Article
Microbiology
Timothy J. Dallman, Saskia Neuert, Cristina Fernandez Turienzo, Michelle Berin, Emily Richardson, Pablo Fuentes-Utrilla, Nicholas Loman, Saheer Gharbia, Claire Jenkins, Ron H. Behrens, Gauri Godbole, Michael Brown
Summary: International travel is a risk factor for acquisition of resistant organisms, as shown by increased abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes in fecal samples post-travel. Resistance genes for macrolides, third-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and sulfonamides were particularly increased. The study also found a significant association between diarrhea or antibiotic use and increased resistome abundance.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Stefanie L. Vogt, Antonio Serapio-Palacios, Sarah E. Woodward, Andrew S. Santos, Stefan P. W. de Vries, Michelle C. Daigneault, Lisa V. Brandmeier, Andrew J. Grant, Duncan J. Maskell, Emma Allen-Vercoe, B. Brett Finlay
Summary: Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) adjusts its metabolism and activates stress responses to adapt to the presence of gut microbiota metabolites. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which pathogens adapt to competing microbes in the host environment may lead to the development of therapies to enhance colonization resistance and prevent infection.
Article
Immunology
Md Amran Gazi, Md Ashraful Alam, Shah Mohammad Fahim, Barbie Zaman Wahid, Shaila Sharmeen Khan, Md Ohedul Islam, Md Mehedi Hasan, S. M. Tafsir Hasan, Subhasish Das, Mustafa Mahfuz, Rashidul Haque, Tahmeed Ahmed
Summary: The study reveals that infection with certain E. coli pathotypes (EAEC and ETEC) influences gut health, while EPEC is associated with linear growth and underweight in Bangladeshi children.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Wei Li, Xin Yi, Baoyun Wu, Xiang Li, Boping Ye, Ziqi Deng, A. Runa, Sanlong Hu, Dongdong Li, Hao Wu, Zhenming Zhou
Summary: Neonatal calf diarrhea is associated with a decrease in gut microbiota diversity and an increase in Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota. Dysbiosis of the fecal microbiome is identified as a significant characteristic of NCD, with an increased abundance of Lactobacillus during recovery.
FERMENTATION-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Maxwell Neal, Deepan Thiruppathy, Karsten Zengler
Summary: This study developed a genome-scale metabolic model of B. fragilis strain 638R, providing a basis for understanding its relationship with human diet and metabolic products.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Alejandro Huerta-Saquero, Itziar Chapartegui-Gonzalez, Sarah Bowser, Nittaya Khakhum, Jacob L. Stockton, Alfredo G. Torres
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential of using P22 viral-like particles as nanocontainers for delivering immunogenic proteins of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) and creating effective vaccines against EHEC infections. The EscC-P22 particles were able to induce specific antibodies in mice, enhance phagocytic activity against EHEC, and reduce bacterial adherence to epithelial cells, indicating their functionality. These findings suggest that EscC-P22-based particles could be a promising nanovaccine candidate for immunization against EHEC O157:H7 infections.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Lang Peng, Rexford Mawunyo Dumevi, Marco Chitto, Nadja Haarmann, Petya Berger, Gerald Koudelka, Herbert Schmidt, Alexander Mellmann, Ulrich Dobrindt, Michael Berger
Summary: This study proposes a new method for genetic manipulation of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) that is more efficient than traditional methods. The method increases recombineering efficiency by 3-4 times in EHEC O157:H7 EDL933 Delta stx1/2, but shows similar efficiency in Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655. Additionally, the study suggests that the inhibition of the RecFOR pathway indirectly blocks phage induction and improves recombineering efficiency.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jeremy Grossman, Jun Fan, Felicia Allard, Jane Moon, Luis A. Marcos
Summary: This article reports a fatal case of S. stercoralis hyperinfection in an immigrant from rural Ecuador and emphasizes the importance of screening for this parasite in the appropriate clinical scenarios. Various diagnostic methods are introduced to make the diagnosis of S. stercoralis more accessible to practitioners.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Natasza M. R. Hain-Saunders, Daniel R. Knight, Mieghan Bruce, Thomas V. Riley
Summary: Clostridioides difficile poses a significant health risk to both humans and animals, especially in equine populations. Current understanding of equine C. difficile infection is inadequate, highlighting the need for a holistic One Health approach to address this complex issue.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Miad Elahi, Haruyuki Nakayama-Imaohji, Masahito Hashimoto, Ayano Tada, Hisashi Yamasaki, Tamiko Nagao, Tomomi Kuwahara
Summary: The gut symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (BT) suppresses Clostridium difficile (CD) toxin production by inhibiting polysaccharide metabolism pathways. Polysaccharide fractions derived from BT can suppress CD toxin production, with cell wall-associated glycans playing a key role in this inhibitory effect.
