Article
Microbiology
Kathrine Obrestad, Sigurd Einum, Olav Vadstein
Summary: Stochastic processes impact gut bacterial composition, which alters the reproductive rate of Daphnia magna.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Anna S. Weiss, Anna G. Burrichter, Abilash Chakravarthy Durai Raj, Alexandra von Strempel, Chen Meng, Karin Kleigrewe, Philipp C. Muench, Luis Roessler, Claudia Huber, Wolfgang Eisenreich, Lara M. Jochum, Stephanie Goeing, Kirsten Jung, Chiara Lincetto, Johannes Huebner, Georgios Marinos, Johannes Zimmermann, Christoph Kaleta, Alvaro Sanchez, Baerbel Stecher
Summary: This study focuses on the growth and metabolic interactions of the Oligo-Mouse-Microbiota (OMM12) synthetic bacterial community in gut microbiome research. By conducting experiments, it was found that the OMM12 interaction network is influenced by exploitative and interference competition, with Enterococcus faecalis KB1 identified as an important driver of community composition.
Article
Microbiology
Yuan Ge, Zhongwang Jing, Qingyun Diao, Ji-Zheng He, Yong-Jun Liu
Summary: The study found that honeybee gut bacterial communities differ significantly between different host species and geographical locations, with lower latitude individuals harboring higher diversity. The geographical variation of honeybee gut bacterial communities is mainly driven by undominated processes, such as stochastic drift, rather than variable selection or dispersal limitation.
Article
Ecology
Yueqing An, Mariana P. Braga, Sarahi L. Garcia, Magdalena Grudzinska-Sterno, Peter A. Hambaeck
Summary: Gut microbes play important roles for their hosts. The dynamic changes of the intestinal system may represent major driving forces and contribute to insect dietary diversification and speciation. The study suggests a phylogenetically controlled co-occurrence pattern between closely related Galerucella beetles and their gut bacteria, indicating potential co-evolutionary processes between hosts and their gut bacterial communities.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna S. Weiss, Lisa S. Niedermeier, Alexandra von Strempel, Anna G. Burrichter, Diana Ring, Chen Meng, Karin Kleigrewe, Chiara Lincetto, Johannes Huebner, Baerbel Stecher
Summary: By characterizing a synthetic gut bacterial community, the authors challenge the concept of universal keystone species in the gastrointestinal ecosystem, revealing a context dependency of keystone functions and bacterial interaction networks.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Rehab El-Shehawy, Sandra Luecke-Johansson, Anton Ribbenstedt, Elena Gorokhove
Summary: This study revealed a peripheral catecholamine pathway involving the gut microbiome of Daphnia magna, highlighting the role of L-Dopa in communication between the host and microbiome. The findings suggest a crucial role of L-Dopa in the bidirectional communication between the animal host and its gut bacteria, influencing ecologically important host traits.
Article
Ecology
Manon Coone, Isabel Vanoverberghe, Shira Houwenhuyse, Chris Verslype, Ellen Decaestecker
Summary: The depletion of oxygen due to increased stratification and decreased solubility is a significant chemical change in aquatic ecosystems under global environmental change, leading to increased exposure of aquatic organisms to hypoxic conditions. Understanding the effects of hypoxia on key ecological species and their microbial communities is crucial for predicting the response of aquatic communities to this environmental disturbance. In this study, the (sub-)lethal effects of hypoxia on Daphnia, a keystone species in freshwater ecosystems, were examined, along with the potential role of the microbial community in the phenotypic switch and tolerance to hypoxia. The results showed phenotypic plasticity in Daphnia performance traits, as well as changes in species richness and community composition of the microbial community, suggesting the importance of the microbiome in phenotypic plasticity and hypoxia tolerance in Daphnia.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Jitender Yadav, Nayanan Nathan, Dana J. Philpott
Summary: This study demonstrates that retinoic acid produced by symbiotic segmented filamentous bacteria in the intestine can enhance host intestinal epithelial defense and mediate early innate immune protection against Citrobacter rodentium infection.
