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Letourneau J, Carrion VM, Jiang S, Osborne OW, Holmes ZC, Fox A, Epstein P, Tan CY, Kirtley M, Surana NK, David LA. Interplay between particle size and microbial ecology in the gut microbiome. bioRxiv 2024:2024.04.26.591376. [PMID: 38712077 PMCID: PMC11071529 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.26.591376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Physical particles can serve as critical abiotic factors that structure the ecology of microbial communities. For non-human vertebrate gut microbiomes, fecal particle size (FPS) has been known to be shaped by chewing efficiency and diet. However, little is known about what drives FPS in the human gut. Here, we analyzed FPS by laser diffraction across a total of 76 individuals and found FPS to be strongly individualized. Surprisingly, a behavioral intervention with 41 volunteers designed to increase chewing efficiency did not impact FPS. Dietary patterns could also not be associated with FPS. Instead, we found evidence that mammalian and human gut microbiomes shaped FPS. Fecal samples from germ-free and antibiotic-treated mice exhibited increased FPS relative to colonized mice. In humans, markers of longer transit time were correlated with smaller FPS. Gut microbiota diversity and composition were also associated with FPS. Finally, ex vivo culture experiments using human fecal microbiota from distinct donors showed that differences in microbiota community composition can drive variation in particle size. Together, our results support an ecological model in which the human gut microbiome plays a key role in reducing the size of food particles during digestion, and that the microbiomes of individuals vary in this capacity. These new insights also suggest FPS in humans to be governed by processes beyond those found in other mammals and emphasize the importance of gut microbiota in shaping their own abiotic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Letourneau
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Verónica M Carrion
- Duke Office of Clinical Research, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Sharon Jiang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Olivia W Osborne
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Zachary C Holmes
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Aiden Fox
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Piper Epstein
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Chin Yee Tan
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Michelle Kirtley
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Neeraj K Surana
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
- Department of Integrative Immunobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
- Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Lawrence A David
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
- Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
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2
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Davey LE, Malkus PN, Villa M, Dolat L, Holmes ZC, Letourneau J, Ansaldo E, David LA, Barton GM, Valdivia RH. A genetic system for Akkermansia muciniphila reveals a role for mucin foraging in gut colonization and host sterol biosynthesis gene expression. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:1450-1467. [PMID: 37337046 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01407-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Akkermansia muciniphila, a mucophilic member of the gut microbiota, protects its host against metabolic disorders. Because it is genetically intractable, the mechanisms underlying mucin metabolism, gut colonization and its impact on host physiology are not well understood. Here we developed and applied transposon mutagenesis to identify genes important for intestinal colonization and for the use of mucin. An analysis of transposon mutants indicated that de novo biosynthesis of amino acids was required for A. muciniphila growth on mucin medium and that many glycoside hydrolases are redundant. We observed that mucin degradation products accumulate in internal compartments within bacteria in a process that requires genes encoding pili and a periplasmic protein complex, which we term mucin utilization locus (MUL) genes. We determined that MUL genes were required for intestinal colonization in mice but only when competing with other microbes. In germ-free mice, MUL genes were required for A. muciniphila to repress genes important for cholesterol biosynthesis in the colon. Our genetic system for A. muciniphila provides an important tool with which to uncover molecular links between the metabolism of mucins, regulation of lipid homeostasis and potential probiotic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Davey
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Per N Malkus
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Max Villa
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lee Dolat
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Zachary C Holmes
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jeff Letourneau
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Eduard Ansaldo
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lawrence A David
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Gregory M Barton
- Division of Immunology and Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Raphael H Valdivia
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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Holmes ZC, Tang H, Liu C, Bush A, Neubert BC, Jiao Y, Covington M, Cardona DM, Kirtley MC, Chen BJ, Chao NJ, David LA, Sung AD. Prebiotic galactooligosaccharides interact with mouse gut microbiota to attenuate acute graft-versus-host disease. Blood 2022; 140:2300-2304. [PMID: 35930748 PMCID: PMC10653043 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2021015178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies suggest that gut microbiome disruption induced by chemotherapy, dietary deficiencies, and/or antibiotics are associated with increased incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In a murine model of antibiotic-induced gut microbiome disruption, Holmes and colleagues show that oral administration of galactooligosaccharides (GOS) as a prebiotic attenuates lethal aGVHD, highlighting the crosstalk between diet and gut microbiota. Their data encourage clinical trials of GOS prebiotic diets during HSCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary C. Holmes
