Dissemination of Intestinal Microbiota by Migratory Birds across Geographical Borders

Understanding the dissemination of medically important microbiota is a significant public health necessity. Although modern bacteriology has advanced with improved culturing technology, several environmental bacteria occur in the “viable but nonculturable” state. By using next-generation sequencing (NGS) to comprehensively analyze the intestinal microbiota of migratory birds, research on microbial communities traveling over long distances has entered a new era and provides new insights that are valuable for the analysis of medical care, livestock industry, agriculture, and human health risks. The use of comprehensive analysis by NGS of not only intestinal microbiota but also diet biological communities may help elucidate the relationship between microbiological communities and the diet and succession of intestinal microbiota, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria, during migration and breeding. Here, we have described the current state and the future implications of studying intestinal microbiota associated with migratory birds

Public Health Implications of Intestinal Microbiota in Migratory Birds

Understanding the transboundary movement of microorganisms is a significant public health issue. It is possible that large amounts of various bacteria existing on the earth’s surface are spreading across borders through migratory birds, but their identities and rates of migration have yet to be elucidated. Although modern bacteriology has advanced based on culture technology, many environmental bacteria may be in a “viable but nonculturable” state. To date, various novel culture-independent detection methods have been developed, including next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology that enables high-throughput sequencing and in-depth gene analysis independent of culture. By using NGS to comprehensively analyze the intestinal microbiota of migratory birds, research on bacterial and viral communities traveling over long distances has entered a new era, providing a new insight for the analysis of the livestock industry, agriculture, and human health risks. Here, we describe the current state and future outcomes of studying intestinal microbiota associated with migratory birds

An improved method for nanogold in situ hybridization visualized with environmental scanning electron microscopy

This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. The definitive version was published in Journal of Microscopy 236 (2009): 5-10, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2818.2009.03207.x.An important goal in geomicrobiology is the identification of microbes associated with specific mineral surfaces. Yet, simultaneously collecting phylogenetic and mineral information remains methodologically challenging. Recently, whole-cell in situ hybridization techniques using oligonucleotide rRNA probes bound to nanogold particles have been used to detect microbes with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for geomicrobiological applications (Gerard et al., 2005; Kenzaka et al., 2005). These techniques rely on backscattered electron images or energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to map the presence and distribution of nanogold, and to identify areas of rRNA hybridization within cells and on mineral surfaces. Although these nanogold hybridization techniques have been successful for pure cultures of Bacteria and Archaea (Gerard et al., 2005) and for natural microbial communities associated with river sediment particles (Kenzaka et al., 2005) and basalt surfaces (Menez et al., 2007), their application to other metal-rich geomicrobiological systems is problematic. First, metallic substrates and surfaces can obscure detection of nanogold-labelled cells imaged with backscattered electron microscopy (Richards et al., 2001). Second, metallic surfaces can interfere with the hybridization reaction by causing non-specific precipitation of nanogold (Humbel et al., 1995; Weipoltshammer et al., 2000). Because many geomicrobiological systems of interest have a high concentration of metal substrates (i.e. hydrothermal vents, acid mine drainage) a new technique is needed to identify microbes found in these types of environments. In this work, we present a new nanogold in situ hybridization method that increases the concentration of nanogold probes bound to rRNA targets within the cell and makes individual hybridization events directly visible with secondary electron SEM imaging.This research was supported by National Science Foundation MRI, Ecology and Microbial Observatories programmes (MCB-0406999 and MCB-0534879, to RMH, PAH and SMS); the U.S. DOE NABIR programme; the U.S. EPA STAR programme

Distribution of fecal bacterial groups in the river and lake water in the city of Hanoi, Vietnam

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart

The immunology of Takotsubo syndrome

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a disorder characterized by transient cardiac dysfunction with ventricular regional wall motion abnormalities, primarily thought to be caused by the effects of a sudden catecholamine surge on the heart. Although the majority of patients exhibit prompt recovery of their cardiac dysfunction, TTS remains associated with increased mortality rates acutely and at long-term, and there is currently no cure for TTS. Inflammation has been shown to play a key role in determining outcomes in TTS patients, as well as in the early pathogenesis of the disorder. There are also cases of TTS patients that have been successfully treated with anti-inflammatory therapies, supporting the importance of the inflammatory response in TTS. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of the available clinical and pre-clinical literature on the immune response in TTS, in an effort to not only better understand the pathophysiology of TTS but also to generate insights on the treatment of patients with this disorder

The Immunology of Takotsubo Syndrome

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a disorder characterized by transient cardiac dysfunction with ventricular regional wall motion abnormalities, primarily thought to be caused by the effects of a sudden catecholamine surge on the heart. Although the majority of patients exhibit prompt recovery of their cardiac dysfunction, TTS remains associated with increased mortality rates acutely and at long-term, and there is currently no cure for TTS. Inflammation has been shown to play a key role in determining outcomes in TTS patients, as well as in the early pathogenesis of the disorder. There are also cases of TTS patients that have been successfully treated with anti-inflammatory therapies, supporting the importance of the inflammatory response in TTS. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of the available clinical and pre-clinical literature on the immune response in TTS, in an effort to not only better understand the pathophysiology of TTS but also to generate insights on the treatment of patients with this disorder