influenced by various factors, including sex. Despite limited understanding of the mechanisms behind sex-related differences, it is suggested that sex hormones, dietary habits, and antibiotics may have a direct impact on the composition of the gut microbiota. More research is needed to fully grasp the role of sexual hormones, particularly testosterone, in shaping the gut microbiota.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Malgorzata Anna Marc, Rafal Jastrzab, Jennifer Mytych
Summary: This article summarizes the latest knowledge on the correlation between gut microbiota dysbiosis and neurodegenerative and brain-related diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. It emphasizes the importance of gut-derived metabolites and gut metabolic status as key factors in gut-brain crosstalk and their impact on the severity of neural conditions.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Yoowon Kwon, Young-Sun Cho, Yoo-Mi Lee, Seok-jin Kim, Jaewoong Bae, Su-Jin Jeong
Summary: This study evaluated the gut microbiome state in infants following systemic antibiotic treatment. The results showed that the composition of the gut microbiome in the antibiotic treatment group was altered, with increased relative abundance of Escherichia/Shigella and Bifidobacterium, and decreased relative abundance of Bacteroides. Additionally, the antibiotic treatment group had lower microbiome diversity. Long-term studies are needed to further understand the impact of antibiotics on the gut microbiome.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julita Tokarek, Emilian Budny, Maciej Saar, Joanna Kucmierz, Ewelina Mlynarska, Jacek Rysz, Beata Franczyk
Summary: This review investigates the impact of gut microbiota on the development and treatment of hypertension, focusing on molecular mechanisms. The bacteria in the intestines can secrete various metabolites, which play a significant role in blood pressure regulation, including short-chain fatty acids, vasoactive hormones, trimethylamine, trimethylamine N-oxide, and uremic toxins. Their regulation of blood pressure is mainly based on their pro- or anti-inflammatory function. Using specifically formulated probiotics to modify the gut microbiota composition may be a beneficial supportive treatment for hypertension, but further research is needed to determine the bacteria species that can induce a hypotensive pattern.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Boris Vidal-Veuthey, Damariz Gonzalez, Juan P. Cardenas
Summary: This article reviews the literature on the functions of secreted proteins from the gut microbiota and discusses their impact on host physiology and health, as well as how these effects can be utilized for the development of postbiotic products.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kevin D. Seely, Cody A. Kotelko, Hannah Douglas, Brandon Bealer, Amanda E. Brooks
Summary: The gut microbiota has been shown to play a role in bone metabolism and the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Despite the established connection between a healthy microbiome and bone homeostasis, the specific mechanisms underlying this relationship are not fully understood. Studying the interactions between the microbiome, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and RANKL may offer insights into potential therapeutic targets for promoting bone health.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Valerie Harrington, Lilian Lau, Kumba Seddu, Jotham Suez
Summary: This commentary discusses the known and putative mechanisms of interactions between commensals in the gut and how they can be utilized to improve microbiome-targeting therapeutics and facilitate the translation of microbiome research into clinical applications.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Norma M. Morella, Francis Cheng-Hsuan Weng, Pierre M. Joubert, C. Jessica E. Metcalf, Steven Lindow, Britt Koskella
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wenke Smets, Britt Koskella
Article
Biology
Britt Koskella, Joy Bergelson
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Emily A. Dewald-Wang, Nicole Parr, Katie Tiley, Alina Lee, Britt Koskella
Summary: Coevolution is difficult to study directly, but time-shift experiments are a powerful tool to measure coevolution by challenging individuals from different time points. The experiments revealed an asymmetry in host resistance and phage infectivity, suggesting a need to revise existing coevolutionary theory to account for differing models for hosts and parasites.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Reena Debray, Robin A. Herbert, Alexander L. Jaffe, Alexander Crits-Christoph, Mary E. Power, Britt Koskella
Summary: The order and timing of microbial arrival can significantly impact microbiome composition and function, with studies highlighting the importance of priority effects in different environments. Detection methods and mechanisms of priority effects are discussed in this review.
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kyle M. Meyer, Robert Porch, Isabella E. Muscettola, Ana Luisa S. Vasconcelos, Julia K. Sherman, C. Jessica E. Metcalf, Steven E. Lindow, Britt Koskella
Summary: The microbial communities on plant leaf surfaces are influenced by dispersal from neighboring plants, with local dispersal being a key factor in their assembly. Host species, source of microbiome, and neighbors' identity contribute to the variation in phyllosphere bacterial composition.