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Helen Tang
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Congxiao Liu
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Amy Bush
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Benjamin C. Neubert
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Yiqun Jiao
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Megan Covington
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | | | - Michelle C. Kirtley
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Benny J. Chen
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC
- Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC
| | - Nelson J. Chao
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC
- Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC
| | - Lawrence A. David
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC
- Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Anthony D. Sung
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC
- Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC
- Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University, Durham, NC
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4
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Letourneau J, Holmes ZC, Dallow EP, Durand HK, Jiang S, Carrion VM, Gupta SK, Mincey AC, Muehlbauer MJ, Bain JR, David LA. Ecological memory of prior nutrient exposure in the human gut microbiome. ISME J 2022; 16:2479-2490. [PMID: 35871250 PMCID: PMC9563064 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01292-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
Many ecosystems have been shown to retain a memory of past conditions, which in turn affects how they respond to future stimuli. In microbial ecosystems, community disturbance has been associated with lasting impacts on microbiome structure. However, whether microbial communities alter their response to repeated stimulus remains incompletely understood. Using the human gut microbiome as a model, we show that bacterial communities retain an "ecological memory" of past carbohydrate exposures. Memory of the prebiotic inulin was encoded within a day of supplementation among a cohort of human study participants. Using in vitro gut microbial models, we demonstrated that the strength of ecological memory scales with nutrient dose and persists for days. We found evidence that memory is seeded by transcriptional changes among primary degraders of inulin within hours of nutrient exposure, and that subsequent changes in the activity and abundance of these taxa are sufficient to enhance overall community nutrient metabolism. We also observed that ecological memory of one carbohydrate species impacts microbiome response to other carbohydrates, and that an individual's habitual exposure to dietary fiber was associated with their gut microbiome's efficiency at digesting inulin. Together, these findings suggest that the human gut microbiome's metabolic potential reflects dietary exposures over preceding days and changes within hours of exposure to a novel nutrient. The dynamics of this ecological memory also highlight the potential for intra-individual microbiome variation to affect the design and interpretation of interventions involving the gut microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Letourneau
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Zachary C Holmes
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Eric P Dallow
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Heather K Durand
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sharon Jiang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Verónica M Carrion
- Duke Office of Clinical Research, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Savita K Gupta
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Adam C Mincey
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michael J Muehlbauer
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - James R Bain
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Medicine (Endocrinology), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lawrence A David
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
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5
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Holmes ZC, Villa MM, Durand HK, Jiang S, Dallow EP, Petrone BL, Silverman JD, Lin PH, David LA. Microbiota responses to different prebiotics are conserved within individuals and associated with habitual fiber intake. Microbiome 2022; 10:114. [PMID: 35902900 PMCID: PMC9336045 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01307-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) derived from gut bacteria are associated with protective roles in diseases ranging from obesity to colorectal cancers. Intake of microbially accessible dietary fibers (prebiotics) lead to varying effects on SCFA production in human studies, and gut microbial responses to nutritional interventions vary by individual. It is therefore possible that prebiotic therapies will require customizing to individuals. RESULTS Here, we explored prebiotic personalization by conducting a three-way crossover study of three prebiotic treatments in healthy adults. We found that within individuals, metabolic responses were correlated across the three prebiotics. Individual identity, rather than prebiotic choice, was also the major determinant of SCFA response. Across individuals, prebiotic response was inversely related to basal fecal SCFA concentration, which, in turn, was associated with habitual fiber intake. Experimental measures of gut microbial SCFA production for each participant also negatively correlated with fiber consumption, supporting a model in which individuals' gut microbiota are limited in their overall capacity to produce fecal SCFAs from fiber. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support developing personalized prebiotic regimens that focus on selecting individuals who stand to benefit, and that such individuals are likely to be deficient in fiber intake. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary C. Holmes
