Evolution, human-microbe interactions, and life history plasticity

Evolution and the critical role of the microbiota in the reduced mental and physical health associated with low socioeconomic status (SES)

The evolution of the gut-microbiota-brain axis in animals reveals that microbial inputs influence metabolism, the regulation of inflammation and the development of organs, including the brain. Inflammatory, neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders are more prevalent in people of low socioeconomic status (SES). Many aspects of low SES reduce exposure to the microbial inputs on which we are in a state of evolved dependence, whereas the lifestyle of wealthy citizens maintains these exposures. This partially explains the health deficit of low SES, so focussing on our evolutionary history and on environmental and lifestyle factors that distort microbial exposures might help to mitigate that deficit. But the human microbiota is complex and we have poor understanding of its functions at the microbial and mechanistic levels, and in the brain. Perhaps its composition is more flexible than the microbiota of animals that have restricted habitats and less diverse diets? These uncertainties are discussed in relation to the encouraging but frustrating results of attempts to treat psychiatric disorders by modulating the microbiota.

A review for non-antibiotic treatment of Helicobacter pylori: new insight

Gastric ulcers and gastric cancer are brought on by the Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which colonizes under the stomach mucous membrane. Different medication regimens are used to remove it, but the illness returns and becomes more resistant, which lowers the treatment rates. Additionally, this bacterium now exhibits a skyrocketing level of multi-drug resistance, necessitating recurrent therapeutic treatments. The negative effects of synthetic medications in comparison to conventional therapies are another significant factor in favor of non-pharmacological therapy. The most significant side effects of popular anti-gastric ulcer medications include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Stomach ulcers have previously been treated with herbal remedies and complementary treatments like probiotics. When probiotics are ingested, the host experiences several advantages that may be brought about by altering the bacterial flora in the digestive system. Additionally, stronger-acting chemical compounds and plant extracts can be employed to treat patients. In this article, we look at the substances and medications that are utilized in place of synthetic stomach ulcer-curing treatments.

Impact of Equine Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia on Interactions between Ocular Transcriptome and Microbiome

Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) represents the most common conjunctival tumor in horses and frequently results in vision loss and surgical removal of the affected globe. Multiple etiologic factors have been identified as contributing to OSSN progression, including solar radiation exposure, genetic mutations, and a lack of periocular pigmentation. Response to conventional treatments has been highly variable, though our recent work indicates that these tumors are highly responsive to local immunotherapy. In the present study, we extended our investigation of OSSN in horses to better understand how the ocular transcriptome responds to the presence of the tumor and how the ocular surface microbiome may also be altered by the presence of cancer. Therefore, we collected swabs from the ventral conjunctival fornix from 22 eyes in this study (11 with cytologically or histologically confirmed OSSN and 11 healthy eyes from the same horses) and performed RNA sequencing and 16S microbial sequencing using the same samples. Microbial 16s DNA sequencing and bulk RNA sequencing were both conducted using an Illumina-based platform. In eyes with OSSN, we observed significantly upregulated expression of genes and pathways associated with inflammation, particularly interferon. Microbial diversity was significantly reduced in conjunctival swabs from horses with OSSN. We also performed interactome analysis and found that three bacterial taxa (Actinobacillus, Helcococcus and Parvimona) had significant correlations with more than 100 upregulated genes in samples from animals with OSSN. These findings highlight the inflammatory nature of OSSN in horses and provide important new insights into how the host ocular surface interacts with certain microbial populations. These findings suggest new strategies for the management of OSSN in horses, which may entail immunotherapy in combination with ocular surface probiotics or prebiotics to help normalize ocular cell and microbe interactions.

Predicting Microbe-Disease Associations Based on a Linear Neighborhood Label Propagation Method with Multi-order Similarity Fusion Learning

Computational approaches employed for predicting potential microbe-disease associations often rely on similarity information between microbes and diseases. Therefore, it is important to obtain reliable similarity information by integrating multiple types of similarity information. However, existing similarity fusion methods do not consider multi-order fusion of similarity networks. To address this problem, a novel method of linear neighborhood label propagation with multi-order similarity fusion learning (MOSFL-LNP) is proposed to predict potential microbe-disease associations. Multi-order fusion learning comprises two parts: low-order global learning and high-order feature learning. Low-order global learning is used to obtain common latent features from multiple similarity sources. High-order feature learning relies on the interactions between neighboring nodes to identify high-order similarities and learn deeper interactive network structures. Coefficients are assigned to different high-order feature learning modules to balance the similarities learned from different orders and enhance the robustness of the fusion network. Overall, by combining low-order global learning with high-order feature learning, multi-order fusion learning can capture both the shared and unique features of different similarity networks, leading to more accurate predictions of microbe-disease associations. In comparison to six other advanced methods, MOSFL-LNP exhibits superior prediction performance in the leave-one-out cross-validation and 5-fold validation frameworks. In the case study, the predicted 10 microbes associated with asthma and type 1 diabetes have an accuracy rate of up to 90% and 100%, respectively.

The role of the gut microbiome in gastrointestinal cancers

The gut microbiota present in the human digestive system is incredibly varied and is home to trillions of microorganisms. The gut microbiome is shaped at birth, while numerous genetic, dietary, and environmental variables primarily influence the microbiome composition. The importance of gut microbiota on host health is becoming more widely acknowledged. Digestion, intestinal permeability, and immunological and metabolism responses can all be affected by changes in the composition and function of the gut microbiota. There is mounting evidence that the microbial population's complex traits are important biomarkers and indicators of patient outcomes in cancer and its therapies. Numerous studies have demonstrated that changed commensal gut microorganisms contribute to the development and spread of cancer through various routes. Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal cancer, accumulating evidence points to a potentially far more intricate connection than a simple cause-and-effect relationship. SIMPLE SUMMARY: Due to their high frequency and fatality rate, gastrointestinal cancers are regarded as a severe public health issue with complex medical and economic burdens. The gut microbiota may directly or indirectly interact with existing therapies like immunotherapy and chemotherapy, affecting how well a treatment works. The gut microbiome influences the immune response's activity, function, and development. Generally, certain gut bacteria impact the antitumor actions during cancer by creating particular metabolites or triggering T-cell responses. Yet, certain bacterial species have been found to promote cellular proliferation and metastasis in cancer, and comprehending these interactions in the context of cancer may help identify possible treatment targets. Notwithstanding the improvements in the field, additional research is still required to comprehend the underlying processes, examine the effects on existing therapies, and pinpoint certain bacteria and immune cells that can cause this interaction.

Microbial transmission in the social microbiome and host health and disease

Although social interactions are known to drive pathogen transmission, the contributions of socially transmissible host-associated mutualists and commensals to host health and disease remain poorly explored. We use the concept of the social microbiome-the microbial metacommunity of a social network of hosts-to analyze the implications of social microbial transmission for host health and disease. We investigate the contributions of socially transmissible microbes to both eco-evolutionary microbiome community processes (colonization resistance, the evolution of virulence, and reactions to ecological disturbance) and microbial transmission-based processes (transmission of microbes with metabolic and immune effects, inter-specific transmission, transmission of antibiotic-resistant microbes, and transmission of viruses). We consider the implications of social microbial transmission for communicable and non-communicable diseases and evaluate the importance of a socially transmissible component underlying canonically non-communicable diseases. The social transmission of mutualists and commensals may play a significant, under-appreciated role in the social determinants of health and may act as a hidden force in social evolution.

