gut microbiota
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyDeep Sequencing Uncovers Caste-Associated Diversity of Symbionts in the Social Ant Camponotus japonicusSocial animals, such as primates and some insects, have been shown to exchange symbiotic microbes among individuals through sharing diet or habitats, resulting in increased consistency of microbiota among social partners. The ant is a representative of social insects exhibiting various castes within a colony; queens, males, and nonreproductive females (so-called workers) show distinct morphologies, physiologies, and behaviors but...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyModulation of the Gut Microbiota during High-Dose Glycerol Monolaurate-Mediated Amelioration of Obesity in Mice Fed a High-Fat DietObesity and associated metabolic disorders are worldwide public health issues. The gut microbiota plays a key role in the pathophysiology of diet-induced obesity. Glycerol monolaurate (GML) is a widely consumed food emulsifier with antibacterial properties. Here, we explore the anti-obesity effect of GML (1,600 mg/kg of body weight) in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. HFD-fed mice were treated with 1,600 mg/kg GML. Integrated microbiome,...
Perspective | Applied and Environmental ScienceNew View on Dietary Fiber Selection for Predictable Shifts in Gut MicrobiotaDietary fibers can be utilized to shape the human gut microbiota. However, the outcomes from most dietary fibers currently used as prebiotics are a result of competition between microbes with overlapping abilities to utilize these fibers. Thus, divergent fiber responses are observed across individuals harboring distinct microbial communities. Here, we propose that dietary fibers can be classified hierarchically according to their...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyGenetic and Biochemical Analysis of Anaerobic Respiration in Bacteroides fragilis and Its Importance In VivoBacteroides species are abundant in the human intestine and provide numerous beneficial properties to their hosts. The ability of Bacteroides species to convert host and dietary glycans and polysaccharides to energy is paramount to their success in the human gut. We know a great deal about the molecules that these bacteria extract from the human gut but much less about how they convert those molecules into energy. Here...
Letter to the Editor | Host-Microbe BiologyA Complex Scenario of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs Induced Prostaglandin E2 Production and Gut Microbiota Alteration in Clostridium difficile-Infected Mice
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Microbiota Promotes Arterial Thrombosis in Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Deficient MiceOur results demonstrate a functional role for the commensal microbiota in atherothrombosis. In a ferric chloride injury model of the carotid artery, GF C57BL/6J mice had increased occlusion times compared to colonized controls. Interestingly, in late atherosclerosis, HFD-fed GF Ldlr−/− mice had reduced plaque rupture-induced thrombus growth in the carotid artery and diminished ex vivo thrombus formation...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologyLive and Diet by Your Gut MicrobiotaDiet influences health in multiple ways. One important effect of diet is on the gut microbiota. The effects of diet are often related to an individual’s specific microbiota composition. The close links between health, diet, and gut microbiota are illustrated in a new mouse model of sepsis where the combination of a high-fat/low-fiber Western diet, antibiotics, and surgery promotes the development of lethal sepsis. Diet can also...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyInfection-Induced Intestinal Dysbiosis Is Mediated by Macrophage Activation and Nitrate ProductionToxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite and a leading cause of foodborne illness. Infection is initiated when the parasite invades the intestinal epithelium, and in many host species, this leads to intense inflammation and a dramatic disruption of the normal microbial ecosystem that resides in the healthy gut (the so-called microbiome). One characteristic change in...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionA More Robust Gut Microbiota in Calorie-Restricted Mice Is Associated with Attenuated Intestinal Injury Caused by the Chemotherapy Drug CyclophosphamideImproving the gut microbiota via calorie restriction is beneficial for human health. Our findings showed differential responses between calorie-restricted mice and ad libitum-fed mice. Compared with the ad libitum-fed mice, the calorie-restricted mice were less susceptible to cyclophosphamide side effects otherwise observed on the gut integrity and its microbiota. These results show the potential benefits of...