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
| | - Max M. Villa
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
| | - Heather K. Durand
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
| | - Sharon Jiang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
| | - Eric P. Dallow
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
| | - Brianna L. Petrone
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
| | - Justin D. Silverman
- College of Information Science and Technology, Penn State University, Westgate Bldg, University Park, PA 16802 USA
- Department of Medicine, Penn State University, Hershey, Westgate Bldg, University Park, PA 16802 USA
- Institute for Computational and Data Science, Penn State University, Westgate Bldg, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Pao-Hwa Lin
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University, Stedman Nutrition Ctr, 3475 Erwin Rd, Durham, NC 27705 USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Stedman Nutrition Ctr, 3475 Erwin Rd, Durham, NC 27705 USA
| | - Lawrence A. David
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University, 3 Genome Court, Durham, NC 27705 USA
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6
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Becken B, Davey L, Middleton DR, Mueller KD, Sharma A, Holmes ZC, Dallow E, Remick B, Barton GM, David LA, McCann JR, Armstrong SC, Malkus P, Valdivia RH. Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity among Human Isolates of Akkermansia muciniphila. mBio 2021; 12:e00478-21. [PMID: 34006653 PMCID: PMC8262928 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00478-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mucophilic anaerobic bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila is a prominent member of the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota and the only known species of the Verrucomicrobia phylum in the mammalian gut. A high prevalence of A. muciniphila in adult humans is associated with leanness and a lower risk for the development of obesity and diabetes. Four distinct A. muciniphila phylogenetic groups have been described, but little is known about their relative abundance in humans or how they impact human metabolic health. In this study, we isolated and characterized 71 new A. muciniphila strains from a cohort of children and adolescents undergoing treatment for obesity. Based on genomic and phenotypic analysis of these strains, we found several phylogroup-specific phenotypes that may impact the colonization of the GI tract or modulate host functions, such as oxygen tolerance, adherence to epithelial cells, iron and sulfur metabolism, and bacterial aggregation. In antibiotic-treated mice, phylogroups AmIV and AmII outcompeted AmI strains. In children and adolescents, AmI strains were most prominent, but we observed high variance in A. muciniphila abundance and single phylogroup dominance, with phylogroup switching occurring in a small subset of patients. Overall, these results highlight that the ecological principles determining which A. muciniphila phylogroup predominates in humans are complex and that A. muciniphila strain genetic and phenotypic diversity may represent an important variable that should be taken into account when making inferences as to this microbe's impact on its host's health.IMPORTANCE The abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is linked to multiple positive health outcomes. There are four known A. muciniphila phylogroups, yet the prevalence of these phylogroups and how they vary in their ability to influence human health is largely unknown. In this study, we performed a genomic and phenotypic analysis of 71 A. muciniphila strains and identified phylogroup-specific traits such as oxygen tolerance, adherence, and sulfur acquisition that likely influence colonization of the GI tract and differentially impact metabolic and immunological health. In humans, we observed that single Akkermansia phylogroups predominate at a given time but that the phylotype can switch in an individual. This collection of strains provides the foundation for the functional characterization of A. muciniphila phylogroup-specific effects on the multitude of host outcomes associated with Akkermansia colonization, including protection from obesity, diabetes, colitis, and neurological diseases, as well as enhanced responses to cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradford Becken
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren Davey
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dustin R Middleton
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Katherine D Mueller
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Agastya Sharma
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Zachary C Holmes
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eric Dallow
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Brenna Remick
- Division of Immunology & Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Gregory M Barton
- Division of Immunology & Pathogenesis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Lawrence A David
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jessica R McCann
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sarah C Armstrong
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Hospital, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Per Malkus
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Raphael H Valdivia
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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7