Maternal transmission of bacterial microbiota during embryonic development in a viviparous lizard

IMPORTANCE

We investigated the presence and diversity of bacteria in the embryos of the viviparous lizard Sceloporus grammicus and their amniotic environment. We compared this diversity to that found in the maternal intestine, mouth, and cloaca. We detected bacterial DNA in the embryos, albeit with a lower bacterial species diversity than found in maternal tissues. Most of the bacterial species detected in the embryos were also found in the mother, although not all of them. Interestingly, we detected a high similarity in the composition of bacterial species among embryos from different mothers. These findings suggest that there may be a mechanism controlling the transmission of bacteria from the mother to the embryo. Our results highlight the possibility that the interaction between maternal bacteria and the embryo may affect the development of the lizards.

Nature-based biopsychosocial resilience: An integrative theoretical framework for research on nature and health

Nature-based solutions including urban forests and wetlands can help communities cope better with climate change and other environmental stressors by enhancing social-ecological resilience. Natural ecosystems, settings, elements and affordances can also help individuals become more personally resilient to a variety of stressors, although the mechanisms underpinning individual-level nature-based resilience, and their relations to social-ecological resilience, are not well articulated. We propose 'nature-based biopsychosocial resilience theory' (NBRT) to address these gaps. Our framework begins by suggesting that individual-level resilience can refer to both: a) a person's set of adaptive resources; and b) the processes by which these resources are deployed. Drawing on existing nature-health perspectives, we argue that nature contact can support individuals build and maintain biological, psychological, and social (i.e. biopsychosocial) resilience-related resources. Together with nature-based social-ecological resilience, these biopsychosocial resilience resources can: i) reduce the risk of various stressors (preventive resilience); ii) enhance adaptive reactions to stressful circumstances (response resilience), and/or iii) facilitate more rapid and/or complete recovery from stress (recovery resilience). Reference to these three resilience processes supports integration across more familiar pathways involving harm reduction, capacity building, and restoration. Evidence in support of the theory, potential interventions to promote nature-based biopsychosocial resilience, and issues that require further consideration are discussed.

Prebiotic effects of plant-derived (poly)phenols on host metabolism: Is there a role for short-chain fatty acids?

The gut microbiota has been extensively investigated during the last decade because of its effects on host neuroendocrine pathways and other processes. The imbalance between beneficial and pathogenic bacteria, known as dysbiosis, may be a determining predisposing factor for many noncommunicable chronic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and Alzheimer's disease. On the other hand, interventions aiming to reestablish the balance between microbiota components have been suggested as potential preventive therapeutic strategies against these disorders. Among these interventions, dietary supplementation with (poly)phenols has been highlighted due to the modulatory effects exerted by those compounds on the gut microbiota. In addition, (poly)phenol consumption is associated with increased production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), a set of microbial metabolites whose actions are ascribed to improving the abovementioned metabolic disorders. Thus, this review discusses the modulation of the gut microbiota by prebiotic (poly)phenols based on in vivo studies performed with isolated (poly)phenolic compounds, their interaction with the gut microbiota and the production of SCFAs in pursuit of the molecular mechanisms underlying the health effects of (poly)phenols on host metabolism.

Does Early Childhood BCG Vaccination Improve Survival to Midlife in a Population With a Low Tuberculosis Prevalence? Quasi-experimental Evidence on Nonspecific Effects From 32 Swedish Birth Cohorts

The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) is widely used globally. Many high-income countries discontinued nationwide vaccination policies starting in the 1980s as the TB prevalence decreased. However, there is continued scientific interest in whether the general childhood immunity boost conferred by the BCG vaccination impacts adult health and mortality in low-TB contexts (known as nonspecific effects). While recent studies have found evidence of an association between BCG vaccination and survival to ages 34-45, it is unclear whether these associations are causal or driven by the unobserved characteristics of those who chose to voluntarily vaccinate. We use the abrupt discontinuation of mandatory BCG vaccination in Sweden in 1975 as a natural experiment to estimate the causal nonspecific effect of the BCG vaccine on cohort survival to midlife. Applying two complementary study designs, we find no evidence that survival to age 40 was affected by the discontinuation of childhood BCG vaccination. The results are consistent among both males and females and are robust to several sensitivity tests. Overall, despite prior correlational studies suggesting large nonspecific effects, we do not find any population-level evidence for a nonspecific effect of the BCG vaccine discontinuation on survival to age 40 in Sweden.

Rickettsia communities and their relationship with tick species within and around the national park of Iguaçu, Brazil

We report Rickettsia species from 2,334 ticks collected from environment (1,939 ticks) and animals (395 ticks) in the largest inland fragment of the Atlantic rainforest of southern Brazil and its fragments. Additionally, the DNA infection rates of Amblyomma ovale tick populations in the Neotropics with Rickettsia bellii and Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest were calculated using data from scientific publications, and their correlation was evaluated. From 11 tick species Rickettsia DNA was detected in seven (Amblyomma brasiliense, Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma incisum, Amblyomma longirostre, A. ovale, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Ixodes fuscipes) and was not detected in four species (Amblyomma dubitatum, Ixodes loricatus, Rhipicephalus microplus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato). DNA of five Rickettsia species was detected (R. bellii, Rickettsia amblyommatis, Rickettsia rhipicephali, Rickettsia felis and Rickettsia sp. Aragaoi). To determine the prevalence of Rickettsia DNA positivity according to vector species, ticks were processed individually or in pools of 2-10 individuals (samples). The most prevalent Rickettsia species was R. bellii, found in 112 samples, followed by R. amblyommatis, R. rhipicephali, R. felis and Rickettsia sp. Aragaoi, found in 16, five, two and one sample, respectively. Rickettsia bellii DNA was found in five tick species with the highest infection rate in A. ovale and A. brasiliense. Absence of R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest in A. ovale ticks was an unexpected result. Furthermore, a negative correlation was identified between the infection rates (DNA) of R. bellii and/or R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest within A. ovale tick populations in the Neotropics. Putting together current knowledge, it can be proposed that, within natural settings, the diversity of rickettsiae and ticks creates a buffering effect on the overgrowth of rickettsiae and episodes of bacteremia in the hosts.

