Microbiome Influences Prenatal and Adult Microglia in a Sex-Specific Manner

Microglia are embryonically seeded macrophages that contribute to brain development, homeostasis, and pathologies. It is thus essential to decipher how microglial properties are temporally regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as sexual identity and the microbiome. Here, we found that microglia undergo differentiation phases, discernable by transcriptomic signatures and chromatin accessibility landscapes, which can diverge in adult males and females. Remarkably, the absence of microbiome in germ-free mice had a time and sexually dimorphic impact both prenatally and postnatally: microglia were more profoundly perturbed in male embryos and female adults. Antibiotic treatment of adult mice triggered sexually biased microglial responses revealing both acute and long-term effects of microbiota depletion. Finally, human fetal microglia exhibited significant overlap with the murine transcriptomic signature. Our study shows that microglia respond to environmental challenges in a sex- and time-dependent manner from prenatal stages, with major implications for our understanding of microglial contributions to health and disease.

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Microglia undergo sequential phases of differentiation during development

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The maternal microbiome influences microglial properties during prenatal stages

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The absence of the microbiome has a sex- and time-specific impact on microglia

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Microbiome depletions have acute and long-term effects on microglial properties

Isolated unilateral facet dislocation of the lumbosacral junction

Traumatic unilateral facet dislocation of the lumbosacral junction without fracture or with non-displaced fractures of adjacent vertebrae is extremely rare. We describe a case of a young male who sustained a unilateral facet dislocation of the lumbosacral junction in a motor vehicle accident. The unusual features of this case include an unremarkable physical and neurological examination on presentation and absence of other substantial vertebral or extra-vertebral injuries.

Bacterial degradation of aminopyrine

1. Four strains of bacteria growing with aminopyrine as sole source of carbon were isolated from soil and were identified as strains of Phenylobacterium immobilis. 2. Strain M13 and strain E, the type species of Phenylobacterium immobilis (DSM 1986), which had been isolated by enrichment with chloridazon (5-amino-4-chloro-2-phenyl-2H-pyridazin-3-one) were used to investigate the bacterial degradation of aminopyrine. 3. Three metabolites were isolated and identified as: 4-(dimethylamino)-1,2-dihydro-1,5-dimethyl-2-(2,3-dihydro-2,3-dihydroxy-4,6-cyc lohexadien-1-yl)-3H-pyrazol-3-one, 4-(dimethylamino)-1,2-dihydro-1,5-dimethyl-2-(2,3-dihydroxyphenyl)-3H-pyrazol-3 -one and 4-(dimethylamino)-1,2-dihydro-1,5-dimethyl-3H-pyrazol-3-one. 4. An enzyme extract from cells of strain m13 was shown to further metabolize the catechol derivative of aminopyrine, with the formation of 2-pyrone-6-carboxylic acid. 5. Results indicate that the benzene ring of aminopyrine is the principal site of microbial metabolism.

The metabolism of caffeine by a Pseudomonas putida strain

1) A bacterium capable of growing aerobically with caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) as sole source of carbon and nitrogen was isolated from soil. The morphological and physiological characteristics of the bacterium were examined. The organism was identified as a strain of Pseudomonas putida and is referred to as Pseudomonas putida C1. 15 additional caffeine-degrading bacteria were isolated, and all of them were also identified as Pseudomonas putida strains. The properties of the isolates are discussed in comparison with 6 Pseudomonas putida strains of the American Type Culture Collection. 2) The degradation of caffeine by Pseudomonas putida C1 was investigated; the following 14 metabolites were identified: 3,7-dimethylxanthine (theobromine), 1,7-dimethylxanthine, 7-methylxanthine, xanthine, 3,7-dimethyluric acid, 1,7-dimethyluric acid, 7-methyluric acid, uric acid, allantoin, allantoic acid, ureidoglycolic acid, glyoxylic acid, urea, and formaldehyde. Formaldehyde has been demonstrated to be the product of oxidative N-demethylation mediated by an inducible demethylase. A pathway of caffeine degradation is proposed.

[Microbial breakdown of caffeine (author's transl)]

A bacterium, capable of growing aerobically with caffeine as its sole source of carbon and nitrogen, was isolated from soil and identified as Pseudomonas putida sp. The breakdown of caffeine begins with stepwise demethylation, which leads via various N-methyl-purines to xanthine each step yielding formaldehyde. Xanthine is then broken down via uric acid, allantoin, allantoic acid and further intermediates to urea and glyoxylic acid, which serves as the actual source of carbon.