Beyond Commensals — Interactions Between the Gut Microbiome and Metazoan Host Metabolic Performance

Cover image for research topic "Beyond Commensals — Interactions Between the Gut Microbiome and Metazoan Host Metabolic Performance"
24.8K
views
7
articles
Editors
3
Impact
Loading...
Distribution of expressed CAZymes involved in the digestive processes and degradation of lignocellulose in the gut of the millipede T. aoutii. The length of the bars corresponds to the percentage of the corresponding EC numbers (100% = number of ECs corresponding to all functional groups of CAZymes in the gut). FG, foregut with salivary glands; MG, midgut; HG, hindgut; Cel, cellulases and β-glucosidases; Hem, hemicellulases; Pec, pectinases; Amy, amylases and α-glucosidases; Lam, laminarinases and licheninases; Tre, trehalase; Chi, chitinases and lysozyme. *Residual plant starch or storage polysaccharides of the soil microbiota are expected in the diet, ‡Enzymatic degradation of lignin by the free-living soil microbiota is assumed, Nutrients absorption (?) – Nutrients uptake through the hindgut wall has not been experimentally demonstrated in millipedes. The scheme of lignocellulose was modified after Salimi et al. (2016) and the gut silhouette after Blower (1985).
3,900 views
14 citations
3,935 views
9 citations
Original Research
24 June 2022
Features and Colonization Strategies of Enterococcus faecalis in the Gut of Bombyx mori
Xiancui Zhang
4 more and 
Xingmeng Lu
Genes specifically contributing to gut colonization. (A) Colonization-related gene expression at different times (0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days) after inoculation with E. faecalis LX10 (107 CFU/mL) by RT–qPCR. (B) The mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM) of experiments performed in quintuplicate, with 10 silkworms/experiment, are shown. Variation analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test. Different letters represent significant differences at p < 0.05. Adhesin genes (znuA, lepB, hssA, adhE, EbpA, and Lap), defense genes (cspp, esp, and tagF), a regulatory gene (BfmRS), a secretion system gene (prkC), immune evasion genes (patA and patB), and iron acquisition genes (ddpD and metN).

The complex gut microbiome is a malleable microbial community that can undergo remodeling in response to many factors, including the gut environment and microbial properties. Enterococcus has emerged as one of the predominant gut commensal bacterial and plays a fundamental role in the host physiology and health of the major economic agricultural insect, Bombyx mori. Although extensive research on gut structure and microbiome diversity has been carried out, how these microbial consortia are established in multifarious niches within the gut has not been well characterized to date. Here, an Enterococcus species that was stably associated with its host, the model organism B. mori, was identified in the larval gut. GFP–tagged E. faecalis LX10 was constructed as a model bacterium to track the colonization mechanism in the intestine of B. mori. The results revealed that the minimum and optimum colonization results were obtained by feeding at doses of 105 CFU/silkworm and 107 CFU/silkworm, respectively, as confirmed by bioassays and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analyses (FACS). Furthermore, a comprehensive genome-wide exploration of signal sequences provided insight into the relevant colonization properties of E. faecalis LX10. E. faecalis LX10 grew well under alkaline conditions and stably reduced the intestinal pH through lactic acid production. Additionally, the genomic features responsible for lactic acid fermentation were characterized. We further expressed and purified E. faecalis bacteriocin and found that it was particularly effective against other gut bacteria, including Enterococcus casselifavus, Enterococcus mundtii, Serratia marcescens, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Escherichia coli. In addition, the successful colonization of E. faecalis LX10 led to drastically increased expression of all adhesion genes (znuA, lepB, hssA, adhE, EbpA, and Lap), defense genes (cspp, tagF, and esp), regulation gene (BfmRS), secretion gene (prkC) and immune evasion genes (patA and patB), while the expression of iron acquisition genes (ddpD and metN) was largely unchanged or decreased. This work establishes an unprecedented conceptual model for understanding B. mori–gut microbiota interactions in an ecological context. Moreover, these results shed light on the molecular mechanisms of gut microbiota proliferation and colonization in the intestinal tract of this insect.

3,874 views
18 citations
Mini Review
03 May 2022

The gut microbiome engages in constant interactions with the immune system, laying down the fundamentals of what we perceive as health or disease. The gut microbiota acts locally in the intestines and distally in other organs, such as the lungs. This influence (termed “the gut–lung axis”) constitutes the basis for harnessing the microbiome to prevent or treat chronic respiratory diseases. Within this context, two approaches gained the most attention: the diet interventions (which shape the microbiome) and the probiotics (which exert beneficial effects directly on the host). Microbial products, which constitute a means of communication along the gut–lung axis, are only now emerging as a new class of potential therapeutics. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of microbial products active in the airways, describe the immunological mechanisms they trigger, and discuss their clinical advantages and pitfalls.

5,160 views
12 citations
Recommended Research Topics
Frontiers Logo

Frontiers in Microbiology

The Wildlife Gut Microbiome and Its Implication for Conservation Biology
Edited by Lifeng Zhu, Simon Bahrndorff, Jianjun Wang
162.4K
views
139
authors
22
articles
Frontiers Logo

Frontiers in Microbiology

Nutritional Physiology and Gut Microbiome
Edited by Jia Yin, Konstantinos Papadimitriou, Tingtao Chen, Peng Huang
105.2K
views
160
authors
21
articles
86.2K
views
152
authors
21
articles
Frontiers Logo

Frontiers in Microbiology

Evolution and Diversity of Avian Gut Microbiomes
Edited by Michael Kogut, Mike Taylor, Kasun Harshana Bodawatta
20.4K
views
56
authors
8
articles
Deadline
31 Aug 2024
Submit