Correction
Microbiology
Reena Debray, Robin A. Herbert, Alexander L. Jaffe, Alexander Crits-Christoph, Mary E. Power, Britt Koskella
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Reena Debray, Yvonne Socolar, Griffin Kaulbach, Aidee Guzman, Catherine A. Hernandez, Rose Curley, Alexander Dhond, Timothy Bowles, Britt Koskella
Summary: Water stress and disruption of mycorrhizal associations resulted in reduced leaf bacterial richness, homogenized bacterial community composition among plants, and decreased the relative abundance of dominant fungal taxa in the tomato phyllosphere. Soil conditions and belowground interactions can shape aboveground microbial communities, with significant implications for plant health and sustainable agriculture.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Elijah C. Mehlferber, Kent F. McCue, Jon E. Ferrel, Britt Koskella, Rajnish Khanna
Summary: This study examined the effects of a volcanic ash deposit fertilizer on microbial communities in soil and plants, focusing on core taxa identified in the rhizosphere and root endosphere. The fertilizer had little overall effect on microbial composition but selectively influenced the core taxa, leading to changes in functional pathway enrichment associated with carbohydrate metabolism.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elijah C. Mehlferber, Michael J. Song, Julianne Naomi Pelaez, Johan Jaenisch, Jeremy E. Coate, Britt Koskella, Carl J. Rothfels
Summary: The microbiome and ploidy level both play important roles in the host organism's response to disease. This study investigates the interaction between whole-genome duplication and the above-ground microbiome in Arabidopsis thaliana, and finds that polyploids have enhanced immunity to pathogens and reduced dependence on the microbiome for protection.
Article
Virology
Britt Koskella, Catherine A. Hemandez, Rachel M. Wheatley
Summary: Bacteriophages have significant effects on bacterial ecology and evolution, shaping microbial interactions, diversity, and nutrient cycling in ecosystems. They rapidly evolve in response to bacterial host dynamics and the study of their evolution in vitro can provide insights into natural bacteria-phage interactions. Recent advancements in metagenomics approaches have allowed for a better understanding of phage evolution and ecology in complex microbial communities.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Reena Debray, Nina De Luna, Britt Koskella
Summary: Bacteria and lytic viruses (phages) have a coevolutionary relationship, and this study explores how phages shape the future evolutionary trajectories of their host populations. The researchers found that some bacteria populations re-evolved phage sensitivity over time, while others acquired compensatory mutations that reduced the costs of resistance. The genetic mechanisms of resistance and the initial evolution of resistance played a significant role in these outcomes. This study highlights the importance of phages in the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of their host communities and provides insights into the genetic architecture of historical contingency.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
C. Jessica E. Metcalf, Burcu Tepekule, Marjolein Bruijning, Britt Koskella
Summary: The absence of microbial exposure early in life can lead to immune overreaction later in life. Understanding the critical windows during which the host's immune system can learn tolerance is crucial. Animal models suggest that multiple mechanisms have evolved to enable critical windows, indicating strong evolutionary selection. By exploring the evolutionary ecology of critical windows, we found that both direct and indirect effects of microbes determine the optimal length of the critical window. Various factors such as transmission magnitude, infection duration, reinfection rates, host demography, and seasonality can influence the timing and likelihood of encounters with microbes, affecting the optimal length of the critical window. Decline in microbial population abundance and diversity may result in increased immune dysfunction. Our research provides insights into the impact of host-microbiome/pathogen interactions, dispersal, and the current loss of microbial diversity and infectious diseases on critical windows.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Catherine A. A. Hernandez, Veronique A. Delesalle, Greg P. P. Krukonis, Jenna M. M. DeCurzio, Britt Koskella
Summary: The rate and trajectory of evolution in an obligate parasite is highly influenced by its host(s). This study investigates the impact of evolutionary history of bacterial hosts on the genotypic and phenotypic evolution of bacteriophages. By comparing coevolved phages and phages passaged on an ancestral strain, it is revealed that coevolution leads to more mutations in phage genomes, particularly in genes encoding phage tail-associated proteins. Coevolved phages exhibit more efficient reduction of population growth and have more predictable effects on infectivity range.
Article
Ecology
Reena Debray, Asa Conover, Xuening Zhang, Emily A. A. Dewald-Wang, Britt Koskella
Summary: In microbial community assembly, species that establish earlier often have an advantage. Experimental evolution selecting for host colonization alters priority effects among competitors in the tomato plant-associated microbiome. Understanding how in situ evolution alters priority effects is crucial for predicting the composition and function of ecological communities over time.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)