CELL HOST & MICROBE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mengjing Wang, Wen-Xiong Wang
Summary: Microplastics have been found to be widely distributed in aquatic ecosystems and this study investigated their accumulation in the guts of zooplankton using aggregated-induced emission (AIE) technology. Both micro- and nano-sized plastic particles were readily ingested by Daphnia magna, with larger-sized and positively charged particles accumulating the most. The presence of algae inhibited the ingestion and depuration of microplastics. Furthermore, the accumulation of microplastics in D. magna led to acidification of gut pH, increased esterase activity, and induced gut inflammation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nicole S. Isles, Andre Mu, Jason C. Kwong, Benjamin P. Howden, Timothy P. Stinear
Summary: This review focuses on the compositional changes within the gut microbiome that are associated with colonization resistance and discusses their potential use as targets for therapeutics or diagnostics.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Francois-Etienne Sylvain, Nicolas Leroux, Eric Normandeau, Aleicia Holland, Sidki Bouslama, Pierre-Luc Mercier, Adalberto Luis Val, Nicolas Derome
Summary: Fish bacterial communities in the Amazonian region are influenced by both environmental-specific factors and host-specific factors. This study found that the taxonomic structure of gill bacterial communities varied significantly among different genetic clusters and water types. However, the contribution of the host's genetic background in shaping the abundance of different active gill bacteria species was relatively weak compared to environmental factors. The study highlights the importance of environmental conditions in shaping fish bacterial communities.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Young Hwan Lee, Min-Sub Kim, Yoseop Lee, Chuxin Wang, Seong Chan Yun, Jae-Seong Lee
Summary: This study investigated the effects of interactions between microfibers and freshwater acidification (MFA) on individual Daphnia magna-microbiota interactions. The results showed that MFA interactions can have negative consequences on reproduction, growth, and sex ratio of D. magna, and can induce changes in immunity-and reproduction-related biological processes. The study also revealed that these adverse effects are closely related to changes in microbial communities, suggesting a causal link between D. magna fitness and the microbial community.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bruno Campos, Benjamin Pina, Carlos Barata
Summary: This study evaluated the transcriptomic responses in Daphnia magna exposed to feeding-inhibiting compounds and compared them with responses to food restriction. The results showed significant differences in molecular responses between chemical feeding inhibitors and food limitation. Chemical feeding inhibitors caused specific toxic effects instead of mimicking the physiological response to low energy intake.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marion Urvoy, Michele Gourmelon, Joelle Serghine, Emilie Rabiller, Stephane L'Helguen, Claire Labry
Summary: This study investigated the bacterial community compositions and determinants within the Aulne estuary and the Bay of Brest coastal waters. The results revealed that the compositions of free-living and particle-attached communities varied greatly with salinity and season, and co-occurrence patterns played an important role in shaping the community compositions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Lore Bulteel, Shira Houwenhuyse, Steven A. J. Declerck, Ellen Decaestecker
Summary: The gut microbiome does not play a role in Daphnia tolerance upon parasite re-exposure, but affects parasite-specific responses. The host genotype influences parasite-induced host mortality and also structures the gut microbial community.
Article
Biology
Mark C. Urban, Justin M. J. Travis, Damaris Zurell, Patrick L. Thompson, Nicholas W. Synes, Alice Scarpa, Pedro R. Peres-Neto, Anne-Kathleen Malchow, Patrick M. A. James, Dominique Gravel, Luc De Meester, Calum Brown, Greta Bocedi, Cecile H. Albert, Andrew Gonzalez, Andrew P. Hendry
Summary: Time is running out to limit further devastating losses of biodiversity and nature's contributions to humans. Addressing this crisis requires accurate predictions about which species and ecosystems are most at risk to ensure efficient use of limited conservation and management resources. Existing biodiversity projection models have gaps that need to be addressed to create a universal biodiversity modeling platform.
Article
Ecology
Laura Melissa Guzman, Patrick L. Thompson, Duarte S. Viana, Bram Vanschoenwinkel, Zsofia Horvath, Robert Ptacnik, Alienor Jeliazkov, Stephanie Gascon, Pieter Lemmens, Maria Anton-Pardo, Silke Langenheder, Luc De Meester, Jonathan M. Chase
Summary: In metacommunity ecology, the role of critical assembly processes in community dynamics over time has been largely ignored. This study developed a virtual ecologist approach to evaluate assembly processes in metacommunities by simulating variations in density-independent responses to abiotic conditions, density-dependent biotic interactions, and dispersal. The findings showed that both spatial and temporal data are necessary to understand metacommunity processes, and including statistics measured through time significantly improves the explanatory power.
