microbiota
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCrypt- and Mucosa-Associated Core Microbiotas in Humans and Their Alteration in Colon Cancer PatientsDue to the huge number of bacteria constituting the human colon microbiota, alteration in the balance of its constitutive taxa (i.e., dysbiosis) is highly suspected of being involved in colorectal oncogenesis. Indeed, bacterial signatures in association with CRC have been described. These signatures may vary if bacteria are identified in feces or in association with tumor tissues. Here, we show that bacteria colonize human colonic...
Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Nutritional Environment Influences the Impact of Microbes on Drosophila melanogaster Life SpanD. melanogaster ingests microorganisms growing within its rotting vegetation diet. Some of these microbes form associations with flies, while others pass through the gut with meals. Fly-microbe-diet interactions are dynamic, and changes to the fly culture medium can influence microbial growth in the overall environment. In turn, these alterations in microbial growth...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIndole Signaling at the Host-Microbiota-Pathogen InterfacePathogens sense and respond to several small molecules within the GI tract to modulate expression of their virulence repertoire. Indole is a signaling molecule produced by the gut microbiota. Here we show that indole concentrations are higher in the lumen, where the microbiota is present, than in the intestinal tissue. The enteric pathogens EHEC and C. rodentium sense...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyThe Impact of Anthelmintic Treatment on Human Gut Microbiota Based on Cross-Sectional and Pre- and Postdeworming Comparisons in Western KenyaThe gut microbiome is an important factor in human health. It is affected by what we eat, what medicines we take, and what infections we acquire. In turn, it affects the way we absorb nutrients and whether we have excessive intestinal inflammation. Intestinal worms may have an important impact on the composition of the gut microbiome. Without a complete understanding of the impact of mass deworming programs on the microbiome, it is...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologyCuts Both Ways: Proteases Modulate Virulence of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coliEnterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a major cause of foodborne gastrointestinal illness. EHEC uses a specialized type III secretion system (T3SS) to form attaching and effacing lesions in the colonic epithelium and outcompete commensal gut microbiota to cause disease.
Letter to the Editor | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyQuantifying and Interpreting the Association between Early-Life Gut Microbiota Composition and Childhood Obesity
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMicrobiota and Pathogen Proteases Modulate Type III Secretion Activity in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coliThe gut microbiota is usually regarded as providing colonization resistance against enteric pathogens. However, some pathogens evolved to thrive with the aid of certain members of the microbiota. Several Gram-negative bacteria employ type three secretion systems (T3SSs), which are molecular syringes that deliver effector proteins to host cells, hijacking host cell function. Here we show that the T3SS of enterohemorrhagic...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyDiagnostic Potential and Interactive Dynamics of the Colorectal Cancer ViromeColorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States and worldwide. Its risk and severity have been linked to colonic bacterial community composition. Although human-specific viruses have been linked to other cancers and diseases, little is known about colorectal cancer virus communities. We addressed this knowledge gap by identifying differences in colonic virus communities in the stool of colorectal cancer...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyGut Microbiota in the First 2 Years of Life and the Association with Body Mass Index at Age 12 in a Norwegian Birth CohortUnderstanding the role of the early-life gut microbiota in obesity is important because there may be opportunities for preventive strategies. We examined the relationships between infant gut microbiota at six times during the first two years of life and BMI at age 12 in a birth cohort of 165 children and their mothers. We found that the gut microbiota from early life to two years shows an increasingly strong association with childhood...
- Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyEthanolamine Influences Human Commensal Escherichia coli Growth, Gene Expression, and Competition with Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7
The microbiota protects the host from invading pathogens by limiting access to nutrients. In turn, bacterial pathogens selectively exploit metabolites not readily used by the microbiota to establish infection. Ethanolamine has been linked to pathogenesis of diverse pathogens by serving as a noncompetitive metabolite that enhances pathogen growth as well as a signal that modulates virulence. Although ethanolamine is abundant in the...