Article
Parasitology
Lei Deng, Huiyi Tay, Guangneng Peng, Jonathan W. J. Lee, Kevin S. W. Tan
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence and subtype characteristics of Blastocystis in patients with suspicion of C. difficile infection in Singapore. The study found a Blastocystis positivity rate of 10.1%, with the predominant subtype being ST7. Co-infection of Blastocystis and C. difficile was observed in five patients, with subtypes ST7, ST1, and ST3 identified.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xue Qin Zhao, Lei Wang, Chun Ling Zhu, Xiang Hong Xue, Xiao Jing Xia, Xi Long Wu, Yun Di Wu, Shan Qin Liu, Gai Ping Zhang, Yue Yu Bai, Hanna Fotina, Jian He Hu
Summary: This study showed that orally administered antimicrobial peptide mastoparan X (MPX) can alleviate intestinal inflammation caused by bacterial infection, regulate gut microbiota, and maintain intestinal homeostasis.
PROBIOTICS AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROTEINS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mao Hagihara, Tadashi Ariyoshi, Yasutoshi Kuroki, Shuhei Eguchi, Seiya Higashi, Takeshi Mori, Tsunemasa Nonogaki, Kenta Iwasaki, Makoto Yamashita, Nobuhiro Asai, Yusuke Koizumi, Kentaro Oka, Motomichi Takahashi, Yuka Yamagishi, Hiroshige Mikamo
Summary: CBM 588 enhances the antibacterial activity against C. difficile, reduces colon epithelial damage, and improves immunity through upregulating pathogen specific immunoglobulin A and enhancing gut epithelial barrier function to protect colon tissue from CDI.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Lingyan Jiang, Wen Yang, Xinlei Jiang, Ting Yao, Lu Wang, Bin Yang
Summary: EHEC O157 carries 177 unique genomic islands, termed O islands, which play a crucial role in its pathogenicity by providing virulence factors, effectors, and regulatory proteins.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrea Piccioni, Federico Rosa, Federica Manca, Giulia Pignataro, Christian Zanza, Gabriele Savioli, Marcello Covino, Veronica Ojetti, Antonio Gasbarrini, Francesco Franceschi, Marcello Candelli
Summary: The composition of the human microbiome plays a crucial role in health, and alterations in the microbiota can lead to Clostridium difficile infection.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Correction
Immunology
Indu Khatri, Frank J. T. Staal, Jacques J. M. van Dongen
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Bishal Marasini, Hemant K. Vyas, Samir K. Lakhashe, Dinesh Hariraju, Akil Akhtar, Sarah J. Ratcliffe, Ruth M. Ruprecht
Summary: Research has shown that anti-HIV-1 antibodies can enhance initial infection, particularly under passive immunization conditions, increasing the susceptibility of hosts to SHIV virus and posing a potential threat to AIDS vaccine development.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Indu Khatri, Magdalena A. Berkowska, Erik B. van den Akker, Cristina Teodosio, Marcel J. T. Reinders, Jacques J. M. van Dongen
Summary: Researchers systematically identified highly diverse immunoglobulin germline alleles in 26 global populations using 1000 Genomes data. The genetic diversity of germline alleles was found to be highest in Africans. Newly discovered variant patterns in alleles suggest potential evolutionary selection processes over time.
GENES AND IMMUNITY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Punam Yadav, Shikha Sharma, Tribikram Bhattarai, Lakshmaiah Sreerama, Gandham S. Prasad, Girish Sahni, Jyoti Maharjan
Summary: Anoxybacillus kamchatkensis NASTPD13, isolated from Paudwar hot spring in Myagdi, Nepal, is a Gram-positive, spore-forming facultative anaerobe capable of growing over a wide range of pH and temperature. Genomic analysis suggests high similarity with A. kamchatkensis JW/VK-KG4.
BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Alka Kumari, Sumeeta Kumari, G. S. Prasad, Anil Kumar Pinnaka
Summary: Biosurfactants are versatile biomolecules with potential applications in food formulations. A novel yeast strain isolated from the gut of stingless bee in India produces sophorolipid biosurfactant, which effectively reduces surface tension and shows promising activity against pathogenic fungi, suggesting a novel antifungal compound for food spoilage and human fungal pathogens.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Annieck M. Diks, Indu Khatri, Liesbeth E. M. Oosten, Bas de Mooij, Rick J. Groenland, Cristina Teodosio, Martin Perez-Andres, Alberto Orfao, Guy A. M. Berbers, Jaap Jan Zwaginga, Jacques J. M. van Dongen, Magdalena A. Berkowska
Summary: This study used high-throughput multicolor flow cytometry to track changes in immune cells following pertussis booster vaccination, finding that while total IgG1 plasma cells peaked at day 7 post-vaccination, they did not correlate with the increase in antigen-specific Ig levels. Instead, a strong correlation was observed between antigen-specific IgGs and the expansion of total IgG1 and IgA1 memory B cells.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Indu Khatri, Annieck M. Diks, Erik B. van den Akker, Liesbeth E. M. Oosten, Jaap Jan Zwaginga, Marcel J. T. Reinders, Jacques J. M. van Dongen, Magdalena A. Berkowska
Summary: To mount a strong immune response against pathogens, stepwise mutation and selection processes are crucial functions of the adaptive immune system. By analyzing the single-cell transcriptome and B-cell receptor repertoire, we were able to track the maturation of plasmablasts/plasma cells and identify pathways associated with their maturation. Changes in the B-cell repertoire post-vaccination, including clone expansion and class-switching events, were observed, along with positive selection of CDR3 sequences over time. The development of a bioinformatic workflow allowed for a detailed description of key features of the immune response, such as activation of PB/PCs, Ig class switching, somatic hypermutation, and clonal expansion.
Article
Oncology
Andres Chang, Akil Akhtar, Susanne L. Linderman, Lilin Lai, Victor M. Orellana-Noia, Rajesh Valanparambil, Hasan Ahmed, Veronika Zarnitsyna, Ashley A. McCook-Veal, Jeffrey M. Switchenko, Jean L. Koff, Kristie A. Blum, Amy A. Ayers, Colin B. O'Leary, Michael C. Churnetski, Shahana Sulaiman, Melissa Kives, Preston Sheng, Carl W. Davis, Ajay K. Nooka, Rustom Antia, Madhav Dhodapkar, Mehul S. Suthar, Jonathon B. Cohen, Rafi Ahmed
Summary: Patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia have lower antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, particularly in those treated with anti-CD20 therapy or with low B-cell counts.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Rajesh M. Valanparambil, Jennifer Carlisle, Susanne L. L. Linderman, Akil Akthar, Ralph Linwood Millett, Lilin Lai, Andres A. Chang, Ashley A. A. McCook-Veal, Jeffrey Switchenko, Tahseen H. H. Nasti, Manpreet Saini, Andreas Wieland, Kelly E. E. Manning, Madison Ellis, Kathryn M. M. Moore, Stephanie L. L. Foster, Katharine Floyd, Meredith E. E. Davis-Gardner, Venkata-Viswanadh Edara, Mit Patel, Conor Steur, Ajay K. K. Nooka, Felicia Green, Margaret A. A. Johns, Fiona O'Brein, Uma Shanmugasundaram, Veronika I. I. Zarnitsyna, Hasan Ahmed, Lindsay E. E. Nyhoff, Grace Mantus, Michael Garett, Srilatha Edupuganti, Madhusmita Behra, Rustom Antia, Jens Wrammert, Mehul S. Suthar, Madhav V. V. Dhodapkar, Suresh Ramalingam, Rafi Ahmed
Summary: Most patients with non-small-cell lung cancer generated binding and neutralizing antibody titers comparable with healthy vaccinees after mRNA vaccination, but a subset of patients had poor responses. Booster vaccination led to a significant increase in antibody titers to the Omicron variant, but titers declined after 3 months.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xin Lei, Indu Khatri, Tom de Wit, Iris de Rink, Marja Nieuwland, Ron Kerkhoven, Hans van Eenennaam, Chong Sun, Abhishek D. Garg, Jannie Borst, Yanling Xiao
