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Cross TWL, Simpson AMR, Lin CY, Hottmann NM, Bhatt AP, Pellock SJ, Nelson ER, Loman BR, Wallig MA, Vivas EI, Suchodolski J, Redinbo MR, Rey FE, Swanson KS. Gut microbiome responds to alteration in female sex hormone status and exacerbates metabolic dysfunction. Gut Microbes 2024; 16:2295429. [PMID: 38153260 PMCID: PMC10761013 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2023.2295429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Women are at significantly greater risk of metabolic dysfunction after menopause, which subsequently leads to numerous chronic illnesses. The gut microbiome is associated with obesity and metabolic dysfunction, but its interaction with female sex hormone status and the resulting impact on host metabolism remains unclear. Herein, we characterized inflammatory and metabolic phenotypes as well as the gut microbiome associated with ovariectomy and high-fat diet feeding, compared to gonadal intact and low-fat diet controls. We then performed fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) using gnotobiotic mice to identify the impact of ovariectomy-associated gut microbiome on inflammatory and metabolic outcomes. We demonstrated that ovariectomy led to greater gastrointestinal permeability and inflammation of the gut and metabolic organs, and that a high-fat diet exacerbated these phenotypes. Ovariectomy also led to alteration of the gut microbiome, including greater fecal β-glucuronidase activity. However, differential changes in the gut microbiome only occurred when fed a low-fat diet, not the high-fat diet. Gnotobiotic mice that received the gut microbiome from ovariectomized mice fed the low-fat diet had greater weight gain and hepatic gene expression related to metabolic dysfunction and inflammation than those that received intact sham control-associated microbiome. These results indicate that the gut microbiome responds to alterations in female sex hormone status and contributes to metabolic dysfunction. Identifying and developing gut microbiome-targeted modulators to regulate sex hormones may be useful therapeutically in remediating menopause-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Wen L. Cross
- Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Ching-Yen Lin
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Natasha M. Hottmann
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Aadra P. Bhatt
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Samuel J. Pellock
- Departments of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Microbiology & Immunology, and The Integrated Program for Biological and Genome Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Erik R. Nelson
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology-Anticancer Discovery from Pets to People, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Brett R. Loman
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Matthew A. Wallig
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Eugenio I. Vivas
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jan Suchodolski
- Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Matthew R. Redinbo
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Departments of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Microbiology & Immunology, and The Integrated Program for Biological and Genome Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Federico E. Rey
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kelly S. Swanson
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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Jessop F, Schwarz B, Bohrnsen E, Bosio CM. Route of Francisella tularensis infection informs spatiotemporal metabolic reprogramming and inflammation in mice. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293450. [PMID: 37883420 PMCID: PMC10602361 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Route of exposure to pathogens can inform divergent disease pathogenesis and mortality rates. However, the features that contribute to these differences are not well established. Host metabolism has emerged as a critical element governing susceptibility and the metabolism of tissue exposure sites are unique. Therefore, specific metabolic niches may contribute to the course and outcome of infection depending on route of infection. In the current study, we utilized a combination of imaging and systems metabolomics to map the spatiotemporal dynamics of the host response to intranasal (i.n.) or intradermal (i.d.) infection of mice using the bacterium Francisella tularensis subsp tularensis (FTT). FTT causes lethal disease through these infection routes with similar inoculation doses and replication kinetics, which allowed for isolation of host outcomes independent of bacterial burden. We observed metabolic modifications that were both route dependent and independent. Specifically, i.d. infection resulted in early metabolic reprogramming at the site of infection and draining lymph nodes, whereas the lungs and associated draining lymph nodes were refractory to metabolic reprogramming following i.n. infection. Irrespective of exposure route, FTT promoted metabolic changes in systemic organs prior to colonization, and caused massive dysregulation of host metabolism in these tissues prior to onset of morbidity. Preconditioning infection sites towards a more glycolytic and pro-inflammatory state prior to infection exacerbated FTT replication within the lungs but not intradermal tissue. This enhancement of replication in the lungs was associated with the ability of FTT to limit redox imbalance and alter the pentose phosphate pathway. Together, these studies identify central metabolic features of the lung and dermal compartments that contribute to disease progression and identify potential tissue specific targets that may be exploited for novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Forrest Jessop
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, Hamilton, MT, United States of America
| | - Benjamin Schwarz
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, Hamilton, MT, United States of America
| | - Eric Bohrnsen
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, Hamilton, MT, United States of America
| | - Catharine M. Bosio
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, Hamilton, MT, United States of America
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Jentho E, Sousa AGG, Ramos S, Ademolue TW, Sobral J, Costa J, Brito D, Manteiro M, Leite RB, Lilue J, Soares MP. Single-cell RNA sequencing and analysis of rodent blood stage Plasmodium. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102491. [PMID: 37581982 PMCID: PMC10436236 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Bulk RNA sequencing of Plasmodium spp., the causative parasite of malaria, fails to discriminate developmental-stage-specific gene regulation. Here, we provide a protocol that uses single-cell RNA sequencing of FACS-sorted Plasmodium-chabaudi-chabaudi-AS-infected red blood cells (iRBCs) to characterize developmental-stage-specific modulation of gene expression during malaria blood stage. We describe steps for infecting mice, monitoring disease progression, preparing iRBCs, and single-cell sequencing iRBCs. We then detail procedures for analyzing scRNA-seq data. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Ramos et al.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Jentho
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal; Jena University Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany.
| | | | - Susana Ramos
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - João Sobral
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - João Costa
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Denise Brito
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
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Butyrate Differentiates Permissiveness to Clostridioides difficile Infection and Influences Growth of Diverse C. difficile Isolates. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0057022. [PMID: 36692308 PMCID: PMC9933713 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00570-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
A disrupted "dysbiotic" gut microbiome engenders susceptibility to the diarrheal pathogen Clostridioides difficile by impacting the metabolic milieu of the gut. Diet, in particular the microbiota-accessible carbohydrates (MACs) found in dietary fiber, is one of the most powerful ways to affect the composition and metabolic output of the gut microbiome. As such, diet is a powerful tool for understanding the biology of C. difficile and for developing alternative approaches for coping with this pathogen. One prominent class of metabolites produced by the gut microbiome is short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the major metabolic end products of MAC metabolism. SCFAs are known to decrease the fitness of C. difficile in vitro, and high intestinal SCFA concentrations are associated with reduced fitness of C. difficile in animal models of C. difficile infection (CDI). Here, we use controlled dietary conditions (8 diets that differ only by MAC composition) to show that C. difficile fitness is most consistently impacted by butyrate, rather than the other two prominent SCFAs (acetate and propionate), during murine model CDI. We similarly show that butyrate concentrations are lower in fecal samples from humans with CDI than in those from healthy controls. Finally, we demonstrate that butyrate impacts growth in diverse C. difficile isolates. These findings provide a foundation for future work which will dissect how butyrate directly impacts C. difficile fitness and will lead to the development of diverse approaches distinct from antibiotics or fecal transplant, such as dietary interventions, for mitigating CDI in at-risk human populations. IMPORTANCE Clostridioides difficile is a leading cause of infectious diarrhea in humans, and it imposes a tremendous burden on the health care system. Current treatments for C. difficile infection (CDI) include antibiotics and fecal microbiota transplant, which contribute to recurrent CDIs and face major regulatory hurdles, respectively. Therefore, there is an ongoing need to develop new ways to cope with CDI. Notably, a disrupted "dysbiotic" gut microbiota is the primary risk factor for CDI, but we incompletely understand how a healthy microbiota resists CDI. Here, we show that a specific molecule produced by the gut microbiota, butyrate, is negatively associated with C. difficile burdens in humans and in a mouse model of CDI and that butyrate impedes the growth of diverse C. difficile strains in pure culture. These findings help to build a foundation for designing alternative, possibly diet-based, strategies for mitigating CDI in humans.
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Ramos S, Ademolue TW, Jentho E, Wu Q, Guerra J, Martins R, Pires G, Weis S, Carlos AR, Mahú I, Seixas E, Duarte D, Rajas F, Cardoso S, Sousa AGG, Lilue J, Paixão T, Mithieux G, Nogueira F, Soares MP. A hypometabolic defense strategy against malaria. Cell Metab 2022; 34:1183-1200.e12. [PMID: 35841892 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Hypoglycemia is a clinical hallmark of severe malaria, the often-lethal outcome of Plasmodium falciparum infection. Here, we report that malaria-associated hypoglycemia emerges from a non-canonical resistance mechanism, whereby the infected host reduces glycemia to starve Plasmodium. This hypometabolic response is elicited by labile heme, a byproduct of hemolysis that induces illness-induced anorexia and represses hepatic glucose production. While transient repression of hepatic glucose production prevents unfettered immune-mediated inflammation, organ damage, and anemia, when sustained over time it leads to hypoglycemia, compromising host energy expenditure and adaptive thermoregulation. The latter arrests the development of asexual stages of Plasmodium via a mechanism associated with parasite mitochondrial dysfunction. In response, Plasmodium activates a transcriptional program associated with the reduction of virulence and sexual differentiation toward the generation of transmissible gametocytes. In conclusion, malaria-associated hypoglycemia represents a trade-off of a hypometabolic-based defense strategy that balances parasite virulence versus transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Ramos
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Elisa Jentho
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal; Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany
| | - Qian Wu
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Joel Guerra
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany
| | - Rui Martins
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Gil Pires
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Sebastian Weis
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany; Institute for Infectious Disease and Infection Control, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany; Center for Sepsis Control and Care, Jena University, Jena, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | | | - Inês Mahú
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Elsa Seixas
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Denise Duarte
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | | | | | | | - Tiago Paixão
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Fátima Nogueira
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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Kamiya T, Davis NM, Greischar MA, Schneider D, Mideo N. Linking functional and molecular mechanisms of host resilience to malaria infection. eLife 2021; 10:e65846. [PMID: 34636723 PMCID: PMC8510579 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
It remains challenging to understand why some hosts suffer severe illnesses, while others are unscathed by the same infection. We fitted a mathematical model to longitudinal measurements of parasite and red blood cell density in murine hosts from diverse genetic backgrounds to identify aspects of within-host interactions that explain variation in host resilience and survival during acute malaria infection. Among eight mouse strains that collectively span 90% of the common genetic diversity of laboratory mice, we found that high host mortality was associated with either weak parasite clearance, or a strong, yet imprecise response that inadvertently removes uninfected cells in excess. Subsequent cross-sectional cytokine assays revealed that the two distinct functional mechanisms of poor survival were underpinned by low expression of either pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokines, respectively. By combining mathematical modelling and molecular immunology assays, our study uncovered proximate mechanisms of diverse infection outcomes across multiple host strains and biological scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsukushi Kamiya
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Nicole M Davis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Megan A Greischar
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
| | - David Schneider
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Nicole Mideo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
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