16S rRNA gene-based profiling of the human infant gut microbiota is strongly influenced by sample processing and PCR primer choice

Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge the assistance of Grietje Holtrop (RINH-BioSS) with the statistical analysis of the data and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute’s 454 pyrosequencing team for generating 16S rRNA gene data. AWW, PS and JP received core funding support from the Wellcome Trust [grant number 098051]. AWW, JCM, HJF and KPS are funded by the Scottish Government (SG-RESAS).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Establishing genetic manipulation for novel strains of human gut bacteria

Acknowledgements We would like to thank Pat Bain for preparing the Figures. Financial support and sponsorship The Rowett Institute (University of Aberdeen) receives financial support from the Scottish Government Rural and Environmental Sciences and Analytical Services (RESAS).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

First-Pass Meconium Samples from Healthy Term Vaginally-Delivered Neonates : An Analysis of the Microbiota

Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank the parents who consented to provide samples with limited notice at an emotional and stressful time. This work was supported entirely from personal donations to the neonatal endowments fund at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital and we thank families for their continued generosity, year-on-year. The Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health receives funding from the Scottish Government (SG-RESAS). Funding: This work was funded from NHS Grampian Neonatal Endowments. The Rowett Institute receives funding from the Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services programme of the Scottish Government. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The association between first-episode psychosis and abnormal glycaemic control : systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Schizophrenia might share intrinsic inflammatory disease pathways with type 2 diabetes. We aimed to assess whether first-episode psychosis, which could be described as developing schizophrenia, is associated with prediabetic markers, or developing diabetes, to determine whether intrinsic disease links could cause the disorders to develop in unison. We hypothesised that biochemical measures of prediabetic states would be more common in antipsychotic naive patients with first-episode psychosis than in healthy matched controls. Methods For this systematic review and meta-analysis, using PRISMA criteria, we searched Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for clinical studies published between database inception and Jan 6, 2016. We assessed case-control studies with biochemical assessment of prediabetic states in patients with first-episode psychosis alongside matched controls. We sought data at the summary estimate level. Several measurements were used to test for prediabetes, including fasting plasma glucose, insulin resistance (measured by the Homeostatic Model Assessment), and impaired glucose tolerance. We calculated standardised mean differences for each outcome. We used the inverse variance method, for which the weight given to each study was the inverse of the variance of the effect estimate. For dichotomous outcomes, we entered the number of events and number in each group into RevMan 5.3 and used the Mantel-Haenszel method to pool studies. Findings We identified 1436 studies, of which 12 were included in final analysis, including 1137 participants. Pooled analyses found first-episode psychosis to be related to insulin resistance (mean difference 0·30 [95% CI 0·18 to 0·42]), impaired glucose tolerance (mean difference 1·31 [0·37 to 2·25]), and the number of patients with impaired glucose tolerance (odds ratio 5·44 [2·63 to 11·27]), but not fasting plasma glucose (mean difference 0·03 mmol/L [–0·04 to 0·09]). Interpretation Our findings suggest a potential link between prediabetic markers, in particular impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, and first-episode psychosis. However, we cannot establish causality, and the studies contributing to this review were at some risk of bias. Nevertheless, the findings might help to explain the increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes in patients with schizophrenia and could have implications for the management of patients with schizophrenia

Hedgehog signal transduction proteins: contacts of the Fused kinase and Ci transcription factor with the Kinesin-related protein Costal2

BACKGROUND: Hedgehog signaling proteins play important roles in development by controlling growth and patterning in various animals including Drosophila and mammals. Hedgehog signaling triggers changes in responsive cells through a novel transduction mechanism that ultimately controls the transcription of specific target genes via the activity of zinc finger transcription factors of the Cubitus interruptus /GLI family. In flies, key Hedgehog signal transduction components have been identified including the kinesin-related protein Costal2, the serinethreonine kinase Fused, and the PEST-containing protein Suppressor of Fused. These proteins control Cubitus interruptus cleavage, nucleo-cytoplasmic localization and activation. In fly embryos, Costal2, Fused, Suppressor of Fused and Cubitus interruptus are associated in at least one cytoplasmic complex, which interacts with the microtubules in a Hedgehog-dependent manner. RESULTS: Here we identified and mapped direct interactions between Cos2, Fu, and Ci using an in vitro affinity assay and the yeast two-hybrid system. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide new insights into the possible mechanism of the cytosolic steps of Hedgehog transduction

Polysaccharide utilization loci and nutritional specialization in a dominant group of butyrate-producing human colonic Firmicutes

Acknowledgements The Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health (University of Aberdeen) receives financial support from the Scottish Government Rural and Environmental Sciences and Analytical Services (RESAS). POS is a PhD student supported by the Scottish Government (RESAS) and the Science Foundation Ireland, through a centre award to the APC Microbiome Institute, Cork, Ireland. Data Summary The high-quality draft genomes generated in this work were deposited at the European Nucleotide Archive under the following accession numbers: 1. Eubacterium rectale T1-815; CVRQ01000001–CVRQ0100 0090: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/data/view/PRJEB9320 2. Roseburia faecis M72/1; CVRR01000001–CVRR010001 01: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/data/view/PRJEB9321 3. Roseburia inulinivorans L1-83; CVRS01000001–CVRS0 100 0151: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/data/view/PRJEB9322Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The Ageing Gut-Brain Study : Exploring the role of the gut microbiota in dementia

Alex Johnstone, Alison Donaldson, Karen Scott and Phyo Myint all contributed equally to the writing and preparation of the manuscript. This study is funded by Tenovus Scotland Research Project No. G16‐08 (start 1 June 2017, end date 31 January 2019) and NHS‐Grampian Research and Development Endowment Research Grants Project No: 16/11/043 (start date 1 April 2017, end date 31 January, 2019) and the Scottish government as part of the Strategic Research Programme at the Rowett Institute (start date 1 April 2016–31 March 2021).Peer reviewedPostprin

Heterologous gene expression in the human gut bacteria Eubacterium rectale and Roseburia inulinivorans by means of conjugative plasmids

Acknowledgements The Rowett Institute (University of Aberdeen) receives financial support from the Scottish Government Rural and Environmental Sciences and Analytical Services (RESAS). POS was a PhD student supported by the Scottish Government (RESAS) and the Science Foundation Ireland, through a centre award (12/RC/2273) to APC Microbiome Ireland, Cork, Ireland.Peer reviewedPostprin

The agronomic performance and nutritional content of oat and barley varieties grown in a northern maritime environment depends on variety and growing conditions

Funding for this research came from the Scottish Government's Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS) through their support for this Strategic Partnership project. We are also grateful to Ingvar Andersson at Lantmännen SW Seed AB for supplying seed of the Scandinavian varieties for the trials each year and to the seed merchant William Shearer (Kirkwall) for importing it. We are indebted to Grietje Holtrop from Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland for her help with statistical analysis. Andy Beer (The Royal Zoological Society, Edinburgh) performed all NIRS analysis and Gill Campbell (Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health) performed the mineral content analysis. The Centre for Sustainable Cropping platform is supported through Scottish Government Underpinning Capacity funding. The Agronomy Institute acknowledges support from the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme's Northern Cereals project in preparing this publication.Peer reviewedPostprin