microbiota
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyNeonatal Mouse Gut Metabolites Influence Cryptosporidium parvum Infection in Intestinal Epithelial CellsCryptosporidium sp. occupies a unique intracellular niche that exposes the parasite to both host cell contents and the intestinal lumen, including metabolites from the diet and produced by the microbiota. Both dietary and microbial products change over the course of early development and could contribute to the changes seen in susceptibility to cryptosporidiosis in humans and mice.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Native Microbiome is Crucial for Offspring Generation and Fitness of Aurelia auritaAll multicellular organisms are associated with a diverse and specific community of microorganisms; consequently, the microbiome is of fundamental importance for health and fitness of the multicellular host. However, studies on microbiome contribution to host fitness are in their infancy, in particular, for less well-established hosts such as the moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita. Here, we studied the impact of the native...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyImmune Response and Microbiota Profiles during Coinfection with Plasmodium vivax and Soil-Transmitted HelminthsPlasmodium (malaria) and helminth parasite coinfections are frequent, and both infections can be affected by the host gut microbiota. However, the relationship between coinfection and the gut microbiota is unclear. By performing comprehensive analyses on blood/stool samples from 130 individuals in Colombia, we found that the gut microbiota may have a stronger relationship with the number of...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyLinking Human Milk Oligosaccharides, Infant Fecal Community Types, and Later Risk To Require AntibioticsHuman milk is the sole and recommended nutrition for the newborn infant and contains one of the largest constituents of diverse oligosaccharides, dubbed human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). Preclinical and clinical association studies indicate that HMOs have multiple physiological functions largely mediated through the establishment of the gut microbiome. Until recently, HMOs were not available to investigate their role in randomized...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionNew Host-Directed Therapeutics for the Treatment of Clostridioides difficile InfectionClostridioides difficile is a spore-forming anaerobic bacterium and the leading cause of antibiotic-associated colitis. With few therapeutic options and high rates of disease recurrence, the need to develop new treatment options is urgent. Prior studies utilizing a repurposing approach identified three nonantibiotic Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs,...
Commentary | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceContext Is Key: Comparative Biology Illuminates the Vertebrate MicrobiomeMicrobes affect vertebrates on timescales from daily to evolutionary, and the cumulative effect of these interactions is immense. However, how microbiomes compare across (host) species is poorly understood, as most studies focus on relatively few species. A recent mBio article by S. J. Song, J. G. Sanders, F. Delsuc, J. Metcalf, et al. (mBio 11:e02901-19, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyFecal Metabolomic Signatures in Colorectal Adenoma Patients Are Associated with Gut Microbiota and Early Events of Colorectal Cancer PathogenesisColorectal adenomas are precursors of CRC. Recently, the gut microbiota, i.e., the collection of microbes residing in our gut, has been recognized as a key player in CRC development. There have been a number of gut microbiota profiling studies for colorectal adenoma and CRC; however, fewer studies have considered the gut metabolome, which serves as the chemical interface between the host and gut microbiota. Here, we conducted a gut...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyA Master Regulator of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron Gut Colonization Controls Carbohydrate Utilization and an Alternative Protein Synthesis FactorThe bacteria occupying the mammalian gut have evolved unique strategies to thrive in their environment. Bacteroides organisms, which often comprise 25 to 50% of the human gut microbiota, derive nutrients from structurally diverse complex polysaccharides, commonly called dietary fibers. This ability requires an expansive genetic repertoire that is coordinately regulated to achieve expression of those genes dedicated to utilizing...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIntestinal IgA Regulates Expression of a Fructan Polysaccharide Utilization Locus in Colonizing Gut Commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicronGiven the significant impact that gut microbes have on our health, it is essential to identify key host and environmental factors that shape this diverse community. While many studies have highlighted the impact of diet on gut microbiota, little is known about how the host regulates this critical diet-microbiota interaction. In our present study, we discovered that gut IgA targeted a protein complex involved in the utilization of an...
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...