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Cholan PM, Han A, Woodie BR, Watchon M, Kurz AR, Laird AS, Britton WJ, Ye L, Holmes ZC, McCann JR, David LA, Rawls JF, Oehlers SH. Conserved anti-inflammatory effects and sensing of butyrate in zebrafish. Gut Microbes 2020; 12:1-11. [PMID: 33064972 PMCID: PMC7575005 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2020.1824563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are produced by microbial fermentation of dietary fiber in the gut. Butyrate is a particularly important SCFA with anti-inflammatory properties and is generally present at lower levels in inflammatory diseases associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis in mammals. We aimed to determine if SCFAs are produced by the zebrafish microbiome and if SCFAs exert conserved effects on zebrafish immunity as an example of the non-mammalian vertebrate immune system. We demonstrate that bacterial communities from adult zebrafish intestines synthesize all three main SCFA in vitro, although SCFA were below our detectable limits in zebrafish intestines in vivo. Immersion in butyrate, but not acetate or propionate, reduced the recruitment of neutrophils and M1-type pro-inflammatory macrophages to wounds. We found conservation of butyrate sensing by neutrophils via orthologs of the hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 1 (hcar1) gene. Neutrophils from Hcar1-depleted embryos were no longer responsive to the anti-inflammatory effects of butyrate, while macrophage sensitivity to butyrate was independent of Hcar1. Our data demonstrate conservation of anti-inflammatory butyrate effects and identify the presence of a conserved molecular receptor in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradeep Manuneedhi Cholan
- Tuberculosis Research Program at the Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia
| | - Alvin Han
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University School of Medicine , Durham, NC, USA
| | - Brad R Woodie
- Tuberculosis Research Program at the Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University School of Medicine , Durham, NC, USA
| | - Maxinne Watchon
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University , Macquarie Park, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia
| | - Angela Rm Kurz
- Centenary Imaging and Sydney Cytometry at the Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia
| | - Angela S Laird
- Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University , Macquarie Park, Australia
| | - Warwick J Britton
- Tuberculosis Research Program at the Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,The University of Sydney, Discipline of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, And Marie Bashir Institute , Camperdown, Australia.,Department of Clinical Immunology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital , Camperdown, Australia
| | - Lihua Ye
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University School of Medicine , Durham, NC, USA
| | - Zachary C Holmes
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University School of Medicine , Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jessica R McCann
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University School of Medicine , Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lawrence A David
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University School of Medicine , Durham, NC, USA
| | - John F Rawls
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke Microbiome Center, Duke University School of Medicine , Durham, NC, USA
| | - Stefan H Oehlers
- Tuberculosis Research Program at the Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, Australia.,The University of Sydney, Discipline of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, And Marie Bashir Institute , Camperdown, Australia
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8
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Holmes ZC, Silverman JD, Dressman HK, Wei Z, Dallow EP, Armstrong SC, Seed PC, Rawls JF, David LA. Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production by Gut Microbiota from Children with Obesity Differs According to Prebiotic Choice and Bacterial Community Composition. mBio 2020; 11:e00914-20. [PMID: 32788375 PMCID: PMC7439474 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00914-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pediatric obesity remains a public health burden and continues to increase in prevalence. The gut microbiota plays a causal role in obesity and is a promising therapeutic target. Specifically, the microbial production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) from the fermentation of otherwise indigestible dietary carbohydrates may protect against pediatric obesity and metabolic syndrome. Still, it has not been demonstrated that therapies involving microbiota-targeting carbohydrates, known as prebiotics, will enhance gut bacterial SCFA production in children and adolescents with obesity (age, 10 to 18 years old). Here, we used an in vitro system to examine the SCFA production by fecal microbiota from 17 children with obesity when exposed to five different commercially available over-the-counter (OTC) prebiotic supplements. We found microbiota from all 17 patients actively metabolized most prebiotics. Still, supplements varied in their acidogenic potential. Significant interdonor variation also existed in SCFA production, which 16S rRNA sequencing supported as being associated with differences in the host microbiota composition. Last, we found that neither fecal SCFA concentration, microbiota SCFA production capacity, nor markers of obesity positively correlated with one another. Together, these in vitro findings suggest the hypothesis that OTC prebiotic supplements may be unequal in their ability to stimulate SCFA production in children and adolescents with obesity and that the most acidogenic prebiotic may differ across individuals.IMPORTANCE Pediatric obesity remains a major public health problem in the United States, where 17% of children and adolescents are obese, and rates of pediatric "severe obesity" are increasing. Children and adolescents with obesity face higher health risks, and noninvasive therapies for pediatric obesity often have limited success. The human gut microbiome has been implicated in adult obesity, and microbiota-directed therapies can aid weight loss in adults with obesity. However, less is known about the microbiome in pediatric obesity, and microbiota-directed therapies are understudied in children and adolescents. Our research has two important findings: (i) dietary prebiotics (fiber) result in the microbiota from adolescents with obesity producing more SCFA, and (ii) the effectiveness of each prebiotic is donor dependent. Together, these findings suggest that prebiotic supplements could help children and adolescents with obesity, but that these therapies may not be "one size fits all."