Summary: Despite their low abundance, cDC1s play a crucial role in anti-cancer immunity and are positively associated with patient survival. This study demonstrates that contact with activated CD4(+) T-cells enables cDC1s to induce a CTL response. The transcriptomic signature of helped cDC1s correlates with tumor infiltration by CTLs, Thelper(h)-1 cells, and overall survival.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Akil Akhtar, Madhu Lata, Sonali Sunsunwal, Amit Yadav, Kajal Lnu, Srikrishna Subramanian, T. N. C. Ramya
Summary: Uncultured microbes are a valuable source of novel genes and gene products. Functional metagenomics can be used to identify and annotate these novel gene products. In this study, a metagenomic phage display library was constructed and screened to identify previously unannotated carbohydrate binding domains. Several new carbohydrate binding domains were discovered, including a levan binding domain and four complex N-glycan binding domains.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Rajesh M. Valanparambil, Lilin Lai, Margaret A. Johns, Meredith Davis-Gardner, Susanne L. Linderman, Tarrant Oliver McPherson, Andres Chang, Akil Akhtar, Estefany L. Bocangel Gamarra, Hayley Matia, Ashley A. McCook-Veal, Jeffrey Switchenko, Tahseen H. Nasti, Felicia Green, Manpreet Saini, Andreas Wieland, Benjamin A. Pinsky, Daniel Solis, Madhav V. Dhodapkar, Jennifer Carlisle, Suresh Ramalingam, Rafi Ahmed, Mehul S. Suthar
Summary: This study shows that most patients with NSCLC had a significant increase in neutralizing antibody response to the Omicron variants after bivalent booster vaccination, although their durability was lower compared to healthy participants.
Article
Oncology
Andres Chang, Akil Akhtar, Lilin Lai, Victor M. Orellana-Noia, Susanne L. Linderman, Ashley A. McCook-Veal, Jeffrey M. Switchenko, Manpreet Saini, Rajesh M. Valanparambil, Kristie A. Blum, Pamela B. Allen, Mary Jo Lechowicz, Jason T. Romancik, Amy Ayers, Alyssa Leal, Colin B. O'Leary, Michael C. Churnetski, Katelin Baird, Melissa Kives, Jens Wrammert, Ajay K. Nooka, Jean L. Koff, Madhav V. Dhodapkar, Mehul S. Suthar, Jonathon B. Cohen, Rafi Ahmed
Summary: Patients with NHL/CLL exhibit inadequate antibody responses after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, particularly against Omicron variants. Vaccinating these patients with updated formulations is of great importance.
CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Andres Chang, Lilin Lai, Akil Akhtar, Susanne Linderman, Victor Orellana-Noia, Manpreet Saini, Rajesh Valanparambil, Kristie Blum, Pamela Allen, Mary Lechowicz, Jason Romancik, Amy Ayers, Colin O'Leary, Michael Churnetski, Melissa Kives, Ajay Nooka, Jean Koff, Madhav Dhodapkar, Mehul Suthar, Jonathon Cohen, Rafi Ahmed
CLINICAL LYMPHOMA MYELOMA & LEUKEMIA
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Julian Dekker, Jacques J. M. van Dongen, Marcel J. T. Reinders, Indu Khatri
Summary: The IMGT database provides an overview of the germline alleles for the TR loci, but lacks information on population specificity and allelic frequencies. In this study, the researchers meticulously identified complete germline alleles and their frequencies across 26 different human populations. They found a diverse profile of TR germline alleles in different populations, with the highest diversity in Africans and specific alleles in Asian populations. Interestingly, the alleles in the IMGT database are common across all super-populations. The newly created population-matched TR database represents a valuable resource for further research.
GENES AND IMMUNITY
(2022)
