Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kelly A. Speer
Summary: Parasitic and parasitoid organisms rely on chemical cues to locate a host. Recent research suggests that the microbiome can emit volatile organic compounds that attract or repel parasites. This innovative mechanism changes our understanding of host-parasite coevolution and highlights the role of the microbiome as a third actor in this interaction.
Article
Microbiology
Yaqiu Liu, Xinhui Li, Yuefei Li, Jie Li, Shuli Zhu
Summary: 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. This study evaluated the gut microbiome of eight omnivorous fish from a single family (Cyprinidae), finding that fish with similar relative gut lengths had similar gut microbiomes. The study also identified correlations between the gut microbiome, host phylogeny, diet composition, and intestinal morphological traits related to digestion.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Aurea Simon-Soro, Dongyeop Kim, Yong Li, Yuan Liu, Tatsuro Ito, Kenneth R. Sims, Danielle S. W. Benoit, Kyle Bittinger, Hyun Koo
Summary: Drug repurposing is a feasible strategy for novel therapeutic applications, but its potential for oral treatments and impact on host microbiota are still under-explored. In this study, oral applications of a repurposed FDA-approved drug, thonzonium bromide, in a rat model resulted in reductions in dental caries without cytotoxic effects on host tissues.
NPJ BIOFILMS AND MICROBIOMES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Despoina Eugenia Kiousi, Nikos Chorianopoulos, Chrysoula C. Tassou, Alex Galanis
Summary: Food fermentation has improved the safety and organoleptic characteristics of raw materials, and the potential health benefits of these products have attracted scientific attention. However, only a few products have been authorized as 'functional foods' due to data inconsistency and lack of in-depth preclinical characterization. Omics platforms and bioinformatic algorithms offer comprehensive data analysis of microbe-microbe, microbe-matrix, and microbe-host interactions, providing insights for maximizing their beneficial effects. Integrating these platforms into food science remains a challenge, but coordinated efforts and interdisciplinary collaboration can drive the field towards a new era.
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Shuchang Tian, Jordan E. Bisanz
Summary: The challenge in studying the microbiome lies in understanding the interactions among microbes on ecologically relevant scales. Recent research by Afrizal et al. and Cheng et al. addresses this issue by generating and characterizing complex synthetic communities derived from lab-grown microbes.
CELL HOST & MICROBE
(2022)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Abigail L. Lind, Katherine S. Pollard
Summary: Animal microbiomes contain a wealth of previously unknown bacteria and genes.
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Agustina Taglialegna
Summary: In their study, Fackelmann et al. demonstrate the negative impact of microplastics on the gastrointestinal microbiome of two seabird species.
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joanna S. Griffiths, Yasmeen Kawji, Morgan W. Kelly
Summary: The study focuses on the potential of adaptive introgression to increase heat tolerance in copepods by hybridizing two populations with divergent heat tolerance limits. After subjecting hybrids to heat selection and whole-genome resequencing, it was found that heat tolerance improvement was polygenic and involved highly conserved genes between populations. The HER approach provides a unique solution to identify genetic variants contributing to polygenic traits that may be missed through other genomic approaches.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kasun H. Bodawatta, Sarah M. Hird, Kirsten Grond, Michael Poulsen, Knud A. Jonsson
Summary: Research on the gut microbiomes of birds is crucial for understanding their ecological functions and evolution, as well as for avian conservation and host health monitoring.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Gloria Fackelmann, Mark A. F. Gillingham, Julian Schmid, Alexander Christoph Heni, Kerstin Wilhelm, Nina Schwensow, Simone Sommer
Summary: In this study, it was found that habitat fragmentation alone did not affect the gut microbiome of wildlife, but the microbiomes of individuals living in fragmented forests affected by anthropogenic disturbances showed a shift in community composition and structure, with a higher likelihood of containing microbiota associated with domesticated animals and their pathogens.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Alyssa A. Carrell, Travis J. Lawrence, Kristine Grace M. Cabugao, Dana L. Carper, Dale A. Pelletier, Jun Hyung Lee, Sara S. Jawdy, Jane Grimwood, Jeremy Schmutz, Paul J. Hanson, A. Jonathan Shaw, David J. Weston
Summary: This study found that microbiomes originating from warming conditions can enhance thermotolerance and growth recovery in Sphagnum mosses. Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses revealed that warming altered the microbial community structure, inducing a heat shock response in the plants.