Microbial community changes correlate with impaired host fitness of Aurelia aurita after environmental challenge

Climate change globally endangers certain marine species, but at the same time, such changes may promote species that can tolerate and adapt to varying environmental conditions. Such acclimatization can be accompanied or possibly even be enabled by a host's microbiome; however, few studies have so far directly addressed this process. Here we show that acute, individual rises in seawater temperature and salinity to sub-lethal levels diminished host fitness of the benthic Aurelia aurita polyp, demonstrated by up to 34% reduced survival rate, shrinking of the animals, and almost halted asexual reproduction. Changes in the fitness of the polyps to environmental stressors coincided with microbiome changes, mainly within the phyla Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota. The absence of bacteria amplified these effects, pointing to the benefit of a balanced microbiota to cope with a changing environment. In a future ocean scenario, mimicked by a combined but milder rise of temperature and salinity, the fitness of polyps was severely less impaired, together with condition-specific changes in the microbiome composition. Our results show that the effects on host fitness correlate with the strength of environmental stress, while salt-conveyed thermotolerance might be involved. Further, a specific, balanced microbiome of A. aurita polyps supports the host's acclimatization. Microbiomes may provide a means for acclimatization, and microbiome flexibility can be a fundamental strategy for marine animals to adapt to future ocean scenarios and maintain biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

The old friends hypothesis: evolution, immunoregulation and essential microbial inputs

In wealthy urbanised societies there have been striking increases in chronic inflammatory disorders such as allergies, autoimmunity and inflammatory bowel diseases. There has also been an increase in the prevalence of individuals with systemically raised levels of inflammatory biomarkers correlating with increased risk of metabolic, cardiovascular and psychiatric problems. These changing disease patterns indicate a broad failure of the mechanisms that should stop the immune system from attacking harmless allergens, components of self or gut contents, and that should terminate inappropriate inflammation. The Old Friends Hypothesis postulates that this broad failure of immunoregulation is due to inadequate exposures to the microorganisms that drive development of the immune system, and drive the expansion of components such as regulatory T cells (Treg) that mediate immunoregulatory mechanisms. An evolutionary approach helps us to identify the organisms on which we are in a state of evolved dependence for this function (Old Friends). The bottom line is that most of the organisms that drive the regulatory arm of the immune system come from our mothers and family and from the natural environment (including animals) and many of these organisms are symbiotic components of a healthy microbiota. Lifestyle changes that are interrupting our exposure to these organisms can now be identified, and many are closely associated with low socioeconomic status (SES) in wealthy countries. These insights will facilitate the development of education, diets and urban planning that can correct the immunoregulatory deficit, while simultaneously reducing other contributory factors such as epithelial damage.

Unconventional immune cells in the gut mucosal barrier: regulation by symbiotic microbiota

The mammalian gut is the most densely colonized organ by microbial species, which are in constant contact with the host throughout life. Hosts have developed multifaceted cellular and molecular mechanisms to distinguish and respond to benign and pathogenic bacteria. In addition to relatively well-characterized innate and adaptive immune cells, a growing body of evidence shows additional important players in gut mucosal immunity. Among them, unconventional immune cells, including innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and unconventional T cells, are essential for maintaining homeostasis. These cells rapidly respond to bacterial signals and bridge the innate immunity and adaptive immunity in the mucosal barrier. Here, we focus on the types and roles of these immune cells in physiological and pathological conditions as prominent mechanisms by which the host immune system communicates with the gut microbiota in health and diseases.

Microbial experience through housing in a farmyard-type environment alters intestinal barrier properties in mouse colons

To close the gap between ultra-hygienic research mouse models and the much more environmentally exposed conditions of humans, we have established a system where laboratory mice are raised under a full set of environmental factors present in a naturalistic, farmyard-type habitat-a process we have called feralization. In previous studies we have shown that feralized (Fer) mice were protected against colorectal cancer when compared to conventionally reared laboratory mice (Lab). However, the protective mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Disruption of the protective intestinal barrier is an acknowledged player in colorectal carcinogenesis, and in the current study we assessed colonic mucosal barrier properties in healthy, feralized C57BL/6JRj male mice. While we found no effect of feralization on mucus layer properties, higher expression of genes encoding the mucus components Fcgbp and Clca1 still suggested mucus enforcement due to feralization. Genes encoding other proteins known to be involved in bacterial defense (Itln1, Ang1, Retnlb) and inflammatory mechanisms (Zbp1, Gsdmc2) were also higher expressed in feralized mice, further suggesting that the Fer mice have an altered intestinal mucosal barrier. These findings demonstrate that microbial experience conferred by housing in a farmyard-type environment alters the intestinal barrier properties in mice possibly leading to a more robust protection against disease. Future studies to unravel regulatory roles of feralization on intestinal barrier should aim to conduct proteomic analyses and in vivo performance of the feralized mice intestinal barrier.

First insights into the Aurelia aurita transcriptome response upon manipulation of its microbiome

Introduction

The associated diverse microbiome contributes to the overall fitness of Aurelia aurita, particularly to asexual reproduction. However, how A. aurita maintains this specific microbiome or reacts to manipulations is unknown.

Methods

In this report, the response of A. aurita to manipulations of its native microbiome was studied by a transcriptomics approach. Microbiome-manipulated polyps were generated by antibiotic treatment and challenging polyps with a non-native, native, and potentially pathogenic bacterium. Total RNA extraction followed by RNAseq resulted in over 155 million reads used for a de novo assembly.

Results

The transcriptome analysis showed that the antibiotic-induced change and resulting reduction of the microbiome significantly affected the host transcriptome, e.g., genes involved in processes related to immune response and defense mechanisms were highly upregulated. Similarly, manipulating the microbiome by challenging the polyp with a high load of bacteria (2 × 107 cells/polyp) resulted in induced transcription of apoptosis-, defense-, and immune response genes. A second focus was on host-derived quorum sensing interference as a potential defense strategy. Quorum Quenching (QQ) activities and the respective encoding QQ-ORFs of A. aurita were identified by functional screening a cDNA-based expression library generated in Escherichia coli. Corresponding sequences were identified in the transcriptome assembly. Moreover, gene expression analysis revealed differential expression of QQ genes depending on the treatment, strongly suggesting QQ as an additional defense strategy.

Discussion

Overall, this study allows first insights into A. aurita's response to manipulating its microbiome, thus paving the way for an in-depth analysis of the basal immune system and additional fundamental defense strategies.

Deoxynivalenol: Emerging Toxic Mechanisms and Control Strategies, Current and Future Perspectives

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most frequently present mycotoxin contaminant in food and feed, causing a variety of toxic effects in humans and animals. Currently, a series of mechanisms involved in DON toxicity have been identified. In addition to the activation of oxidative stress and the MAPK signaling pathway, DON can activate hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, which further regulates reactive oxygen species production and cancer cell apoptosis. Noncoding RNA and signaling pathways including Wnt/β-catenin, FOXO, and TLR4/NF-κB also participate in DON toxicity. The intestinal microbiota and the brain-gut axis play a crucial role in DON-induced growth inhibition. In view of the synergistic toxic effect of DON and other mycotoxins, strategies to detect DON and control it biologically and the development of enzymes for the biodegradation of various mycotoxins and their introduction in the market are the current and future research hotspots.

Antimicrobial resistance, society and environment: A glocal syndemic

•Multidimensionality of AMR determination argues in favour of considering it a glocal syndemic.•Lack of attention to syndemic nature of AMR limits the effectiveness of measures taken so far.•The syndemic approach provides policy makers with conceptual tools to design effective responses.

Integrating bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing data reveals the relationship between intratumor microbiome signature and host metabolic heterogeneity in breast cancer

Introduction

Nowadays, it has been recognized that gut microbiome can indirectly modulate cancer susceptibility or progression. However, whether intratumor microbes are parasitic, symbiotic, or merely bystanders in breast cancer is not fully understood. Microbial metabolite plays a pivotal role in the interaction of host and microbe via regulating mitochondrial and other metabolic pathways. And the relationship between tumor-resident microbiota and cancer metabolism remains an open question.

Methods

1085 breast cancer patients with normalized intratumor microbial abundance data and 32 single-cell RNA sequencing samples were retrieved from public datasets. We used the gene set variation analysis to evaluate the various metabolic activities of breast cancer samples. Furthermore, we applied Scissor method to identify microbe-associated cell subpopulations from single-cell data. Then, we conducted comprehensive bioinformatic analyses to explore the association between host and microbe in breast cancer.

Results

Here, we found that the metabolic status of breast cancer cells was highly plastic, and some microbial genera were significantly correlated with cancer metabolic activity. We identified two distinct clusters based on microbial abundance and tumor metabolism data. And dysregulation of the metabolic pathway was observed among different cell types. Metabolism-related microbial scores were calculated to predict overall survival in patients with breast cancer. Furthermore, the microbial abundance of the specific genus was associated with gene mutation due to possible microbe-mediated mutagenesis. The infiltrating immune cell compositions, including regulatory T cells and activated NK cells, were significantly associated with the metabolism-related intratumor microbes, as indicated in the Mantel test analysis. Moreover, the mammary metabolism-related microbes were related to T cell exclusion and response to immunotherapy.

Conclusions

Overall, the exploratory study shed light on the potential role of the metabolism-related microbiome in breast cancer patients. And the novel treatment will be realized by further investigating the metabolic disturbance in host and intratumor microbial cells.

Social Safety Theory: Conceptual foundation, underlying mechanisms, and future directions

Classic theories of stress and health are largely based on assumptions regarding how different psychosocial stressors influence biological processes that, in turn, affect human health and behavior. Although theoretically rich, this work has yielded little consensus and led to numerous conceptual, measurement, and reproducibility issues. Social Safety Theory aims to address these issues by using the primary goal and regulatory logic of the human brain and immune system as the basis for specifying the social-environmental situations to which these systems should respond most strongly to maximize reproductive success and survival. This analysis gave rise to the integrated, multi-level formulation described herein, which transforms thinking about stress biology and provides a biologically based, evolutionary account for how and why experiences of social safety and social threat are strongly related to health, well-being, aging, and longevity. In doing so, the theory advances a testable framework for investigating the biopsychosocial roots of health disparities as well as how health-relevant biopsychosocial processes crystalize over time and how perceptions of the social environment interact with childhood microbial environment, birth cohort, culture, air pollution, genetics, sleep, diet, personality, and self-harm to affect health. The theory also highlights several interventions for reducing social threat and promoting resilience.

Antibiotic therapy is associated with an increased incidence of cancer

PURPOSE

There is a growing body of evidence suggesting the decisive involvement of the human microbiome in cancer development. The consumption of antibiotics may fundamentally change the microbiome and thereby create a precancerous environment promoting cancer development and growth. However, clinical data on the association between the consumption of antibiotics and cancer incidence have remained inconclusive. In this study, we quantified the association between the intake of different antibiotics and various cancer entities among outpatients from Germany.

METHODS

This retrospective case-control study based on the IQVIA Disease Analyzer database included 111,828 cancer patients and 111,828 non-cancer controls who were matched to cancer cases using propensity scores. Patients were categorized as non-users, low-consumption (up to 50th percentile), and high-consumption (above 50^th percentile) users of antibiotics overall and for each antibiotic class. Multivariable logistic conditional regression models were used to study the association between antibiotic intake within 5 years prior to the index date (first cancer diagnosis for cases or randomly selected date for controls) and cancer incidence.

RESULTS

The probability of cancer was significantly higher among patients with a history of antibiotic intake than in matched controls. Patients using penicillin or cephalosporins displayed a higher incidence of cancer, while the intake of tetracyclines and macrolides actually reduced the risk of cancer development slightly. A complex picture was observed in our cancer site-stratified analyses. Most notably, the consumption of penicillin was significantly and positively associated with cancer development in the respiratory organs only (low consumption OR: 1.33, 95% CI 1.20-1.47; high consumption OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.22-1.64) and cephalosporin consumption was significantly associated with respiratory organ cancer (low consumption OR: 1.32, 95% CI 1.17-1.48, high consumption OR: 1.47, 95% CI 1.29-1.66), breast cancer (high consumption OR: 1.40, 95% CI 1.25-1.56), and lymphoid and hematopoietic tissue cancer (high consumption OR: 1.50, 95% CI 1.35-1.66).

CONCLUSION

Our data strongly support the hypothesis that the intake of antibiotics is positively associated with the risk of cancer development.

Gastric microbiota dysbiosis and Helicobacter pylori infection

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is one of the most common causes of gastric disease. The persistent increase in antibiotic resistance worldwide has made H. pylori eradication challenging for clinicians. The stomach is unsterile and characterized by a unique niche. Communication among microorganisms in the stomach results in diverse microbial fitness, population dynamics, and functional capacities, which may be positive, negative, or neutral. Here, we review gastric microecology, its imbalance, and gastric diseases. Moreover, we summarize the relationship between H. pylori and gastric microecology, including non-H. pylori bacteria, fungi, and viruses and the possibility of facilitating H. pylori eradication by gastric microecology modulation, including probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, synbiotics, and microbiota transplantation.

Chemical reaction-mediated covalent localization of bacteria

Methods capable of manipulating bacterial colonization are of great significance for modulating host-microbiota relationships. Here, we describe a strategy of in-situ chemical reaction-mediated covalent localization of bacteria. Through a simple one-step imidoester reaction, primary amino groups on bacterial surface can be converted to free thiols under cytocompatible conditions. Surface thiolation is applicable to modify diverse strains and the number of introduced thiols per bacterium can be easily tuned by varying feed ratios. These chemically reactive bacteria are able to spontaneously bond with mucous layer by catalyst-free thiol-disulfide exchange between mucin-associated disulfides and newly converted thiols on bacterial surface and show thiolation level-dependent attachment. Bacteria optimized with 9.3 × 10⁷ thiols per cell achieve 170-fold higher attachment in mucin-enriched jejunum, a challenging location for gut microbiota to colonize. As a proof-of-concept application for microbiota transplantation, covalent bonding-assisted localization of an oral probiotic in the jejunum generates an improved remission of jejunal mucositis. Our findings demonstrate that transforming bacteria with a reactive surface provides an approach to chemically control bacterial localization, which is highly desirable for developing next-generation bacterial living bioagents.

Rethinking water, sanitation, and hygiene for human growth and development

Life history theory emphasises plasticity in developmental and biological programming where conditions in early life, lead to long-term consequences for health and wellbeing. Studies linking water, sanitation, and hygiene, nutrition, and child growth and development have emphasised the optimisation of linear growth as a key metric for the evaluation of intervention efficacy. Life history characteristics pertaining to human growth and phenotypic plasticity, suggest that different developmental outcomes in early childhood may be responsive to different stimuli at different ages. Energy utilisation by the human brain, from birth through childhood, accounts for a disproportionate percentage of the resting metabolic rate. Undernutrition in early life, and its relative resultant energy deficiency, may trigger adaptive physiological mechanisms prioritising brain growth at the expense of body growth. Emphasis placed on linear growth may have impeded the significance of WASH due to excluding aspects of child development beyond height/weight. We propose that incorporating evolutionary public health and life history theory perspectives, allows for the identification of age-appropriate biological outcomes and WASH indicators, while anticipating the timing and life-course suitability of the interventions being operationalised. Finally, integrating reflections regarding context allows for the development of transformative WASH interventions.

