Article
Microbiology
Zihan Zhang, Chao Xue, Mengyao Ju, Jiawei Guo, Minghui Wang, Sijie Yi, Xianfeng Yi
Summary: The study suggests that maternal gut dysbiosis may contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders and behavioral defects in offspring, with maternal antibiotic treatment leading to significant changes in offspring gut microbiota and social interactions. This highlights the potential role of maternal gut microbiota as a mediator between offspring microbiota and behaviors in animal models.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sarah A. Reed, Jeremy Balsbaugh, Xiaomeng Li, Timothy E. Moore, Amanda K. Jones, Sambhu M. Pillai, Maria L. Hoffman, Kristen E. Govoni, Steven A. Zinn
Summary: Over- or restricted-nutrition during gestation alters the proteome of the longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) in offspring, affecting protein synthesis and degradation, stress responses, metabolism, and oxidative stress. These protein changes may contribute to the poor growth and development observed in the offspring.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Allergy
Yuan Gao, Ralph Nanan, Laurence Macia, Jian Tan, Luba Sominsky, Thomas P. Quinn, Martin O'Hely, Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Mimi L. K. Tang, Fiona Collier, Deborah H. Strickland, Poshmaal Dhar, Susanne Brix, Simon Phipps, Peter D. Sly, Sarath Ranganathan, Jakob Stokholm, Karsten Kristiansen, Lawrence E. K. Gray, Peter Vuillermin
Summary: Environmental exposures during pregnancy can impact maternal gut microbiome and the risk of allergic disease and asthma in infants. Various mechanisms may be involved, leading to accelerated immune phenotype transition at birth, reducing the risk of allergic disease and asthma.
JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Yuan Gao, Martin O'Hely, Thomas P. Quinn, Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Leonard C. Harrison, Hanne Frokiaer, Mimi L. K. Tang, Susanne Brix, Karsten Kristiansen, Dave Burgner, Richard Saffery, Sarath Ranganathan, Fiona Collier, Peter Vuillermin
Summary: This study found that the maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy is associated with the composition of the infant's immune cells after birth. The birth cohort study identified clusters of gut microbiota that are correlated with immune cell populations in the offspring.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Xu Liu, Guolin He, Yue Lan, Weijie Guo, Xuyuan Liu, Jing Li, Anqing Liu, Miao He, Xinhui Liu, Zhenxin Fan, Yaoyao Zhang
Summary: Studies show that the fetal gut is not sterile and contains a low abundance but metabolically rich microbiome, with Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria as the dominant phyla. The presence of microbes in the fetal gut provides support for the study of early fetal immunity. This study also explores the specific composition of viruses in the fetal gut and the similarities between fetal and adults' gut microbiota, which is valuable for understanding human fetal immunity development during gestation.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Ruyue Cheng, Jiawen Guo, Yujie Zhang, Guo Cheng, Wei Qian, ChaoMin Wan, Ming Li, Francesco Marotta, Xi Shen, Fang He
Summary: This study found that ceftriaxone exposure during pregnancy significantly altered the maternal gut microbiota, leading to decreased immunity in mothers. However, the placenta microbiota was mainly dominated by Proteobacteria, especially Ralstonia, regardless of ceftriaxone treatment.
EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Yang Liu, Qiyue Ding, Steven J. Halderson, Sebastian I. Arriola Apelo, Amanda K. Jones, Sambhu M. Pillai, Maria L. Hoffman, Sarah Reed, Kristen E. Govoni, Steven A. Zinn, Wei Guo
Summary: Overfeeding during gestation can have long-lasting effects on offspring autophagy signaling, especially in later developmental stages and female offspring. Targeting autophagy pathways may be a strategy to mitigate the adverse effects in offspring of over-fed ewes.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Min Tian, Qihui Li, Tenghui Zheng, Siwang Yang, Fang Chen, Wutai Guan, Shihai Zhang
Summary: The maternal microbiome plays a crucial role in the healthy growth and development of offspring and has long-lasting effects. Recent studies have shown that it starts regulating fetal health and development during pregnancy and continues to influence early microbial colonization through birth and breastfeeding. There is compelling evidence that it is involved in immune and brain development and affects the risk of related diseases. Modulating offspring development through maternal diet and probiotic intervention during pregnancy and breastfeeding could be a promising future therapy.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Abdullah M. Madany, Heather K. Hughes, Paul Ashwood
Summary: This study investigated the effect of antibiotics administered to pregnant dams on offspring gut microbiome composition and metabolic capabilities, and how these changes in the microbiota may influence their immune responses in both the periphery and the brain. The results show that the antibiotic cocktail significantly altered the diversity and taxonomy of the offspring's gut microbiota. Additionally, the predicted metabolic pathways were also significantly changed. In response to LPS immune challenge, the brains of the offspring showed decreased levels of innate inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. These findings suggest that maternal antibiotic use can have long-lasting effects on the gut microbiome and neuroimmune responses of offspring.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Abdullah M. Madany, Heather K. Hughes, Paul Ashwood
Summary: The study demonstrates that maternal antibiotic administration alters the diversity, composition, and metabolic pathways of offspring's gut microbiota, which undergoes continuous transformation in early age after weaning.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Siyuan Lv, Rui Qin, Yangqian Jiang, Hong Lv, Qun Lu, Shiyao Tao, Lei Huang, Cong Liu, Xin Xu, Qingru Wang, Mei Li, Zhi Li, Ye Ding, Ci Song, Tao Jiang, Hongxia Ma, Guangfu Jin, Yankai Xia, Zhixu Wang, Shanshan Geng, Jiangbo Du, Yuan Lin, Zhibin Hu
Summary: This study investigated the associations between maternal dietary patterns during different gestational periods and infant's neurodevelopment at 1 year of age. The results showed that adherence to the 'Aquatic products, Fresh vegetables and Homonemeae' dietary pattern in the second trimester and the 'Aquatic products and Homonemeae' pattern in the third trimester was associated with decreased risk of developmental delays in cognitive, gross motor, and receptive communication skills in infants.
Article
Microbiology
Donald D. Nyangahu, Courtney R. Plumlee, Bryan P. Brown, Colin Feng, Enock Havyarimana, Sara B. Cohen, Kevin B. Urdahl, Heather B. Jaspan
Summary: The use of polymyxin B during pregnancy affects the composition of the infant gut microbiota, but not the response of vaccine-specific CD4 T cells. However, offspring born to mothers with altered gut microbiota are more susceptible to infection when infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Jeffrey D. Galley, Lauren Mashburn-Warren, Lexie C. Blalock, Christian L. Lauber, Judith E. Carroll, Kharah M. Ross, Calvin Hobel, Mary Coussons-Read, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Tamar L. Gur
Summary: Uncovering the mechanisms of fetal programming during pregnancy is crucial for understanding long-term health outcomes in offspring. Maternal factors such as inflammation, stress, anxiety, and depression have been linked to abnormal neurodevelopment and can potentially disrupt the microbiome, which is important for normal brain development. This study examined the association between maternal stress, anxiety, depression, inflammatory cytokines, and the offspring microbiome in the first 13 months of life. The results showed that higher maternal anxiety and stress were associated with reduced microbial diversity and altered abundance of beneficial bacterial species in the offspring. This provides strong evidence for a potential mechanism by which maternal factors can impact offspring health through dysregulation of the microbiota.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Jiamao Yan, Li Kong, Xiaoyuan Zhang, Mubin Yu, Kexin Zhu, Aihong Zhao, Dachuan Shi, Yonghong Sun, Junjie Wang, Wei Shen, Lan Li
Summary: This study found that maternal exposure to ZEN can impact ovarian development and gut microbiota in offspring, leading to reproductive disorders. These findings provide new insights for therapeutic strategies to address reproductive disorders caused by ZEN exposure.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jasenka Zubcevic, Jacqueline Watkins, Cindy Lin, Byrell Bautista, Heather M. Hatch, Sergei G. Tevosian, Linda F. Hayward
Summary: Smoking during pregnancy is strongly associated with adverse outcomes, and the effects of nicotine intake apart from smoking are less explored. This study reveals that changes in the maternal gut microbiome mediate the effects of prenatal nicotine exposure, influencing gene expression and altering fetal exposure to short-chain fatty acids and leptin during in utero development.
Correction
Microbiology
Imane Allali, Regina E. Abotsi, Lemese Ah. Tow, Lehana Thabane, Heather J. Zar, Nicola M. Mulder, Mark P. Nicol
Article
Immunology
Luke B. Roberts, Rita Berkachy, Madina Wane, Dhiren F. Patel, Corinna Schnoeller, Graham M. Lord, Kleoniki Gounaris, Bernhard Ryffel, Valerie Quesniaux, Matthew Darby, William G. C. Horsnell, Murray E. Selkirk
Summary: Acetylcholine plays an important role in regulating immune responses and is associated with the development of various diseases. This study demonstrates that Acetylcholine derived from group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) limits excessive pulmonary neutrophilic inflammation and enhances eosinophilia. However, depletion of Acetylcholine inhibits ILC2 activation and suppresses eosinophilic inflammation. Acetylcholine also regulates macrophage phenotype in allergic airway inflammation.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Kendra Hodgkinson, Faiha El Abbar, Peter Dobranowski, Juliana Manoogian, James Butcher, Daniel Figeys, David Mack, Alain Stintzi
Summary: Butyrate, produced by gut microbiota through fermentation of dietary fiber, serves as a key energy source for colonocytes. It has important roles in gastrointestinal health, impacting both host and microbial functions. Maintaining optimal butyrate levels improves gastrointestinal health by supporting colonocyte function, decreasing inflammation, maintaining the gut barrier, and promoting a healthy microbiome. However, increasing butyrate levels in humans and reversing negative outcomes have yielded mixed results, despite its protective actions in intestinal diseases.
CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Brunette Katsandegwaza, William Horsnell, Katherine Smith
Summary: This article reviews the current murine models used for studying human inflammatory bowel disease, including chemical-induced models, gene-deficient models, and cell transfer models. The application and limitations of these models in understanding the disease pathogenesis and developing new clinical treatment strategies are discussed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Stephanie O. M. Dyke, Kathleen Connor, Victoria Nembaware, Nchangwi S. Munung, Kathy Reinold, Giselle Kerry, Mamana Mbiyavanga, Lyndon Zass, Mauricio Moldes, Samir Das, John M. Davis, Jordi Rambla De Argila, J. Dylan Spalding, Alan C. Evans, Nicola Mulder, Jason Karamchandani
Summary: We previously proposed a structure called Consent Codes to record categories and requirements for consent-based data use. In this article, we discuss updates to the Consent Codes (v4) based on new applications, policy developments, and practical considerations, including automated consent management approaches.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bryan P. Brown, Colin Feng, Ramla F. Tanko, Shameem Z. Jaumdally, Rubina Bunjun, Smritee Dabee, Anna-Ursula Happel, Melanie Gasper, Donald D. Nyangahu, Maricianah Onono, Gonasagrie Nair, Thesla Palanee-Phillips, Caitlin W. Scoville, Kate Heller, Jared M. Baeten, Steven E. Bosinger, Adam Burgener, Jo-Ann S. Passmore, Renee Heffron, Heather B. Jaspan
Summary: In this randomized trial, the authors compared the effects of a copper intrauterine device (Cu-IUD) and other contraceptive options on the vaginal environment after one and six months of use. They found that Cu-IUD use led to changes in vaginal microbiota that could potentially affect sexual and reproductive health. The study highlights the importance of understanding the impact of different contraceptive methods on vaginal bacteria and inflammation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francis E. Agamah, Jumamurat R. Bayjanov, Anna Niehues, Kelechi F. Njoku, Michelle Skelton, Gaston K. Mazandu, Thomas H. A. Ederveen, Nicola Mulder, Emile R. Chimusa, Peter A. C. 't Hoen
Summary: Advances in omics technologies have enabled the holistic study of biological systems. Network-based integrative approaches have revolutionized multi-omics analysis by capturing interactions between different layers of omics data. These approaches can identify biomarkers, disease subtypes, crosstalk, causality, and molecular drivers, providing insights into the understanding and treatment of diseases like COVID-19. However, challenges remain in terms of reproducibility, heterogeneity, and interpretability of results in multi-omics network-based analysis.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Tafadzwa Machipisa, Chishala Chishala, Gasnat Shaboodien, Liesl J. Zuhlke, Babu Muhamed, Shahiemah Pandie, Jantina de Vries, Nakita Laing, Alexia Joachim, Rezeen Daniels, Mpiko Ntsekhe, Christopher T. Hugo-Hamman, Bernard Gitura, Stephen Ogendo, Peter Lwabi, Emmy Okello, Albertino Damasceno, Celia Novela, Ana O. Mocumbi, Geoffrey Madeira, John Musuku, Agnes Mtaja, Ahmed ElSayed, Huda H. M. Alhassan, Fidelia Bode-Thomas, Christopher Yilgwan, Ganiyu Amusa, Esin Nkereuwem, Nicola Mulder, Raj Ramesar, Maia Lesosky, Heather J. Cordell, Michael Chong, Bernard Keavney, Guillaume Pare, Mark E. Engel
Summary: The RHDGen Network aims to discover and validate genetic variations and biomarkers associated with the risk of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in continental Africans. The study provides an opportunity to identify relevant genetic factors and biomarkers for RHD in Africans and further understand the causes and mechanisms of RHD susceptibility and development.
CIRCULATION-GENOMIC AND PRECISION MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Virology
Anna-Ursula Happel, Christina Balle, Enock Havyarimana, Bryan Brown, Brandon S. Maust, Colin Feng, Byung H. Yi, Katherine Gill, Linda-Gail Bekker, Jo-Ann S. Passmore, Heather B. Jaspan, Arvind Varsani
Summary: The study assessed the interaction between cervicovaginal virome, bacteriome and genital inflammation. It found various DNA viruses in the vaginal virome, including human papillomavirus (HPV), with HPV-35 being the most prevalent high-risk genotype. The presence of certain bacterial taxa correlated with HPV infection, while bacterial vaginosis was associated with increased genital inflammation. This study provides a foundation for future research on the vaginal virome and its impact on women's health.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Leyuan Li, Tong Wang, Zhibin Ning, Xu Zhang, James Butcher, Joeselle M. M. Serrana, Caitlin M. A. Simopoulos, Janice Mayne, Alain Stintzi, David R. R. Mack, Yang-Yu Liu, Daniel Figeys
Summary: Functional redundancy is a crucial ecosystem property in which different species contribute to the ecosystem in similar ways through redundant functions. This study quantifies the proteome-level functional redundancy (FRp) in the human gut microbiome using metaproteomics. The research reveals high proteome-level functional redundancy and nestedness in the human gut proteomic content networks. The findings show that proteomic content networks' nested topology and small functional distances between taxa contribute to high FRp. FRp outperforms diversity indices in detecting significant microbiome responses to various environmental factors.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jean Juste Harrisson Bashingwa, Diwakar Mohan, Sara Chamberlain, Kerry Scott, Osama Ummer, Anna Godfrey, Nicola Mulder, Deshendran Moodley, Amnesty Elizabeth LeFevre
Summary: A proof of concept approach using machine learning was used to segment populations of pregnant women and their husbands into distinct clusters for differential digital health program design and delivery. The findings suggest that segmenting populations into clusters can improve the reach and impact of health programs.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Matthys J. Potgieter, Andrew J. M. M. Nel, Suereta Fortuin, Shaun Garnett, Jerome Wendoh, David Tabb, Nicola Mulder, Jonathan Blackburn
Summary: MetaNovo is an open-source software pipeline that integrates existing tools with a custom algorithm to produce targeted protein sequence databases for mass spectrometry metaproteomic analysis as an intermediate filtering step prior to standard sequence database search approaches. The software uses open-source tools to match peptide mass spectrometry spectra to sequence database entries and can be installed in a cluster or run standalone on a Linux machine. It is relevant for analyzing protein data from multiple organisms, where the exact species composition is unknown, and provides an avenue for analysis when accurate taxonomic characterization is not available.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Esra Busra Isik, Michelle D. Brazas, Russell Schwartz, Bruno Gaeta, Patricia M. Palagi, Celia W. G. van Gelder, Prashanth Suravajhala, Harpreet Singh, Sarah L. Morgan, Hilyatuz Zahroh, Maurice Ling, Venkata P. Satagopam, Annette McGrath, Kenta Nakai, Tin Wee Tan, Ge Gao, Nicola Mulder, Christian Schonbach, Yun Zheng, Javier De Las Rivas, Asif M. Khan
Summary: Given the growing demand for bioinformatics expertise in the life sciences, a collective effort is required to proactively evaluate and address the challenges of educating and training life scientists with the requisite skills and competencies.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yosr Hamdi, Nicola Mulder, Sonia Abdelhak
Summary: A career in systems science offers both opportunities and challenges globally. Gender equality and diversity are important factors. Omics science is well positioned to address gender equality issues in science and society. Voices of women in systems science from resource-limited countries are often unheard, and this article aims to bridge that gap. Emerging fields like digital transformation, Industry 4.0, and cyber-physical systems require gender parity and equity. Women scientists in Africa face challenges. There is a need for global efforts to promote diversity and gender equity in STEM.
OMICS-A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Mathematical & Computational Biology
Gaston K. Mazandu, Jade Hotchkiss, Victoria Nembaware, Ambroise Wonkam, Nicola Mulder
Summary: The Sickle Cell Disease Ontology (SCDO) is a knowledge base that provides information on terminology and concepts related to sickle cell disease. It aims to support researchers, patients, and clinicians by continuously updating and improving its resources.
DATABASE-THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL DATABASES AND CURATION
(2022)