Review
Microbiology
Sabina Leanti La Rosa, Matthew P. Ostrowski, Arturo Vera-Ponce de Leon, Lauren S. McKee, Johan Larsbrink, Vincent G. Eijsink, Elisabeth C. Lowe, Eric C. Martens, Phillip B. Pope
Summary: This review summarizes recent insights into nutrient processing in microbiomes across different gastrointestinal ecosystems and discusses the implications for microbiome reprogramming to improve host health.
CURRENT OPINION IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Kira E. Turnham, Matthew D. Aschaffenburg, D. Tye Pettay, David A. Paz-Garcia, Hector Reyes-Bonilla, Jorge Pinzon, Ellie Timmins, Robin T. Smith, Michael P. McGinley, Mark E. Warner, Todd C. LaJeunesse
Summary: The flexibility of associating with multiple symbionts expands a host's niche breadth. Coral animals and dinoflagellate micro-algae have a widespread mutualistic relationship that greatly affects a coral's ability to cope with extreme conditions. The study of Pocillopora grandis, a dominant coral species in the Eastern Pacific, shows significant functional differences between host-symbiont combinations when exposed to increased temperatures. The findings suggest that co-evolved thermally tolerant host-symbiont combinations are likely to dominate future reef ecosystems.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bianca R. P. Brown, Jacob R. Goheen, Seth D. Newsome, Robert M. Pringle, Todd M. Palmer, Leo M. Khasoha, Tyler R. Kartzinel
Summary: Analysing the gut microbiomes of 14 sympatric small mammal species in an African savanna, it was found that the differences in gut microbiomes were correlated with the phylogenetic relatedness of the hosts, with stronger patterns observed at deeper levels of the phylogeny. Additionally, the gut microbiome diversity and composition were also correlated with the body size, dietary breadth, and dietary overlap of the hosts.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Connor Sharp, Kevin R. Foster
Summary: Humans and many other species carry a large set of beneficial microbes, and the vital relationships with these microbes only work when hosts can control their microbiome and suppress wayward symbionts. Cooperation evolution is not only driven by mutual benefits, but also relies on host control and constraints limiting symbiont counter evolution.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Chunxia Jiang, Haiyang Chen, Hans-Peter Grossart, Quanfa Zhang, Robby Stoks, Yi Zhao, Feng Ju, Wenzhi Liu, Yuyi Yang
Summary: This study characterized the types and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in different habitats of riverine ecosystems in eastern China using a metagenomic approach. The results showed high variations in ARG diversity and abundance across different habitats, as well as significant differences in ARG occurrence between the southern and northern regions. Bacterial communities and mobile genetic elements were identified as important factors influencing the resistome of riverine ecosystems, and the presence of building land was positively correlated with ARG abundance.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mengjie Chang, Mingyang Li, Wencheng Xu, Xin Li, Jian Liu, Robby Stoks, Chao Zhang
Summary: This study found that temperature fluctuations and multigenerational exposure have significant impacts on the ecological risk assessment of microplastics. Microplastics had no effects on Daphnia under standard temperature conditions, but increased fecundity, heat tolerance, energy storage, cytochrome P450 activity, and decreased energy consumption under increased mean temperature or temperature fluctuations, indicating a hormesis effect. The study highlights the importance of considering temperature fluctuations and multigenerational exposure to improve the ecological risk assessment of microplastics under global warming.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Ying-Jie Wang, Nedim Tuezuen, Luc De Meester, Heidrun Feuchtmayr, Arnaud Sentis, Robby Stoks
Summary: Species can adapt to warming through rapid evolution and plastic responses. In this study, we investigated the rapid evolution of thermal performance curves (TPCs) for multiple traits in the water flea Daphnia magna through a 2-year experimental evolution trial. The results showed that heat-selected Daphnia exhibited evolutionary shifts in TPCs for survival, fecundity, and population growth rate towards higher optimum temperatures, indicating a better ability to maintain fitness at high temperatures. However, there was no evolution observed in TPCs for somatic growth, mass, and development rate, as well as energy gain and cost-related traits.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Charlotte Theys, Julie Verheyen, Vienna Delnat, Lizanne Janssens, Nedim Tuzun, Robby Stoks