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary C Holmes
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Justin D Silverman
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Holly K Dressman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Microbiome Shared Resource, Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Zhengzheng Wei
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eric P Dallow
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sarah C Armstrong
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Patrick C Seed
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - John F Rawls
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lawrence A David
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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9
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Wright JT, Holmes ZC, Byers JE. Stronger positive association between an invasive crab and a native intertidal ecosystem engineer with increasing wave exposure. Mar Environ Res 2018; 142:124-129. [PMID: 30314636 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem engineers are predicted to have stronger facilitative effects when environmental stress is higher. Here we examined whether facilitation of the invasive porcelain crab Petrolisthes elongatus by the ecosystem engineering serpulid tube worm Galeolaria caespitosa increased with wave exposure. Petrolisthes occurs beneath intertidal boulders which often have a high cover of Galeolaria on their underside. Surveys across nine sites demonstrated Petrolisthes abundance beneath boulders increased with wave exposure and Galeolaria cover, although only when the habitat matrix beneath boulders was rock or mixed rock and sand. Moreover, as wave exposure increased, the strength of relationship between Petrolisthes abundance and the surface area of Galeolaria also increased. Experimentally, the presence of Galeolaria on the underside of boulders increased Petrolisthes abundance by 50% compared to boulders lacking Galeolaria. Our findings suggest the facilitative role of Galeolaria is stronger at more wave-exposed sites, which appears to contribute to a higher abundance of invasive Petrolisthes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey T Wright
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, 7001, Australia.
| | - Zachary C Holmes
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - James E Byers
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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10
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Byers JE, Holmes ZC, Blakeslee AMH. Consistency of trematode infection prevalence in host populations across large spatial and temporal scales. Ecology 2018; 97:1643-1649. [PMID: 27859172 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2016] [Revised: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Parasites can impart heavy fitness costs on their hosts. Thus, understanding the spatial and temporal consistency in parasite pressure can elucidate the likeliness of parasites' role as agents of directional selection, as well as revealing variable environmental factors associated with infection risk. We examined spatiotemporal variation in digenetic trematode infection in 18 populations of an intertidal host snail (Littorina littorea) over a 300 km range at an 11-yr interval, more than double the generation time of the snail. Despite a complete turnover in the snail host population, the average change in infection prevalence among populations was <1% over the 11-yr span, and all but three populations remained within 5 percentage points. This consistency of prevalence in each population over time suggests remarkable spatiotemporal constancy in parasite delivery vectors in this system, notably gulls that serve as definitive hosts for the parasites. Thus, despite gulls' high mobility, their habitat usage patterns are ostensibly relatively fixed in space. Importantly, this spatiotemporal consistency also implies that sites where parasites are recruitment limited remain so over time, and likewise, that parasite hotspots stay hot.
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Affiliation(s)
- James E Byers
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Zachary C Holmes
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - April M H Blakeslee
- Biology Department, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, 27858, USA
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11
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Sheiner L, Fellows JD, Ovciarikova J, Brooks CF, Agrawal S, Holmes ZC, Bietz I, Flinner N, Heiny S, Mirus O, Przyborski JM, Striepen B. Toxoplasma gondii Toc75 Functions in Import of Stromal but not Peripheral Apicoplast Proteins. Traffic 2015; 16:1254-69. [PMID: 26381927 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexa are unicellular parasites causing important human and animal diseases, including malaria and toxoplasmosis. Most of these pathogens possess a relict but essential plastid, the apicoplast. The apicoplast was acquired by secondary endosymbiosis between a red alga and a flagellated eukaryotic protist. As a result the apicoplast is surrounded by four membranes. This complex structure necessitates a system of transport signals and translocons allowing nuclear encoded proteins to find their way to specific apicoplast sub-compartments. Previous studies identified translocons traversing two of the four apicoplast membranes. Here we provide functional support for the role of an apicomplexan Toc75 homolog in apicoplast protein transport. We identify two apicomplexan genes encoding Toc75 and Sam50, both members of the Omp85 protein family. We localize the respective proteins to the apicoplast and the mitochondrion of Toxoplasma and Plasmodium. We show that the Toxoplasma Toc75 is essential for parasite growth and that its depletion results in a rapid defect in the import of apicoplast stromal proteins while the import of proteins of the outer compartments is affected only as the secondary consequence of organelle loss. These observations along with the homology to Toc75 suggest a potential role in transport through the second innermost membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilach Sheiner
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases & Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, 500 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.,Wellcome Trust Centre For Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Sir Graeme Davies Building, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Justin D Fellows
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases & Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, 500 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Jana Ovciarikova
- Wellcome Trust Centre For Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Sir Graeme Davies Building, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Carrie F Brooks
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases & Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, 500 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Swati Agrawal
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases & Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, 500 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Zachary C Holmes
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases & Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, 500 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Irine Bietz
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Nadine Flinner
- Molecular Cell Biology of Plants, Biocenter N200, 3. OG, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sabrina Heiny
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Mirus
- Molecular Cell Biology of Plants, Biocenter N200, 3. OG, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jude M Przyborski
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Boris Striepen
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases & Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, 500 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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