Is HBx protein the X factor in the pathogenesis of IBD?

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Innate Immune Sensors and Gastrointestinal Bacterial Infections

The gastrointestinal microbiota is a major source of immune stimulation. The interaction between host pattern-recognition receptors and conserved microbial ligands profoundly influences infection dynamics. Identifying and understanding the nature of these interactions is a key step towards obtaining a clearer picture of microbial pathogenesis. These interactions underpin a complex interplay between microbe and host that has far reaching consequences for both. Here, we review the role of pattern recognition receptors in three prototype diseases affecting the stomach, the small intestine, and large intestine, respectively (Helicobacter pylori infection, Salmonella infection, and inflammatory bowel disease). Specifically, we review the nature and impact of pathogen:receptor interactions, their impact upon pathogenesis, and address the relevance of pattern recognition receptors in the development of therapies for gastrointestinal diseases

Dietary fibre complexity and its influence on functional groups of the human gut microbiota

Open Access via the Cambridge University Press Agreement Acknowledgments We would like to thank Professor Wendy Russell (University of Aberdeen) and Professor Stephen Fry (University of Edinburgh) for useful discussions and Ms Pat Bain (University of Aberdeen) for graphics support. Financial Support PL, SHD and AWW receive funding from the Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) division. MS is funded by a Rowett Institute RESAS studentship and a University of Aberdeen Elphinstone Scholarship. IM is funded by an Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership grant in partnership with Enterobiotix Ltd and University of Aberdeen (Partnership No. KTP 12019)Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Detection of Campylobacter concisus and other Campylobacter species in colonic biopsies from adults with ulcerative colitis

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Innate immune sensors and gastrointestinal bacterial infections.

The gastrointestinal microbiota is a major source of immune stimulation. The interaction between host pattern-recognition receptors and conserved microbial ligands profoundly influences infection dynamics. Identifying and understanding the nature of these interactions is a key step towards obtaining a clearer picture of microbial pathogenesis. These interactions underpin a complex interplay between microbe and host that has far reaching consequences for both. Here, we review the role of pattern recognition receptors in three prototype diseases affecting the stomach, the small intestine, and large intestine, respectively (Helicobacter pylori infection, Salmonella infection, and inflammatory bowel disease). Specifically, we review the nature and impact of pathogen:receptor interactions, their impact upon pathogenesis, and address the relevance of pattern recognition receptors in the development of therapies for gastrointestinal diseases.Peer Reviewe

The gut virome:the ‘missing link’ between gut bacteria and host immunity?

The human gut virome includes a diverse collection of viruses that infect our own cells as well as other commensal organisms, directly impacting on our well-being. Despite its predominance, the virome remains one of the least understood components of the gut microbiota, with appropriate analysis toolkits still in development. Based on its interconnectivity with all living cells, it is clear that the virome cannot be studied in isolation. Here we review the current understanding of the human gut virome, specifically in relation to other constituents of the microbiome, its evolution and life-long association with its host, and our current understanding in the context of inflammatory bowel disease and associated therapies. We propose that the gut virome and the gut bacterial microbiome share similar trajectories and interact in both health and disease and that future microbiota studies should in parallel characterize the gut virome to uncover its role in health and disease

Comparison of microbial signatures between paired faecal and rectal biopsy samples from healthy volunteers using next-generation sequencing and culturomics

Acknowledgements We are indebted to our volunteers for providing the faecal and biopsy samples without which this study would not have been possible. We thank the members of the Rowett Gut Health research team for discussions and advice. The authors thank the Centre for Genome Enabled Biology and Medicine for Illumina sequencing and useful discussions. Funding This work was supported by funding from Probi AB (Grant Ref: RG14104). The Rowett Institute (University of Aberdeen) receives financial support from the Scottish Government Rural and Environmental Sciences and Analytical Services (RESAS).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Oral bacterial diversity is inversely correlated with mucosal inflammation

Open Access via the Wiley Jisc Agreement Acknowledgements: This work was funded by Tenovus Scotland (Registered Charity Number: SC009675, Glasgow, UK) and the NHS Grampian Endowment Fund. We thank all patients and healthy volunteers for contributing to this study, clinical and administrative staff for valuable assistance in patient recruitment.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Susceptibility to chlorhexidine amongst multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis from bloodstream infections

We thank the staff of the Aberdeen Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory and the Centre for Genome-Enabled Biology and Medicine of the University of Aberdeen for their dedicated support to this study.Peer reviewedPostprintPostprintPostprin

Comparative genomics of Campylobacter concisus:Analysis of clinical strains reveals genome diversity and pathogenic potential

We thank members of the GI Research Team for discussions and advice. The authors thank Brennan Martin and the Centre for Genome Enabled Biology and Medicine for Illumina sequencing and useful discussions. This work was supported by a Fulbright Scholarship to G.L.H., an NHS Grampian Endowment grant fund to I.M. and G.L.H., a CSO clinical academic fellowship to R.H. (CAF/08/01). R.H. is supported by an NHS Research Scotland Career Researcher Fellowship. This work was generously supported by the Catherine McEwan Foundation. Sequence deposition The C. concisus raw sequencing reads and genome assemblies are freely available from the EMBL-EBI ENA under the study Accession PRJEB22351.Peer reviewedPublisher PD