In the gastrointestinal tract, a diverse microbial community, including eukaryotes, bacteria, archaea, and bacteriophage, play a role in human health and disease. To establish and colonize the human gut, several physiological and biological stressors along the digestive tract, such as bacteriophages, antimicrobial peptides, proteolytic enzymes, bile acids, and antibiotic intake, must be overcome by commensal and gut bacteria. In addition, commensal and pathogenic microorganisms have mechanisms to survive and persist in an unfavorable environment, including sporulation, persister cells, viable non-cultivable cells, the inclusion of specific metabolic routes, specific factors, and genetic changes. These mechanisms have been explored mainly in pathogens, especially those that contribute to relapse or recurrence of a disease. Their role in gut commensals is about to be dissected.
In this Research Topic, we would like to describe novel mechanisms for colonization and persistence employed by commensal or pathogenic bacteria to help us understand which are the factors that shape gut microbiota organization. We expect to know why dysbiosis is increased in aging and which could be the factors that promote these changes.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Characterizing genes, pathways, drugs, inhibitors, or any other small molecules/peptides that induce bacteria resistance, tolerance, or susceptibility.
• Mechanism of formation, characterization, and effect of persister bacterial cells.
• Mechanism of inducing sporulation in the gut, and characterization.
• Mechanisms of pathogen relapse and recurrence.
• Novel methods, techniques, and animal models to study gut bacterial persistence.
• Gut microbiota persistence in aging
PCC is inventor on the PCT WO2020035720 (A1) patent titled “Method and pharmacological composition for the prevention of recurrent infections caused by Clostridioides difficile,” and on the patent application PCT/IB2021/060174 (Filled 3rd November 2021) titled “Composition based on nystatin and vancomycin nanoparticles for the treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection and prevention of recurrence,” submitted by Universidad Andrés Bello. MPG and ARR declare no conflicts of interest.
In the gastrointestinal tract, a diverse microbial community, including eukaryotes, bacteria, archaea, and bacteriophage, play a role in human health and disease. To establish and colonize the human gut, several physiological and biological stressors along the digestive tract, such as bacteriophages, antimicrobial peptides, proteolytic enzymes, bile acids, and antibiotic intake, must be overcome by commensal and gut bacteria. In addition, commensal and pathogenic microorganisms have mechanisms to survive and persist in an unfavorable environment, including sporulation, persister cells, viable non-cultivable cells, the inclusion of specific metabolic routes, specific factors, and genetic changes. These mechanisms have been explored mainly in pathogens, especially those that contribute to relapse or recurrence of a disease. Their role in gut commensals is about to be dissected.
In this Research Topic, we would like to describe novel mechanisms for colonization and persistence employed by commensal or pathogenic bacteria to help us understand which are the factors that shape gut microbiota organization. We expect to know why dysbiosis is increased in aging and which could be the factors that promote these changes.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Characterizing genes, pathways, drugs, inhibitors, or any other small molecules/peptides that induce bacteria resistance, tolerance, or susceptibility.
• Mechanism of formation, characterization, and effect of persister bacterial cells.
• Mechanism of inducing sporulation in the gut, and characterization.
• Mechanisms of pathogen relapse and recurrence.
• Novel methods, techniques, and animal models to study gut bacterial persistence.
• Gut microbiota persistence in aging
PCC is inventor on the PCT WO2020035720 (A1) patent titled “Method and pharmacological composition for the prevention of recurrent infections caused by Clostridioides difficile,” and on the patent application PCT/IB2021/060174 (Filled 3rd November 2021) titled “Composition based on nystatin and vancomycin nanoparticles for the treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection and prevention of recurrence,” submitted by Universidad Andrés Bello. MPG and ARR declare no conflicts of interest.