Article
Ecology
Fabio Toshiro T. Hanashiro, Luc De Meester, Matthias Vanhamel, Shinjini Mukherjee, Andros T. Gianuca, Laura Verbeek, Edwin van den Berg, Caroline Souffreau
Summary: This study evaluated the importance of deterministic and stochastic processes in shaping bacterioplankton community assembly and the impacts of phytoplankton and zooplankton on bacterioplankton through direct and indirect effects. The results showed that environmental variation is a key driver of bacterioplankton assembly, and indirect biotic interactions also play a significant role. Additionally, eutrophication led to differentiation in community structure and increased bacterial diversity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Abrehet Kahsay, Pieter Lemmens, Ludwig Triest, Luc De Meester, Mulugeta Kibret, Elie Verleyen, Enyew Adgo, Ayalew Wondie, Iris Stiers
Summary: This study explores the diversity patterns and community composition of plankton in different types of wetlands in the Lake Tana sub-basin, Ethiopia. It reveals that riverine papyrus swamps have higher local plankton richness, while lacustrine wetlands exhibit the highest ecological uniqueness for phytoplankton and riverine papyrus swamps for zooplankton. The findings emphasize the importance of protecting wetlands with high ecological uniqueness values for preserving the diverse plankton communities.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lizanne Janssens, Marlies Van de Maele, Vienna Delnat, Charlotte Theys, Shinjini Mukherjee, Luc De Meester, Robby Stoks
Summary: This translated passage discusses the detrimental effects of pesticide exposure on aquatic communities and the evolution of tolerance to pesticides. It suggests that shifts in the microbiota community composition towards pesticide-degrading bacteria in hosts can contribute to the development of tolerance to pesticides in water fleas.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Mathew A. Leibold, Lynn Govaert, Nicolas Loeuille, Luc De Meester, Mark C. Urban
Summary: The finding that adaptive evolution can often significantly impact ecological dynamics challenges traditional perspectives that ignore evolution in community ecology. This study proposes that evolution frequently alters both local and regional processes of community assembly, showing how adaptation can greatly affect community composition and that this is influenced by regional factors such as environmental heterogeneity and spatial structure.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Raffaella Tavelli, Martijn Callens, Charlotte Grootaert, Mohamed F. Abdallah, Andreja Rajkovic
Summary: This article reviews the current state of research on the potential role of microplastics (MPs) in enhancing harmful bacterial traits and transporting them to humans. The findings highlight the need for further studies to determine the extent of their effect on human health.
TRENDS IN FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Elena Piano, Dries Bonte, Luc De Meester, Frederik Hendrickx
Summary: Changes in species richness are influenced by changes in species abundance distribution, individual density, and spatial aggregation. The effects of human disturbance on these diversity components at different spatial scales and their interactions with species traits, such as dispersal capacity, are poorly understood.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Karen Portilla, Elizabeth Velarde, Ellen Decaestecker, Franco Teixeira de Mello, Koenraad Muylaert
Summary: Submerged macrophytes promote water clarity in high-altitude Andean shallow lakes by reducing the cyanobacteria bloom and increasing zooplankton grazing. In a series of experiments in Yahuarcocha Lake, it was found that the presence of Egeria densa resulted in a strong reduction in cyanobacteria, while the small-sized fish Poecilia reticulata promoted cyanobacteria dominance. The combination of E. densa, fish, and zooplankton substantially reduced the algae, indicating the important role of submerged plants in improving water quality in high-elevation eutrophic ecosystems.
Article
Ecology
Manon Coone, Isabel Vanoverberghe, Shira Houwenhuyse, Chris Verslype, Ellen Decaestecker
Summary: The depletion of oxygen due to increased stratification and decreased solubility is a significant chemical change in aquatic ecosystems under global environmental change, leading to increased exposure of aquatic organisms to hypoxic conditions. Understanding the effects of hypoxia on key ecological species and their microbial communities is crucial for predicting the response of aquatic communities to this environmental disturbance. In this study, the (sub-)lethal effects of hypoxia on Daphnia, a keystone species in freshwater ecosystems, were examined, along with the potential role of the microbial community in the phenotypic switch and tolerance to hypoxia. The results showed phenotypic plasticity in Daphnia performance traits, as well as changes in species richness and community composition of the microbial community, suggesting the importance of the microbiome in phenotypic plasticity and hypoxia tolerance in Daphnia.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Joel White, Katherine R. Amato, Ellen Decaestecker, Valerie J. McKenzie
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Martijn Callens, Caroline J. Rose, Michael Finnegan, Francois Gatchitch, Lena Simon, Jeanne Hamet, Lea Pradier, Marie-Pierre Dubois, Stephanie Bedhomme
Summary: The emergence of hypermutators is influenced by parameters such as maladaptation, stress intensity, and genetic architecture for adaptation. This study found that the number of hypermutators increased under osmotic stress but not under antibiotic stress in Escherichia coli, indicating a correlation between the size of the genetic basis for adaptation and hypermutator emergence. Other parameters related to stress type were also identified that may contribute to increased hypermutator provision and selection. These results highlight the complex interactions of stress-related factors on mutation rate evolution.
Article
Ecology
Manon Coone, Karen Bisschop, Chris Verslype, Ellen Decaestecker
Summary: The interplay between the host and its associated microbiota plays a key role in the host's ability to tolerate hypoxic conditions. A gut transplant experiment with Daphnia magna revealed that individuals with a microbiome pre-exposed to hypoxia had a higher survival probability in hypoxic environments.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)