Direct Action of Non-Digestible Oligosaccharides against a Leaky Gut

The epithelial monolayer is the primary determinant of mucosal barrier function, and tight junction (TJ) complexes seal the paracellular space between the adjacent epithelial cells and represent the main "gate-keepers" of the paracellular route. Impaired TJ functionality results in increased permeation of the "pro-inflammatory" luminal contents to the circulation that induces local and systemic inflammatory and immune responses, ultimately triggering and/or perpetuating (chronic) systemic inflammatory disorders. Increased gut leakiness is associated with intestinal and systemic disease states such as inflammatory bowel disease and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease. Modulation of TJ dynamics is an appealing strategy aiming at inflammatory conditions associated with compromised intestinal epithelial function. Recently there has been a growing interest in nutraceuticals, particularly in non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDOs). NDOs confer innumerable health benefits via microbiome-shaping and gut microbiota-related immune responses, including enhancement of epithelial barrier integrity. Emerging evidence supports that NDOs also exert health-beneficial effects on microbiota independently via direct interactions with intestinal epithelial and immune cells. Among these valuable features, NDOs promote barrier function by directly regulating TJs via AMPK-, PKC-, MAPK-, and TLR-associated pathways. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the epithelial barrier-protective effects of different NDOs with a special focus on their microbiota-independent modulation of TJs.

Minimally invasive biomarkers in human population biology research, part 2: An introduction to the special issue

Over the past several decades, biomarkers have become indispensable tools in human biology, allowing researchers to investigate biocultural and evolutionary questions and to generate basic data on health and well-being. Human biologists are central players in biomarker methods development, pioneering the creation of "field friendly," minimally invasively collected biomarker approaches, as well as leading the innovative use of biomarkers, most notably to map the complex pathways from social and environmental conditions to altered physiology to health effects. This special issue, Part 2 of a collection focused on minimally invasively collected biomarkers, is comprised of nine papers that jointly contribute to driving the science of biomarker methods development and application. This compilation of papers engages with topics such as biological normalcy, ecoimmunology, and the ethics of working with vulnerable and underserved populations. It also focuses attention on research areas at present not emphasized in human biology such as bone turnover markers as a window onto osteoporosis and osteoarthritis and the use of cancer-related biomarkers in population screening and epidemiology. Taken together, these papers help draw the roadmap for future biomarker work, emphasizing: (1) the need for systematic and transparent approaches to assay validation, with open access publication; (2) simultaneous measurement of multiple biomarkers and expanded use of instrument platforms that increase the range of physiological, genomics, and omics markers available to researchers; and, (3) increased attention to ethics and researcher responsibilities, encouraging a mindset that recognizes our obligation to provide benefits to individuals and communities and to help redress past abuses.

Current and future applications of biomarkers in samples collected through minimally invasive methods for cancer medicine and population-based research

Despite advances in cancer medicine and research, invasive and potentially risky procedures such as biopsies, venous blood tests, imaging, colonoscopy, and pap smear tests are still primarily used for screening, staging, and assessing response to therapy. The development and interdisciplinary use of biomarkers from urine, feces, saliva, scent, and capillary blood collected with minimally invasive methods represents a potential opportunity for integration with biomarker analysis for cancers, both in clinical practice (e.g., in screening, treatment, and disease monitoring, and improved quality of life for patients) and population-based research (e.g., in epidemiology/public health, studies of social and environmental determinants, and evolutionary medicine). In this article, we review the scientific rationale, benefits, challenges, and potential opportunities for measuring cancer-related biomarkers in samples collected through minimally invasive methods.

Hosts, microbiomes, and the evolution of critical windows

The absence of microbial exposure early in life leaves individuals vulnerable to immune overreaction later in life, manifesting as immunopathology, autoimmunity, or allergies. A key factor is thought to be a "critical window" during which the host's immune system can "learn" tolerance, and beyond which learning is no longer possible. Animal models indicate that many mechanisms have evolved to enable critical windows, and that their time limits are distinct and consistent. Such a variety of mechanisms, and precision in their manifestation suggest the outcome of strong evolutionary selection. To strengthen our understanding of critical windows, we explore their underlying evolutionary ecology using models encompassing demographic and epidemiological transitions, identifying the length of the critical window that would maximize fitness in different environments. We characterize how direct effects of microbes on host mortality, but also indirect effects via microbial ecology, will drive the optimal length of the critical window. We find that indirect effects such as magnitude of transmission, duration of infection, rates of reinfection, vertical transmission, host demography, and seasonality in transmission all have the effect of redistributing the timing and/or likelihood of encounters with microbial taxa across age, and thus increasing or decreasing the optimal length of the critical window. Declining microbial population abundance and diversity are predicted to result in increases in immune dysfunction later in life. We also make predictions for the length of the critical window across different taxa and environments. Overall, our modeling efforts demonstrate how critical windows will be impacted over evolution as a function of both host-microbiome/pathogen interactions and dispersal, raising central questions about potential mismatches between these evolved systems and the current loss of microbial diversity and/or increases in infectious disease.

Machine learning on the road to unlocking microbiota's potential for boosting immune checkpoint therapy

The intestinal microbiota is a complex and diverse ecological community that fulfills multiple functions and substantially impacts human health. Despite its plasticity, unfavorable conditions can cause perturbations leading to so-called dysbiosis, which have been connected to multiple diseases. Unfortunately, understanding the mechanisms underlying the crosstalk between those microorganisms and their host is proving to be difficult. Traditionally used bioinformatic tools have difficulties to fully exploit big data generated for this purpose by modern high throughput screens. Machine Learning (ML) may be a potential means of solving such problems, but it requires diligent application to allow for drawing valid conclusions. This is especially crucial as gaining insight into the mechanistic basis of microbial impact on human health is highly anticipated in numerous fields of study. This includes oncology, where growing amounts of studies implicate the gut ecosystems in both cancerogenesis and antineoplastic treatment outcomes. Based on these reports and first signs of clinical benefits related to microbiota modulation in human trials, hopes are rising for the development of microbiome-derived diagnostics and therapeutics. In this mini-review, we're inspecting analytical approaches used to uncover the role of gut microbiome in immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) with the use of shotgun metagenomic sequencing (SMS) data.

Bifidobacterium breve Alleviates DSS-Induced Colitis in Mice by Maintaining the Mucosal and Epithelial Barriers and Modulating Gut Microbes

This study was designed to explore the different intestinal barrier repair mechanisms of Bifidobacterium breve (B. breve) H4-2 and H9-3 with different exopolysaccharide (EPS) production in mice with colitis. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced IEC-6 cell inflammation model and dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced mice colitis model were used. Histopathological changes, epithelial barrier integrity, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) content, cytokine levels, NF-κB expression level, and intestinal flora were analyzed to evaluate the role of B. breve in alleviating colitis. Cell experiments indicated that both B. breve strains could regulate cytokine levels. In vivo experiments confirmed that oral administration of B. breve H4-2 and B. breve H9-3 significantly increased the expression of mucin, occludin, claudin-1, ZO-1, decreased the levels of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β and increased IL-10. Both strains of B. breve also inhibited the expression of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Moreover, B. breve H4-2 and H9-3 intervention significantly increased the levels of SCFAs, reduced the abundance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidea, and increased the abundance of Muribaculaceae. These results demonstrate that EPS-producing B. breve strains H4-2 and H9-3 can regulate the physical, immune, and microbial barrier to repair the intestinal damage caused by DSS in mice. Of the two strains, H4-2 had a higher EPS output and was more effective at repair than H9-3. These results will provide insights useful for clinical applications and the development of probiotic products for the treatment of colitis.

Plant-Derived (Poly)phenols and Their Metabolic Outcomes: The Pursuit of a Role for the Gut Microbiota

Plant-derived (poly)phenolic compounds have been undoubtedly shown to promote endocrine homeostasis through the improvement of diverse metabolic outcomes. Amongst diverse potential mechanisms, the prebiotic modulatory effects exerted by these compounds on the gut microbiota have supported their nutraceutical application in both experimental and clinical approaches. However, the comprehension of the microbiota modulatory patterns observed upon (poly)phenol-based dietary interventions is still in its infancy, which makes the standardization of the metabolic outcomes in response to a given (poly)phenol a herculean task. Thus, this narrative review sought to gather up-to-date information on the relationship among (poly)phenols intake, their modulatory effect on the gut microbiota diversity, and consequent metabolic outcomes as a supportive tool for the future design of experimental approaches and even clinical trials.

Encouraging COVID-19 vaccination via an evolutionary theoretical approach: A randomized controlled study in Japan

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to examine the effect of a message that target the fundamental human motive of kin care on COVID-19 vaccination recommendations among participants with young children, based on an evolutionary theoretical approach.

METHODS

Participants with young children (n = 969) were randomly assigned either to a group that received an intervention message that targeted the fundamental motive of kin care, or that targeted the fundamental motive of disease avoidance, or a control message. Intention to receive COVID-19 vaccination was assessed both before and after reading the messages. A one-way ANOVA with Tukey's or Games-Howell test was conducted.

RESULTS

An intervention message targeting the fundamental motive of kin care and disease avoidance significantly increased intention of vaccination versus a control message (p < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The evolutionary theoretical approach that focuses on fundamental human motives has the potential to extend the communication strategy for COVID-19 vaccination recommendations.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Health professionals should deliver messages that target the fundamental motive of kin care as well as messages about the susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 and vaccine efficacy (e.g., "Get vaccinated against COVID-19 for your child's sake, because if you are infected, you will be unable to care for your child.").

Social Safety Theory: Understanding social stress, disease risk, resilience, and behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

Many of life's most impactful experiences involve either social safety (e.g., acceptance, affiliation, belonging, inclusion) or social threat (e.g., conflict, isolation, rejection, exclusion). According to Social Safety Theory, these experiences greatly impact human health and behavior because a fundamental goal of the brain and immune system is to keep the body biologically safe. To achieve this crucial goal, social threats likely gained the ability to activate anticipatory neural-immune responses that would have historically benefited reproduction and survival; the presence of social safety, in turn, likely dampened these responses. Viewing positive and negative social experiences through this lens affords a biologically based evolutionary account for why certain stressors are particularly impactful. It also provides an integrated, multi-level framework for investigating the biopsychosocial roots of psychopathology, health disparities, aging, longevity, and interpersonal cognition and behavior. Ultimately, this work has the potential to inform new strategies for reducing disease risk and promoting resilience.

Characteristics of the gut microbiota in women with premenstrual symptoms: A cross-sectional study

Purpose

Premenstrual symptoms can negatively impact the quality of life of women through a range of mood, behavioral, and physical symptoms. The association between the microbiota and brain function has been extensively studied. Here, we examined the characteristics of the microbiota in women with premenstrual disorders (PMDs) and the association between premenstrual symptoms and the microbiota.

Materials and methods

In this single center cross-sectional pilot study, we recruited 27 women reporting premenstrual symptoms and 29 women with no serious premenstrual symptoms. Among them, we further selected 21 women experiencing premenstrual symptoms resulting in interference to their social life (PMDs group) and 22 women with no serious premenstrual symptoms and thereby no interference to their social life (control group). The severity of symptoms was evaluated by a premenstrual symptoms questionnaire (PSQ). Inflammatory markers were analyzed in blood samples, including C reactive protein, soluble CD14, and lipopolysaccharide binding protein. Sequencing of 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid genes was performed on stool samples.

Results

Inflammatory markers in blood samples did not differ significantly between the PMDs and control groups. A difference in beta, but not alpha diversity, was detected for the gut microbiotas of the PMDs and control groups. The relative abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum was lower in the PMDs group. At the genus level, the prevalence was decreased for Butyricicoccus, Extibacter, Megasphaera, and Parabacteroides and increased for Anaerotaenia in the PMDs group, but after false discovery rate correction, these differences were no longer significant. Linear discriminant effect size analysis revealed a decrease in Extibacter, Butyricicoccus, Megasphaera, and Parabacteroides and an increase in Anaerotaenia in the PMDs group. The PSQ total score correlated with Anaerotaenia, Extibacter, and Parabacteroides. Multiple regression analysis showed that Parabacteroides and Megasphaera negatively predicted the PSQ total score.

Conclusion

The properties of the gut microbiota are associated with premenstrual symptoms.

The Challenges of Eradicating Pediatric Helicobacter pylori Infection in the Era of Probiotics

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), the most common infection of childhood, results in life-threatening complications during adulthood if left untreated. Most of these complications are related to H. pylori-induced chronic inflammation. The dysbiosis caused by H. pylori is not limited to the gastric microenvironment, but it affects the entire gastrointestinal tract. Eradication of H. pylori has recently become a real challenge for clinicians due to both the persistent increase in antibiotic resistance worldwide and the wide spectrum of side effects associated with the eradication regimens resulting; therefore, there is an urgent need for more effective and less noxious treatment options. Thus, probiotics might be a promising choice in both adults and children with H. pylori infection since their role in improving the eradication rate of this infection has been proved in multiple studies. The positive effects of probiotics might be explained by their abilities to produce antimicrobial compounds and antioxidants, alter local gastric pH, and subsequently decrease H. pylori colonization and adherence to gastric epithelial cells. Nevertheless, if used alone probiotics do not considerably increase the eradication rate.

Examining the genomic features of human and plant-associated Burkholderia strains

Humans and plants have evolved in the near omnipresence of a microbial milieu, and the factors that govern host-microbe interactions continue to require scientific exploration. To better understand if and to what degree patterns between microbial genomic features and host association (i.e., human and plant) exist, I analyzed the genomes of select Burkholderia strains-a bacterial genus comprised of both human and plant-associated strains-that were isolated from either humans or plants. To this end, I uncovered host-specific, genomic patterns related to metabolic pathway potentials in addition to convergent features that may be related to pathogenic overlap between hosts. Together, these findings detail the genomic associations of human and plant-associated Burkholderia strains and provide a framework for future investigations that seek to link host-host transmission potentials.

Potential of Probiotics as an Adjunct for Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is an enfeebling disease with a lifetime incidence of 20%. While accumulating studies implicate a correlation between the disease and gut microbiota, data show that not every patient responded to probiotic treatments. To comprehensively assess the potential role of probiotics in MDD, this study first summarizes the current pathological hypothesis of the disease from a life-stage perspective, focuses on the potential role of "depression gut microbiota." Currently available managements are then briefly summarized and novel bio-materials having potential therapeutic effects on MDD are also evaluated. To harness the positive effect of probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics, clinical evidence and their applications on MDD patients are listed. Factors that may counteract the pre/probiotic applications, such as diet, physiology, gender difference, and use of antibiotics and antidepressants are also discussed. The endocannabinoid (eCBs) system may be promising targets for probiotic therapy. More evidence is needed to demonstrate the hierarchical factors in the complex network driving the disease, and probiotic can be one promising adjunct for patients with MDD.

Encouragement of cervical cancer screening via an evolutionary theoretical approach: a randomized controlled study in Japan

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This is the first study of evolutionary approaches to encourage cancer screening.

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We tested the effect of a message targeting the fundamental human motive of kin care.

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Kin care messages are such as “get cervical cancer screening for future childbirth.”

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A message targeting the fundamental motive of disease avoidance was also tested.

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The kin care message was as effective as the disease avoidance message.

The introduction of an evolutionary perspective into public health research has received attention in recent years. We aimed to examine the effects of messages that target the fundamental human motive of kin care (i.e., childbirth and parenting) on cervical cancer screening recommendations, based on an evolutionary theoretical approach. A randomized controlled study was conducted in Japan. Female participants (n = 969) were randomly assigned either to a group that received an intervention message that targeted the fundamental motive of kin care (recommending cervical cancer screening for future childbearing), or that targeted the fundamental motive of disease avoidance, or a control message. Intention to obtain cervical cancer screening was assessed both before and after reading the messages. A one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s or Games–Howell test was conducted. Each of the intervention message targeting the fundamental motive of kin care and of the message targeting disease avoidance significantly increased intention to obtain cervical cancer screening versus a control message (M = 0.76 vs. M = 0.17, p < 0.001; M = 0.74 vs. M = 0.17, p < 0.001, respectively). A message that targeted the fundamental motive of kin care was as effective as one targeting the fundamental motive of disease avoidance. Health professionals should add messages that target the fundamental motive of kin care to their repertoire to encourage cervical cancer screening among women who wish future childbirth and parenting (e.g., “Delayed detection of cervical cancer may prevent your future childbirth and parenting. So let’s obtain cervical cancer screening regularly for your future childbirth and parenting.”)

Encouraging HPV Vaccination via an Evolutionary Theoretical Approach: A Randomized Controlled Study in Japan

In recent years, researchers have discussed the introduction of an evolutionary perspective into public health and health behavior research. We aimed to examine the effects of messages that target the fundamental human motive of kin care on HPV vaccination recommendations among mothers with daughters, based on an evolutionary theoretical approach. This study consisted of a three-arm parallel-group single-blinded randomized controlled study. A web-based survey was conducted from 7 to 8 October 2021 in Japan. Mothers with daughters (n = 969) were randomly assigned either to a group that received an intervention message that targeted the fundamental motive of kin care, or that targeted the fundamental motive of disease avoidance, or a control message. Intention to have daughter(s) receive HPV vaccination was assessed both before and right after reading the messages. A one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s or Games−Howell test was conducted. An intervention message targeting the fundamental motive of kin care and disease avoidance significantly increased intention of vaccination versus a control message (p < 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference between the two intervention groups. The evolutionary theoretical approach that focuses on fundamental human motives may have the potential to extend the communication strategy for HPV vaccination recommendations. Health professionals may be recommended to deliver messages that target the fundamental motive of kin care as well as messages about the susceptibility and severity of cervical cancer and vaccine efficacy (e.g., “Getting cervical cancer can prevent childbirth. To protect your daughter and your future grandchildren, get your daughter vaccinated against HPV”). However, the present study only evaluated HPV vaccination intentions in Japanese mothers with daughters. Future studies should evaluate vaccination behavior in a wider range of subjects to confirm that the evolutionary theoretical approach promotes HPV vaccination.

Quo Vadis Psychiatry? Why It Is Time to Endorse Evolutionary Theory

In recent decades, psychiatry and the neurosciences have made little progress in terms of preventing, diagnosing, classifying, or treating mental disorders. Here we argue that the dilemma of psychiatry and the neurosciences is, in part, based on fundamental misconceptions about the human mind, including misdirected nature-nurture debates, the lack of definitional concepts of "normalcy," distinguishing defense from defect, disregarding life history theory, evolutionarily uninformed genetic and epigenetic research, the "disconnection" of the brain from the rest of the body, and lack of attention to actual behavior in real-world interactions. All these conceptual difficulties could potentially benefit from an approach that uses evolutionary theory to improve the understanding of causal mechanisms, gene-environment interaction, individual differences in behavioral ecology, interaction between the gut (and other organs) and the brain, as well as cross-cultural and across-species comparison. To foster this development would require reform of the curricula of medical schools.

Panoramic Insights into Microevolution and Macroevolution of A Prevotella copri-containing Lineage in Primate Guts

Prevotella copri and its related taxa are widely detected in mammalian gut microbiomes and have been linked with an enterotype in humans. However, their microevolution and macroevolution among hosts are poorly characterized. In this study, extensively collected marker genes and genomes were analyzed to trace their evolutionary history, host specificity, and biogeographic distribution. Investigations based on marker genes and genomes suggest that a P. copri-containing lineage (PCL) harbors diverse species in higher primates. Firstly, P. copri in the human gut consisted of multiple groups exhibiting high genomic divergence and conspicuous but non-strict biogeographic patterns. Most African strains with high genomic divergence from other strains were phylogenetically located at the root of the species, indicating the co-evolutionary history of P. copri and Homo sapiens. Secondly, although long-term co-evolution between PCL and higher primates was revealed, sporadic signals of co-speciation and extensive host jumping of PCL members were suggested among higher primates. Metagenomic and phylogenetic analyses indicated that P. copri and other PCL species found in domesticated mammals had been recently transmitted from humans. Thirdly, strong evidence was found on the extensively horizontal transfer of genes (e.g., genes encoding carbohydrate-active enzymes) among sympatric P. copri groups and PCL species in the same primate host. Our study provides panoramic insights into the combined effects of vertical and horizontal transmission, as well as potential niche adaptation, on the microevolutionary and macroevolutionary history for an enterotype-representative lineage.

Evolution, the Immune System, and the Health Consequences of Socioeconomic Inequality

Healthy development and function of essentially all physiological systems and organs, including the brain, require exposure to the microbiota of our mothers and of the natural environment, especially in early life. We also know that some infections, if we survive them, modulate the immune system in relevant ways. If we study the evolution of the immune and metabolic systems, we can understand how these requirements developed and the nature of the organisms that we need to encounter. We can then begin to identify the mechanisms of the beneficial effects of these exposures. Against this evolutionary background, we can analyze the ways in which the modern urban lifestyle, particularly for individuals experiencing low socioeconomic status (SES), results in deficient or distorted microbial exposures and microbiomes. Thus, an evolutionary approach facilitates the identification of practical solutions to the growing scandal of health disparities linked to inequality.

Ethnic Specificity of Species and Strain Composition of Lactobacillus Populations From Mother–Infant Pairs, Uncovered by Multilocus Sequence Typing

The maternal gut is thought to be the principal source of potential probiotic bacteria in the infant gut during the lactation stage. It is not clear whether facultative symbiont lactobacilli strictly follow vertical transmission from mother to infant and display the ethnic specificity in terms of species and strain composition in mother–infant cohorts. In the present study, a total of 16 former Lactobacillus species (365 strains) and 11 species (280 strains) were retrieved from 31 healthy mother–infant pairs of two ethnic groups, which have never intermarried, respectively. The result showed that the composition and number of Lactobacillus species between the two ethnic groups varied. Among 106 Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strains isolated, 64 representative strains were classified into 27 sequence types (ST) by means of multilocus sequence typing (MLST), of which 20 STs derived from 33 Uighur strains and 7 STs from 31 Li strains, and no homologous recombination event of genes was detected between strains of different ethnic groups. A go-EBURST analysis revealed that except for a few mother–infant pairs in which more than one STs were detected, L. paracasei isolates from the same mother–infant pair were found to be monophyletic in most cases, confirming vertical transfer of Lactobacillus at the strain level. More notably, L. paracasei isolates from the same ethnic group were more likely than strains from another to be incorporated into a specific phylogenetic clade or clonal complex (CC) with similar metabolic profile of glycan, supporting the hypothesis of ethnic specificity to a large degree. Our study provides evidence for the development of personalized probiotic tailored to very homogenous localized populations from the perspective of maternal and child health.

Greater chronic morbidity is associated with greater fatigue in six countries

Background and objectives

Human susceptibility to chronic non-communicable disease may be explained, in part, by mismatches between our evolved biology and contemporary environmental conditions. Disease-induced fatigue may function to reduce physical activity during acute infection, thereby making more energy available to mount an effective immune response. However, fatigue in the context of chronic disease may be maladaptive because long-term reductions in physical activity increase risks of disease progression and the acquisition of additional morbidities. Here, we test whether cumulative chronic morbidity is associated with subjective fatigue.

Methodology

We constructed a cumulative chronic morbidity score using self-reported diagnoses and algorithm-based assessments, and a subjective fatigue score based on four questionnaire items using cross-sectional survey data from the Study on global AGEing and adult health, which features large samples of adults from six countries (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa).

Results

In a mixed-effects linear model with participants nested in countries (N = 32 455), greater cumulative chronic morbidity is associated with greater subjective fatigue (β = 0.34, SE = 0.005, P < 2e−16). This association replicates within each country and is robust to adjustment for key sociodemographic and physical covariates (sex, age, household wealth, physical function score, habitual physical activity, BMI and BMI²).

Conclusions and implications

Fatigue is a common but perhaps maladaptive neuropsychological response to chronic morbidity. Disease-induced fatigue may mediate a self-perpetuating cycle, in which chronic morbidity reduces physical activity, and less physical activity increases cumulative chronic morbidity. Longitudinal research is needed to test whether chronic morbidity, fatigue and physical activity form a cyclical feedback loop.

Lay Summary: Fatigue during acute illness may promote recovery, but persistent fatigue in the context of chronic disease may make matters worse. We present evidence from six countries that more chronic disease is associated with more fatigue. This fatigue may reduce physical activity, which increases risks of acquiring additional chronic health problems.

Human placental biology at single-cell resolution: a contemporaneous review

Single-cell technologies capture cellular heterogeneity to focus on previously poorly described subpopulations of cells. Work by our laboratory and many others has metagenomically characterised a low biomass intrauterine microbial community, alongside microbial transcripts, antigens and metabolites, but the functional importance of low biomass microbial communities in placental immuno-microenvironments is still being elucidated. Given their hypothesised role in modulating inflammation and immune ontogeny to enable tolerance of beneficial microbes while warding off pathogens, there is a need for single-cell resolution. Herein, we summarise the potential for mechanistic understanding of these and other key fundamental early developmental processes by applying single-cell approaches.

Common Environmental Pollutants Negatively Affect Development and Regeneration in the Sea Anemone Nematostella vectensis Holobiont

The anthozoan sea anemone Nematostella vectensis belongs to the phylum of cnidarians which also includes jellyfish and corals. Nematostella are native to United States East Coast marsh lands, where they constantly adapt to changes in salinity, temperature, oxygen concentration and pH. Its natural ability to continually acclimate to changing environments coupled with its genetic tractability render Nematostella a powerful model organism in which to study the effects of common pollutants on the natural development of these animals. Potassium nitrate, commonly used in fertilizers, and Phthalates, a component of plastics are frequent environmental stressors found in coastal and marsh waters. Here we present data showing how early exposure to these pollutants lead to dramatic defects in development of the embryos and eventual mortality possibly due to defects in feeding ability. Additionally, we examined the microbiome of the animals and identified shifts in the microbial community that correlated with the type of water that was used to grow the animals, and with their exposure to pollutants.

Colonization of fecal microbiota from patients with neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis exacerbates intestinal injury in germfree mice subjected to necrotizing enterocolitis-induction protocol via alterations in butyrate and regulatory T cells

BACKGROUND

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains a life-threatening disease in neonates. Numerous studies have shown a correlation between the intestinal microbiota and NEC, but the causal link remains unclear. This study aimed to demonstrate the causal role of gut microbiota in NEC and explore potential mechanisms involved.

METHODS

Eighty-one fecal samples from patients with NEC and eighty-one matched controls (matched to the NEC infants by gestational age, birth weight, date of birth, mode of delivery and feeding patterns) were collected. To explore if altered gut microbiota contributes to the pathogenesis of NEC, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was carried out in germ-free (GF) mice prior to a NEC-induction protocol that included exposure to hypoxia and cold stress. Butyric acid was also administered to demonstrate its role in NEC. The fecal microbiota from patients and mice were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. Short chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The ontogeny of T cells and regulatory T cells (T_regs) in lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMC) from the ileum of patients and mice were isolated and analyzed by flow cytometry.The transcription of inflammatory cytokines was quantified by qRT-PCR.

RESULTS

NEC patients had increased Proteobacteria and decreased Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes compared to fecal control samples, and the level of butyric acid in the NEC group was lower than the control group. FMT in GF mice with samples from NEC patients achieved a higher histological injury scores when compared to mice that received FMT with control samples. Alterations in microbiota and butyrate levels were maintained in mice following FMT. The ratio of T_reg/CD4⁺T (T_helper) cells was reduced in both NEC patients and mice modeling NEC following FMT.

CONCLUSIONS

The microbiota was found to have NEC and the microbial butyrate-T_reg axis was identified as a potential mechanism for the observed effects.