Summary: Integrating life-history, physiological, and behavioral traits into the pace-of-life helps understand trait variation in nature. This study provides evidence for the contribution of the gut microbiome to the latitudinal differentiation in both the pace-of-life and heat adaptation in damselfly larvae populations. The gut microbiome composition showed an adaptive latitude-specific shift under heat wave exposure.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
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
Environmental Sciences
Julie Verheyen, Kiani Cuypers, Robby Stoks
Summary: Ecotoxicological studies have made significant progress in assessing the toxicity of pollutants at different temperatures, but they often overlook the interaction patterns between pollutants and temperature. Through laboratory experiments, this study found that the impact of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on Ischnura elegans damselfly larvae varied across different mean temperatures and daily temperature fluctuations. The physiological traits of the larvae were negatively affected by chlorpyrifos at high or extreme high temperatures, with the impact being stronger at lower mean temperatures when daily temperature fluctuations were present. Overall, it highlights the importance of evaluating pesticide toxicity along a temperature gradient and taking a mechanistic approach to understand the combined effects of pollutants and temperature in natural populations.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sarah Jorissen, Lizanne Janssens, Julie Verheyen, Robby Stoks
Summary: In order to improve the ecological risk assessment of aquatic pollutants, it is important to study their effects not only on aquatic larvae, but also on terrestrial adults with a complex life cycle. Through our research on damselflies, we found that exposure to the pesticide DNP and limited food availability had negative effects on the life history, behavior, and physiology of both larvae and adults. The negative effects of DNP were magnified by food limitation, particularly in terms of survival-related traits in the non-exposed adults.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Julie Verheyen, Robby Stoks
Summary: Ecotoxicological studies have traditionally neglected the effects of temperature fluctuations on the toxicity of pollutants. This study investigated the combined effects of pesticide exposure and daily temperature fluctuations on the thermal performance curves of damselfly larvae. The findings suggest that temperature fluctuations can exacerbate the toxic effects of pesticides on survival.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Philippe Lambret, Martin Jeanmougin, Robby Stoks
Summary: Freshwater insects, specifically the Lestes macrostigma damselfly, have declined significantly in recent decades. Understanding its larval ecological requirements is essential for conservation management and habitat restoration.
JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Charlotte Theys, Julie Verheyen, Lizanne Janssens, Nedim Tuezuen, Robby Stoks
Summary: This study investigated the effects of dual stressors on damselfly larvae, focusing on their life history, physiology, and gut microbiome composition. The results showed that both heat waves and pesticides had negative impacts on the larvae's growth and gut microbiome, with different effects observed in two species of damselflies.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
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
Gemma Palomar, Guillaume Wos, Robby Stoks, Szymon Sniegula
Summary: Many species are adapting to cities at different latitudes, with eco-evolutionary changes in response to temperature and invasive species. In this study, damselfly populations were studied to understand how they respond to increased temperatures and an invasive predator, with differences observed between central and high latitudes. Urbanization type and temperature had an impact on damselfly traits, but these effects were dependent on latitude and sex. Our findings highlight the context-dependency of responses to urbanization and caution against generalizing findings from a single latitude population.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2023)
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)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Janne Swaegers, Simon De Cupere, Noah Gaens, Lesley T. Lancaster, Jose A. Carbonell, Rosa A. Sanchez Guillen, Robby Stoks
Summary: Due to global change, many species are experiencing new thermal conditions at the moving range edges. Plasticity and epigenetic mechanisms play a role in helping species adapt to these new environments. The damselfly Ischnura elegans exhibited plastic thermal responses in the new edge populations and constitutively evolved higher heat tolerance in the old edge populations, with the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms.